Redeemer Family,
Good afternoon! I hope this finds you well. As many of you will know, every summer we ask our Small Groups to take a break from meeting to create space for what we call “Redeemer Summer Book Clubs.” These gatherings are (hopefully) exactly what they sound like—groups of people who all agree to read a book together and gather a few times over the course of the summer to discuss what they are learning from the book.
If you would like to lead one this summer, here are your next steps:
Select a book off Redeemer’s Book Table. You can find that list here.
Fill out this form. Our Senior Director of Ministries, Lane Cowin will follow up with you.
Invite people you know from both inside and outside the church to participate.
Instruct those people to purchase the book and mark their calendars for the gatherings.
Read the book.
Gather with your people. Discuss what you’re learning. Resist the temptation to teach the book to others and instead ask open-ended questions. Have fun!
F.A.Q.
Q: What if I want to pick a book that isn’t on Redeemer’s book table?
A: Two-Part Answer:
For this Summer, go ahead and select one off the book table even if it isn’t your favorite.
Suggest your preferred book to our staff and ask if it can be added to the book table for the coming year. We’d be glad to give it a look!
Note: The reason for the guidelines here is that in a world with a lot of available content for consumption, we take seriously our role to curate a pre-vetted set of resources for people. We hope to offer to the parish a curated list of books that are trustworthy.
Q: What if I want to lead one of these, but nobody signs up for my club? Can the staff find people to participate in my club?
A: Well that’s a bummer. Alas, no - it’s on you to invite people to your book club.
Q: Can we all purchase the book on Audible and listen to it instead of read?
A: Sure.
Q: I don’t like reading. Can I watch the movie version and discuss that instead?
A: You’re really pushing it here.
Q: Can the church purchase the books for people to make it free for them?
A: Nope. Most people don’t read books they receive for free, they read books they pay for. Get some skin in the game.
Q: OK, I want to lead a Summer book club. Should I pick a book off the table that I’ve read before or a new one that I haven’t read yet?
A: Definitely go for a new one. If you’re new to the book, you’ll be more likely to approach the discussions as a curious facilitator and less like a teacher.
Redeemer family, let’s continue to be lifelong students and learners together. I hope everyone can read at least one book this Summer so that we can continue to grow together.
In the Father’s love,
