Community Guides

Kylee Logan 4/10/25 Kylee Logan 4/10/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation (Conclusion)

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John’s account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet (John 13v1–17) and take communion together.

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

On the night before Jesus was killed, he shared a final meal with his disciples. In these last moments, he didn’t tell one last parable, he enacted one. Through a simple, symbolic act, Jesus summed up his life’s message, revealing to us God’s posture toward humanity. And, while this act dealt with power, it didn’t do so in a way anyone expected. As his apprentices, we are to take this same posture towards one another.

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…” This was John’s build up to the moment: Jesus knew he had all power and authority, he knew his source and his destiny. At this point, as the reader, we might expect Jesus to stand up and give a rousing speech or lift a sword to the heavens, shout some war cry, or set some covert plan in place to take down Rome—but this isn’t what Jesus does in response to his certainty and strength. Instead, we read that Jesus rose from the meal, only to remove his coat, wrap a towel around his waist, and then kneel before each disciple, washing their feet each in turn.

The “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word maundatum, meaning command, and references the statement Jesus makes moments after he washes his disciples’ feet, when he seems to explain what he was doing: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Tonight, we will reenact Jesus’ symbolic gesture together by washing each other’s feet, as a way of remembering God’s love for us and embodying the love he calls us to have for one another.

Do This Practice Tonight (35 minutes)

Tonight, we will be symbolically washing each others’ feet to remember God’s love for us and our call to love each other. Below you will find some helpful details to keep in mind.

Supplies: Let’s make sure we have the following items.

Some sort of pitcher or large cup or bowl filled with warm water
Some sort of bucket or bin in which to catch the poured out water
A few towels with which to dry feet (and perhaps one on the ground below the bucket or bin)

Process: As the Community Leader, I will be “washing” the feet of each person in your Community. (Leader note: If your Community has co-Leaders, they can split the washing and then wash each other’s feet. If not, select someone who will wash the Leader’s feet at the end.) When you’re ready and everyone understands the order, here’s how it works:

To maintain an atmosphere of worship, let’s all remain quietly reflective throughout as we play some sort of worship or instrumental music. (Leader note: Here is a playlist that you are welcome to use.)
The person whose feet are being washed will sit in a chair with their feet in the bin or bucket.
I will “wash” their feet by simply pouring the warm water from the pitcher over their feet.
I will then take a towel and dry the person’s feet.
We’ll repeat steps 2 – 4 until every person has had their feet washed.

Leader note: Close your time in prayer thanking Jesus for your Community, and for the way he modeled serving one another well.

Renunciation Reflection Conclusion

We’re going to transition now into time reflecting on the season of Lent and our Practices of Renunciation as we prepare for Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.

We began this Lenten season asking God what good gift he wants to give us, and to show us what we might be using as a substitute for that gift. Or, put another way, all the ways we grasp for ourselves what God wants to freely give us. As we’ve walked over these last six weeks or so, we’ve likely had a spectrum of emotions, thoughts, and experiences—from frustration to fulfillment and everything in-between. As we look ahead to the conclusion of Lent on Resurrection Sunday, we want to consider all that God has done in this season of turning away from lesser appetites so we can turn toward all that Jesus has for us, and to consider what we want to carry forward into the rest of our year. With that in mind, let’s take the next ten minutes or so to talk through these questions:

Did anything surprise you about your experience with Renunciation during this season of Lent?
In your Practices of Renunciation and Reclaiming, how have you experienced God freely giving you what you’ve been trying to take for yourself?
What is one thing you want to carry forward beyond Easter and into your normal practice of life with Jesus?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is simple: we will finish out our Lenten renunciation through the rest of the week, celebrating its completion on Easter Sunday!

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 4/3/25 Kylee Logan 4/3/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #5

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

All-loving God, we praise you and rejoice in your presence. We come to this table together with hope and longing love, sharing the Lord's Supper, to eat and drink a foretaste of that future Wedding Supper. Jesus, we are making ourselves ready: tuning our hearts and training our appetites to desire you and you alone. Infuse our lives with your presence as we share your body, broken for us, and your blood, poured out for us. You wait with longing for us to drink anew in your kingdom, so we say: Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Throughout the season of Lent, we are engaging in the practice of Renunciation: giving up a particular (often good or neutral) appetite that we tend to use as a substitute for something God already wants to give us. And, as a reminder, we will spend the remainder of this teaching series reflecting on our practice of Renunciation in light of the themes found in one of the seven letters in Revelation.

Tonight, we’ll reflect on Jesus’ letter to the church of Philadelphia, in which he commends and encourages them by saying that he sees how they have kept to his way and endured struggle for the sake of love.

Ultimately, the practice of Renunciation aims to open us up to more of God’s love so that his love permeates our everyday lives. Because love is the goal, the prayer is that our practice of Renunciation (and our accompanying practice of reclamation) will produce lasting change in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We want to both experience God's love in the present and to allow it to transform us going into the future beyond Lent. So tonight, we will join the church of Philadelphia and do just that.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Leader Note: Feel free to work through the following questions as a whole Community or in smaller groups, so long as everyone has an opportunity to share.

How has your practice of Renunciation been going this week? (e.g. Where did you feel God’s presence? Where did you feel resistance?)
How have you experienced the love of God more deeply during your practice of Renunciation?
With just a short time left, is there anything you hope will continue from your Lenten Renunciation into your everyday life with Jesus? (e.g. a new way of thinking, a changed relationship with technology, or a different pace of life, etc.)

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue our Renunciation and Reclaiming through the season of Lent. Remember, Renunciation is about joy and desire! Because we are human beings, we will always be susceptible to reaching for something that God wants to give us. In our Renunciation, we are asking God for what he already desires for us and learning to receive from him rather than taking it for ourselves. So, this week, let’s resolve again to renounce our good or neutral appetites and receive God’s kindness and love.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in blessing prayer for one another, asking God to continue growing each person through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 3/30/25 Kylee Logan 3/30/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #4

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Tonight, we’ll reflect on Jesus’ letter to the church of Sardis, where he reveals that he sees them as spiritually dead—spiritually “falling asleep” to the gospel. Jesus calls the church to “wake up” and become alive again by remembering the teaching of faith and choosing to walk in that good news.

At this point in your Lenten renunciation journey, Easter may feel more like a finish line than a celebration. Like the church in Sardis, we may have “fallen asleep” to what drew us to this particular practice at first. While this is part of the human experience, when we see our Renunciations as something to “get past” and finish, we miss out on the original intent to receive the freedom and life of God. Jesus teaches us that the pathway back to spiritual vibrancy is through the act of remembering—remembering what led us to the practice of Renunciation in the first place. Tonight, we will join the church of Sardis in remembering, in asking the Holy Spirit to reawaken us to our spiritual desire.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Leader Note: Feel free to work through the following questions as a whole Community or in smaller groups, so long as everyone has an opportunity to share.

How has your practice of Renunciation been going this week? (e.g. Where did you feel God’s presence? Where did you feel resistance?)
Renunciation is a way of withholding a good or neutral appetite to receive what God freely wants to give you. How have you found yourself wandering from or forgetting that reality during Lent?
As you enter this coming week, what could it look like for you to wake and reset your focus on what God is trying to freely offer you in this season?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue our Renunciation and Reclaiming through the season of Lent. Remember, Renunciation is about joy and desire! Because we are human beings, we will always be susceptible to reaching for something on our own terms that God wants to freely give us. In our Renunciation, we are asking God for what he already desires for us and learning to receive from him rather than taking it for ourselves. So, this week, let’s resolve again to renounce our good or neutral appetites and receive God’s kindness and love.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in blessing prayer for one another, asking God to continue growing each person through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 3/20/25 Kylee Logan 3/20/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #3

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Tonight, we’ll reflect on Jesus’ letter to the church of Thyatira, in which he calls them to reject prominent false teachings and to return to Jesus’ vision for the good life. It’s important that we too take time to name and acknowledge the people who are influencing our lives and discipleship to Jesus, for good or ill. It is so easy to grow impatient for the things we want from God that might not be coming on our terms or in our timing—whether it’s a sense of belonging, comfort, peace, community, rest, or something else. In that impatience, we may be tempted to replace God’s best with lesser loves. So tonight, we’ll join the church in Thyatira by reflecting on the influences that impact our journey with Jesus.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

To begin our practice for the night, let’s take a moment to think back to the first week of our Renunciation, remembering what it was that we desired for God to give us rather than to try and take for ourselves. Let’s take just a moment to remember, and then we’ll share in one or two words what that good gift is.

Leader Note: Give everyone 20 seconds or so to think, and then invite people to share in one or two words.

Last week we focused on cultural influences that pull us away from our practice, so this week we want to focus on those who pull us towards it. So let’s take a few moments in silence to take note of the people who most influence us towards Jesus and the better love that he is offering us. If it’s helpful, feel free to use a journal or piece of paper to write down any thoughts. Then we’ll come back together and share one or two people each.

Leader Note: Give everyone 1 minute or so to think, and then invite people to share a name or two each.

As we have all experienced, it’s helpful to have people in our life who influence our relationship with Jesus. But more than just learning from someone, it’s important to share the journey of discipleship together. In this season of Lent, we get to do that by practicing Renunciation alongside one another—not necessarily giving up the same things, but identifying where we see God in each other's practice.

With that in mind, let’s have a discussion about our Renunciation and what this invitation might look like.

How has your practice of Renunciation been going this week? (e.g. Where did you feel God’s presence? Where did you feel resistance?)
Who are you letting into your practice of Renunciation, and how is that helping you?
Based on the last question, who is someone you could carry your practice of Renunciation with, and what might that look like?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in blessing prayer for one another, asking God to continue growing each person through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 3/16/25 Kylee Logan 3/16/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #2

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Throughout the season of Lent, we are engaging in the practice of Renunciation: giving up a particular (often good or neutral) appetite that we tend to use as a substitute for something God already wants to give us. As a reminder, we will spend the remainder of this teaching series reflecting on our practice of Renunciation in light of the themes found in one of the seven letters in Revelation.

Tonight we’ll reflect on Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum, where believers faced massive pressure to compromise their beliefs to fit into the culture around them. Today, we face similar pressures to adopt cultural values that clash with the way of Jesus in order to fit in. Social pressure can make it easy to compromise, but we know that the reward for faithfulness—which is Christ himself—far outweighs any worldly gain. Jesus’ call to the church of Pergamum, and to us, is to an interior examination, to resist the temptation to compromise, and to follow his narrow way, even in the face of opposition.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

For tonight’s practice, we are going to take time to reflect on our practice of Renunciation through the themes in Jesus’ letter to Pergamum.

Leader Note: Feel free to work through the following questions as a Community or in smaller groups, so long as everyone has an opportunity to share.

How has your practice of Renunciation been going this week? (e.g. Where did you feel God’s presence? Where did you feel resistance?)
Renunciation has the tendency to push us out of alignment with our city’s culture. Over the last few weeks, have you noticed any tension develop in or around you as your practice Renunciation?
How have you found your practice of Reclaiming (i.e. picking up a practice) has helped you stay true to Jesus’ narrow path?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue our Renunciation and Reclaiming through the season of Lent. Remember, Renunciation is about joy and desire! Because we are human beings, we will always be susceptible to reaching for something that God wants to give us. In our Renunciation, we are asking God for what he already desires for us and learning to receive from him rather than taking it for ourselves. So, this week, let’s resolve again to renounce our good/neutral appetite and receive from God’s deep love.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 3/10/25 Kylee Logan 3/10/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #1

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Throughout the season of Lent, we are engaging in the practice of Renunciation, which is when we give up a particular (often good or neutral) appetite that we use as a substitute for something God already wants to give us. Last week, we kicked off Lent with Ash Wednesday, where we all chose something to renounce and something to reclaim for the 40 days of Lent. So for the remainder of this series, we will reflect on our practice of Renunciation in light of the themes found in the seven letters in Revelation.

Tonight, we’ll reflect on our practice of Renunciation through the lens of Jesus’ letter to the church of Smyrna, in which he calls them to faithfulness in the face of difficulty. Often in practices like this, we can begin with excitement and even zeal for what we’re doing or what God is doing. But at some point, we can find ourselves in a disillusioning moment of struggle brought on by doubt, suffering, or even a trial. This pattern can lead us to ask questions like, “Is my Renunciation working?” or “Will this actually help me find deeper satisfaction in God?” At this point, we have to decide between faithfulness and retreat. The season of Lent reminds us that we are mortal, so inevitably we will choose to retreat at some point. But the greater invitation will always be to return to faithfulness. And when we choose faithfulness, we experience a deeper satisfaction and fulfillment in God. Jesus’ call to the church of Smyrna—and to us—is to choose faithfulness in the struggle, even when it feels like suffering.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

For tonight’s practice, we are going to take time to reflect on our practice of Renunciation through the themes in Jesus’ letter to Smyrna.

Leader Note: Feel free to work through the following questions as a Community or in smaller groups, so long as everyone has an opportunity to share.

How has your practice of Renunciation been this week? (Where did you feel God’s presence and where did you feel resistance?)
Where did you experience challenges in your practice? Were you able to talk to anyone about them? And how did these challenges reveal your need for God?
How do you feel invited to choose faithfulness this week in your Renunciation? How might that choice deepen your satisfaction and dependence on God?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 2/23/25 Kylee Logan 2/23/25

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation (Introduction)

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19v6–9:

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Lent is a 40-day season within the church calendar that stretches from Ash Wednesday (March 5) to Easter Sunday (April 20), mirroring Jesus’ 40-day fast in the desert. Traditionally, Lent is marked by Fasting as a way of confessing our grief over sin. The Lenten Practice of abstaining from a particular food has often been referred to as Fasting, but it is more appropriately understood as Renunciation. Whereas Fasting is the giving up of all food for a given period of time, Renunciation is the giving up of a particular, often good or neutral, appetite—bodily or otherwise—for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. So, for the sake of clarity, we will refer to our Lenten practice as the practice of Renunciation.

As Jesus describes to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2, it can be easy for us to lose sight of our “first love” and settle for a “lesser love.” A practice of Renunciation invites us to reclaim our first love by focusing on what God freely offers, allowing us to enjoy lesser loves without attachment. The goal is not simply to starve a lesser love but to re-throne our first love.

This year, we want God to use the 40 days of Lent to help us reclaim our first love, which is why we will use tonight to help prepare for our Lenten Renunciation by working through three major questions: 1) What is God wanting to freely give me? 2) What substitute or lesser love might God be inviting me to renounce? And 3) What practice might God be inviting me to re-engage?

Do This Practice Tonight (35 minutes)

Every week through the season of Lent, our Discipleship nights will be solely dedicated to reflecting on and deepening our practice of Renunciation. In preparation for that, tonight’s discussion will consist of three major movements: Revealing, Renouncing, and Reclaiming. We are having this conversation now so that we can show up to the Ash Wednesday gathering ready to begin our practices of Renunciation together.

Revealing: Before we explore what we may end up renouncing or reclaiming, we want to give God the first word. To do this, we are going to take some time in listening prayer, asking God the following question: “What are you wanting to freely give me in this season?” It may be something connected to a deepened understanding of your belovedness or identity, or a sense of peace or comfort in the midst of the chaos you’re experiencing, or a clearer sense of his presence to you. Whatever it is, there is a work that God is doing that he wants you to know about so that you can participate with him in it. If the idea of hearing God feels a bit daunting, start out with the question, “What do you want to receive from God in this season?”

Okay, let’s take a few moments together in silent prayer with God exploring what good gifts our Good Father wants to give us in this next season.

Leader Note: This silent prayer time should be kept to about 5 minutes.

Renouncing: With those themes in mind, let’s take the next few minutes to consider and discuss what good or neutral appetite we use as a substitute for what God is trying to give us that God might be inviting us to renounce for this season of Lent. What is something other than God that we have become dependent on to attend to the deeper aches of our soul? As I read that, something obvious might have immediately come to mind—don’t ignore that.

That said, if you’re having trouble identifying a neutral appetite that you habitually reach for in place of what you are seeking from God, consider the following lesser loves. Afterwards, we’ll each share one that stands out to us:

Wealth: What luxuries might your budget afford you that bring you a sense of security? Could you give up shopping, repurpose your saving habits, or give up a particular habit of consumption like dining out or buying coffee?
Power: What do you repeatedly return to in order to feel a sense of control? What could you give up that would leave you feeling powerless?
Pleasure: What do you use to find pleasure, comfort, or emotional regulation? Is there a specific food or media that you reach for when feeling depleted?
Appearance: What aspect of your appearance fuels your sense of value or likeability? What if you gave up makeup, or a certain product, or took down every mirror in your house for 40 days?
Vocational Success: How does your sense of identity or purpose excessively derive from your career? What if you had a set time you were going to leave the office each day or you refrained from working lunches and used your break to participate in midday prayer instead?

Let’s have a conversation about what God is stirring in you—what lesser love might he be inviting you to lay down for Lent?

Leader Note: This discussion should be kept to 15 minutes.

Reclaiming: Having explored that last question, let’s take the next few minutes to consider what practice God might be inviting us to reclaim during Lent. Put simply, how can you make space to receive the good gift God wants to give you? Think back to when you first met Jesus: What spontaneous expressions of love flowed from you when you first experienced Jesus' love? Perhaps worship came really easily and you were constantly in communion with God. Or maybe it was something like serving, or reading the Bible, telling people about Jesus, or something else. Is it possible that God might be inviting you to return to one of those practices during Lent?

Let’s have a conversation now about what God is stirring in you—what first love might God be inviting you to return to for Lent?

Leader Note: This discussion should be kept to 15 minutes. Afterwards, close this time by having everyone turn to the person beside them and pray blessing over what God is doing in them through this Lenten season.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to prepare for Lent by continuing to pray and process through what we shared tonight, asking God to clarify what exactly he might be asking us to renounce and reclaim. The hope is that each of us attend the Ash Wednesday Gathering on March 5 beginning our 40-day Renunciation.

If you’re unfamiliar with Lent, it’s good to know that each Sunday (or your Sabbath) of Lent is a “feasting day,” in which we pause our renunciation—eating sugar, going shopping, watching tv, etc.—in order to help stir up hope for what is to come: our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

That said, the day before Lent begins is called Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday (March 4). This is a feast day on the church calendar, in which people get together to celebrate all that God has done as they prepare for 40 days of Renunciation. It’s not required, but it’s something our Community can take part in if we want! This is a feast that would include all the things that we will be renouncing (or things that are symbolic of what we are renouncing) for the Lenten season. Since this may practically be a meal made up of desserts, bread, coffee, alcohol, and meat, we should feel free to round it out with other foods as well. And while it’s obviously not an excuse to overindulge, it is certainly a time to celebrate.

So let’s spend time this week sitting with the Spirit and having a conversation about what it is each of us want to renounce during the Lenten season, and once you choose something, plan to bring it (or something that symbolizes/references it) to our Shrove Tuesday feast to share with everyone! The following night (Wednesday, March 5), we will plan to attend the Ash Wednesday gathering as a Community.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Renunciation.

Kylee Logan 2/9/25 Kylee Logan 2/9/25

The Beatitudes, Guide 4: Reflection

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus introduces the upside down kingdom of God—the last will be first. His kingdom doesn’t follow a worldly structure of power, fame, or notoriety, but instead, Jesus says that the poor and meek will be blessed.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through Matthew 5v3–12 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for the promise of his kingdom.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Amen.

Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, our previous Practice invited us to cultivate mercy by praying for those who have hurt us.

How did it feel to sit with God and ask him about how he sees the person you’re struggling to forgive?
How did the Spirit invite you (in either small or big ways) to extend mercy towards that person?

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

Tonight’s time together, walking through this guide, will function differently than the others in this series. We believe that God did something significant and beautiful at the Holy Spirit Conference, so we want to spend our time together tonight reflecting on the Holy Spirit Conference.

While the questions are specifically aimed to those who went to the Holy Spirit Conference or one of the Sunday gatherings that followed, we acknowledge that the Spirit is not contained by any single gathering, so others are welcome to share their experience of what God’s been doing in their lives during this time. Either way, sharing testimony is a way of asking God to do it again. So, let’s spend some time reflecting on the ways God moved in you, our church, and our city this last weekend.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to engage in the practice of reflection as we look back at our time at the Holy Spirit Conference. As we reflect and respond to different prompts (listed below), let’s keep in mind that God’s work is happening both in the most extraordinary and the most ordinary moments of our lives, and in this case, a conference. For example, these miraculous moments could be anything from witnessing or experiencing a physical healing or a very specific word of knowledge during worship or a session. An example of those ordinary moments filled with God’s presence could have happened during an hallway conversation, meeting another conference attendee, lunch with a friend, or silent prayer. The reason we are taking time tonight for reflection is because there’s a unique opportunity to catalyze and capture the experience we just had. Again, for those of you who were not able to attend, please feel free to share a response to these questions in the context of your season of life right now.

So, let’s first open in a prayer of gratitude, acknowledging all the ways that the Holy Spirit was with us during the conference.

Leader Note: As needed, feel free to modify the questions for your group.

Holy Spirit Conference Reflection Questions:

How did you sense the Spirit moving?
What were you asking God for? How did God meet you in that desire?
Did you get to participate in anything the Spirit was up to in someone else’s life?
How would you attempt to name what God did in our church this weekend?
What’s next? What do you want God to continue in this coming season?

Let’s close this portion of the night in prayer by getting into smaller groups of 2–3 people. Let’s first pray gratitude for God’s work in us and secondly, ask him to help us continue receiving and stewarding what he has spoken to us.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue to respond to the ways God spoke to us at the conference. Let’s take active steps towards pursuing greater love or fidelity that God’s inviting us to. This could look like bringing this before God in prayer, journaling, or carving out time to share with a friend.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Reflection.

Kylee Logan 2/3/25 Kylee Logan 2/3/25

The Beatitudes, Guide 3: Forgiveness

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through Matthew 5v3–12 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for the promise of his kingdom.

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to meditate on Jesus’ model of Submission which can be summarized in his prayer in the garden, “Not my will, but yours be done.” The Practice of Submission is characterized by honesty in prayer, surrender to life’s circumstances, and obedience to God’s will.

How did this model of Submission impact the way you approach God in prayer?
How did it influence your posture toward the limitations and circumstances you face daily?

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount begins with a shocking announcement that we commonly refer to as “the Beatitudes.” This introduction describes the world, not as we know it, but as it is when Jesus reigns as King. Two of those shocking depictions are captured back-to-back in the lines, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5v6-7). The word translated in verse 6 as righteousness describes those who desire for all humanity to be in right relationship with one another. The word translated in verse 7 as mercy describes those who go above and beyond fairness by showing loving kindness to others. If we were to combine these two descriptions, we would arrive at a solid summary of Jesus’ teachings on the topic of Forgiveness: to pursue right relationships by rejecting our version of ‘fairness’ and moving toward one another in loving kindness. This will also serve as a short summary of our Practice for tonight.

Before we dive in, it’s important to remember that Forgiveness is more often a process of cultivating mercy than a one-time fix. In fact, when rushed, Forgiveness can be personally destructive rather than relationally constructive, cheapening mercy instead of expressing it. Forgiveness is an ongoing, active process that we hope to simply begin tonight.

Do This Practice Tonight (30 minutes)

Tonight’s Practice of Forgiveness will consist of three major movements. Each movement will include a time of guided reflection and prayer. Again, working through these three movements does not “complete the process,” but it does provide us a framework. As we go along, if at any point you need to sit in one specific movement longer, feel free to do so without feeling pressure to move on with us. Before we begin, though, let’s take the next few minutes to discuss these prompts, one at a time: (Leader Note: This discussion should be kept to 15 minutes)

Describe a time you remember being forgiven by a close friend or family member.
Describe a time you personally remember experiencing God’s forgiveness.
Describe a time you chose to forgive someone close to you.

Now, let’s consider where God might be inviting us to Practice Forgiveness in our lives today. Take a second to settle in. If you like to write things down, grab a pen & paper or put your phone on Do Not Disturb and open the Notes app. Close your eyes and breathe slowly.

[Pause for just a moment]

Remember the Pain: The first step in pursuing right relationships and moving toward one another in loving kindness is recognizing rupture that needs repair. So take a moment to ask Jesus to help you recall an everyday, minor situation in which someone caused you pain. As you do, picture the event in your mind’s eye and begin to make observations: Where were you? Who was involved? What was said or done? How did that make you feel?

Try to be as precise as possible with regards to how this situation made you feel. There will likely be pain in this, so keep in mind that the process is designed to move you beyond the pain and into a space of freedom. Sitting with and naming the pain is a necessary step.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Reject the Lie: Oftentimes, some of the pain someone has caused us is actually rooted in shame we experienced as a result of a person’s words or actions. Take a moment to consider what false story their offense tempted you to believe about yourself.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Take a moment now to open your hands and release to Jesus the false story you are tempted to believe about yourself.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Now consider what story the offense caused you to believe about the other person.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Forgiveness is letting go of your right to seek fairness and refusing to define someone by your worst experience of them. With your hands still open in front of you, release to Jesus the story you are tempted to define the other person by.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Receive the Truer Story: While you can’t change the hurtful memory, you can change how you think and feel when that memory comes to mind. It’s important that you take hold of a truer story, or version of that event, one that acknowledges the offense but sees the other person through the lens of renewal.

Ask Jesus now to give you an image of life in his kingdom, where that relationship is made right, and you continually move toward one another in loving kindness. With your hands still open in front of you, receive that truer story.

[Pause for at least a minute]

Leader note: Before you move on to the Practice for the Week Ahead, close out this time in prayer. Thank Jesus for his kindness in this time and for the forgiveness he offers us. Ask him to help us as we show to others the same mercy he has shown to us.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

As we said before, Forgiveness is a process that is sustained by mercy. Mercy often begins with hope - a conscious choice to not give up on someone. From there, mercy grows as we bear with one another, allowing someone to be where they are and not where we want them to be. Mercy is then sustained by the practice of confession, in which we acknowledge our own need for that same mercy. As we continually cultivate mercy in our own lives, we will eventually bear the fruit of forgiveness.

That is why our Practice for the week ahead is to cultivate mercy by praying for those who have hurt us. We’ll do this by sitting before God, asking him how he sees the person we are struggling to forgive, and how he is asking us to extend mercy towards that person. As with the Practice tonight, it might be helpful to start with a less ultimate, more everyday offense. Practicing mercy in small ways helps us know how to extend mercy for greater offenses.

If during this process you find yourself getting stuck or that you’re not able to stop unwanted thoughts, consider inviting someone you trust into your journey, such as a Community Leader, a pastor, or even a counselor (see Bridgetown’s list of recommendations). Surrounding yourself with trusted voices is key to exercising discernment and experiencing true restoration.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Forgiveness.

Kylee Logan 1/19/25 Kylee Logan 1/19/25

The Beatitudes, Guide 2: Submission

Leader Note: Have a Bible ready for the Practice later on; we’ll be reading Matthew 26v36-56.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through Matthew 5v3–12 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for the promise of his kingdom.

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to follow through on how you felt invited to respond to God’s movement in your life—even just one small step toward obedience.

For those of you who responded and reflected on what specific transforming work God is doing in your life, what steps did you take to carry that awareness into your week?
For those of you who sensed an invitation from God about turning from and turning to, what steps, big or small, did you take towards obedience?
As you heard from God and reflected on these themes, how could our Community pray for you in this?

Leader Note: Take the opportunity to pray in this moment for those who responded to question number 3, before moving onto the next section.

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

Submission is an ancient spiritual practice that invites followers of Jesus to embrace humility, surrender, and obedience to God’s will as a means of spiritual maturity. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus, particularly his call to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”, submission is not about passivity but a conscious choice to yield our desires and control to God’s greater purpose.

Submission, within God’s invitation, is a way of practicing honesty, surrender, and obedience to his plan of transformation in us. It acknowledges that God might want to meet us right in the middle of our circumstances that we find ourselves in. Whether these are circumstances that are neutral, or good but difficult, or outside of our control, or even outside of what God would desire for us – Jesus can be found right in the midst of them.

Submission also extends to our relationships with others, as modeled by Christ’s embodied life. When we choose to place the needs and even interests of others before our own, we develop empathy, patience, and humility. This self-denial, the letting go of our egos and aligning ourselves with God’s kingdom values, is not a loss of identity but rather a path to discovering true freedom.

Ultimately, the practice of submission invites us to examine the influences shaping our character. Are we allowing that difficult situation that we so desperately want fixed, or that recent job offer, or our current season-of-life limitations to deepen our dependence on God? Are we believing that God will be waiting to meet us there with love? By leaning into submission, we become more attuned to the ways God is shaping us into the person he desires us to be—humble, merciful, compassionate, and loving. Through this surrender, we get to draw closer to God and the Spirit’s whisper, while discovering surprising places of Jesus’ gentle work in us. It’s amazing what he can do with a mix of light and darkness.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to engage in the practice of Submission by reflecting on Jesus’ own embodied submission in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he offers up his feelings, desires, and will to the will of the Father. Then, we’ll take time to discuss together how we can follow his model in our own lives.

Get comfortable. Before we begin by reading tonight’s Scripture passage of Jesus in the garden, let’s get comfortable and bring ourselves into the presence of Jesus by asking him to guide our time together.

Read Matthew 26v36–56. Encourage the Community to listen closely to Jesus’ words and emotions during this pivotal moment.

Reflect on Jesus’ model of submission. Let’s take the next 5 minutes to discuss Jesus’ prayer and actions in the garden:

Honesty: Jesus openly expresses his own sorrow and asks, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (v39). He initiated this conversation with God and began with honesty. Have you ever found yourself praying a prayer like this?
Surrender: Despite His anguish, Jesus prays, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (v39). God is always committed to entering right into the middle of our circumstances. Where is an unexpected place that God might be shaping you?
Obedience: Jesus submits fully, even when His arrest and suffering begin. Has there been a time where you’ve felt the weightiness of submitting during times you’ve sensed it was God’s will?

Pause. Let’s take a moment to sit in silence and welcome the Spirit. We don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear his voice speak about places in our lives that we might be trying to avoid or escape.

How can we practice submission in our lives? Let’s take the next 10 minutes to hear one another respond to these prompts:

What circumstances in your life might be inviting you to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done”?
Where do you need to be met with his hope?

Silent prayer. As we close this portion of the night, let’s take the next 2 minutes in silence to bring whatever has surfaced in your heart and mind, directly to God. This could be as simple as praying the Scripture we’ve been reflecting tonight – “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Leader Note: Set a 2 minute timer for silence. Break the silence by thanking God for Jesus’ example and asking for strength to submit to his will in all areas of life.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue to meditate on Jesus’ model of submission in his prayer in the garden: “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Let’s come ready next week to share how it went.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Submission.

Kylee Logan 1/12/25 Kylee Logan 1/12/25

The Beatitudes, Guide 1: Holiness

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through Matthew 5v3–12 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for the promise of his kingdom.

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

In life, there are natural seasons of reflection where our attention is drawn to what has changed or transpired over time, and we grow in our awareness of what God is up to in our lives—think New Year's, a birthday, graduation, entering a new life stage. It's in these seasons we find it equally natural to consider what we'd like to see happen in the future, how we'd like to grow or change moving forward. We dream about a life ahead that is "blessed." As followers of Jesus, it's important to recognize that he offers us a surprising perspective of who he considers "blessed" and how. We find this counterintuitive and provocative vision in the introduction of Jesus' most famous teaching, the sermon on the mount. We call that introduction the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes are Jesus’ way of reframing our world, our circumstances, and our very lives from Heaven’s perspective. It’s a depiction of a world where Jesus is king. Jesus shocks his hearers by revealing how different God's Kingdom is than the one they (and we) are used to, suggesting that blessing is found in the very places we often avoid and try our hardest to escape. He promises that his kingdom is both here and on the way, and it arrives most fully when we choose to honor Jesus as our King.

Practically speaking, this looks like each of us choosing to turn from our own way of doing things and turn to him, pursuing his kingdom first. That pursuit, that “turning from and turning to,” is highlighted in Jesus' reference to “those who are pure in heart” and is most commonly referred to throughout Scripture as the pursuit of “holiness.” While some of us might associate Holiness with being perfect or especially virtuous, it simply describes being set apart for a specific purpose. So tonight, we will engage in the practice of Holiness.

Do This Practice Tonight (30 minutes)

As we make plans to open ourselves up to God’s blessing in the coming year, it’s important that we take time together to consider how our plans may or may not reflect the promise of Jesus’ kingdom vision. So partnering with our Community and the Spirit of God, let’s talk through the following questions together:

Leader note: Watch the time. The following discussion should be kept to about 20 minutes to preserve at least 10 minutes for the second portion of the practice. When reading the following questions, it might be helpful to consider a brief 2 second pause for reflection after each sentence.

Question 1: What transforming work do you sense or think God might be doing in your life? What do we want to be true of our character this time next year? Perhaps this involves a particular way that God was asking you to respond to Sunday’s teaching. What was God stirring in you during that time that you felt prompted to respond to?

Is there a part of your life that is characterized by overindulgence or excess that you’ve been feeling a nudge to curb? Are there areas of your life that seem disjointed, inconsistent, or disintegrated? Are there regular inputs in your life—what you see, hear, and ponder—that aren’t fostering your desire for God and his kingdom?

Question 2: In light of that transforming work, is there anything God is inviting you to turn from and turn to? Scripture is clear that God is the one who does the work of holiness in our lives, but he invites us to partner with him in the process. What are some practical ways that you can commit to partnering with God in his transforming work?

For example, turning from overindulgence may look like fasting one meal a week and spending that time with God in prayer. If you feel a sense of disintegration, maybe God is inviting you to turn to a counselor or commit to a regular practice of confession. If consistency is something you hope to be characterized by, maybe God is inviting you to turn to BREAD or the Letio365 app on a daily basis. If you are considering your inputs, maybe God is inviting you to turn from social media, or alcohol and turn to more life giving inputs like intentional time with your family or a friend.

Now, after all that we’ve discussed, take the next minute or two to identify the number one theme God has highlighted to you tonight, as well as a practical response he is prompting you to say “yes” to.

Leader note: After about a minute, continue reading.

We will now practice blessing prayer together.

In a moment, we’re going to turn to the person next to us and share what God has highlighted to us. When the sharer is done, each listener will have the opportunity to pray “blessing” over the person and their chosen response. As a quick refresher, this simply looks like asking the Spirit to come, blessing what God is doing in the person’s heart, and considering anything God may want to speak to them through you. Then when you’re done, you can swap roles. After everyone has finished praying, I’ll call us back in to close out the night.

Leader note: Set a timer for 10 minutes, and when the timer is up (or everyone finishes praying), gather the group back in to close out this time with “the Practice for the Week Ahead.”

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to follow through on how you felt invited to respond tonight to God’s movement in your life—even just one small step toward obedience. Please come ready next week to share how it went. And, for extra credit, share what God is doing in your life this year with someone closest to you.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Holiness.

Kylee Logan 11/17/24 Kylee Logan 11/17/24

For the Sake of Others, Guide 5: Celebration

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: This week, have the group remain at the dinner table for the duration of this Guide, if possible. Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John 15v8-14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command…This is my command: Love each other.”

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (10 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to practice Hospitality, by taking the next step that Jesus was inviting you to take towards the person you sensed God bringing to mind that night.

What was the step you took this week to practice Hospitality? How was that invitation received by the person you chose? Is there a natural next step to take toward them to practice Hospitality again this week?
What have you noticed about that person recently? When you observe their life from Jesus’ perspective, what comes to mind? How might Jesus be prompting you to be a Witness to them this week?

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Last time, we discussed how the practice of Hospitality is central to Jesus’ mission and the vision he had for his church. We witness to a lost and broken world by the way we welcome others to our table through the practice of Hospitality. As we heard on Sunday, one of the primary ways Jesus himself practiced this same Hospitality was through a weekly Sabbath dinner. Sabbath is a one-day a week, 24 hour period, dedicated to sacred rest and Celebration. This weekly rest and Celebration allows our whole being to align with the story of God. Through the practice of communal Celebration, remembering the good that God has done and the good end he promises to bring, we begin to live more fully into God’s story.

This practice of Celebration has most commonly occurred throughout church history at a dinner table, just like the one we are sitting at tonight. It’s at a table like this that we are offered an opportunity to see God among us in the faces of each brother and sister gathered here. It’s an opportunity to celebrate all that God has done and bless the image of God in those sitting beside us. As we do that, we rehearse eternity and we get a glimpse of the forever feast described in Revelation 19. It is through this practice of Celebration that our lives become characterized by joy and hope, and our common dinner table is transformed by the presence of God residing in each individual who has accepted the invitation to come.

Do This Practice Tonight (25 minutes)

This week, we are going to witness to a lost and broken world by inviting them to practice Celebration with us. Building off of our previous practice, as a Community, we will commit to practicing Celebration with someone in our lives that does not currently know God or see themselves within his story. But, if we are to do so with others in the week ahead, we must first practice Celebration at this table with one another.

As was already mentioned, Celebration is simply thanking God for the good he has done, remembering the good he has promised, and blessing the good we see in those around us. Tonight, we will practice each of those three actions, one at a time.

To begin, let’s thank God for the good he has done by answering this question, “popcorn style”:

When you reflect on this past week, what is one way you have “tasted and seen that the Lord is good?” (Psalm 34v8)

Leader note: Watch the clock. You’ll probably want to keep this first question to about 5 minutes. When at least half the group has had the opportunity to share, take a minute to pray and thank God for all he has done before moving on to the next portion of this practice.

Now, let’s take the next minute to remember the good God has promised. Maybe during our time of reflection, you recognized that your life feels full of "not yets," or that there is little to celebrate. One of the best depictions of God’s kingdom, that is both here and still yet to come, is the Beatitudes. Jesus opens his famous Sermon on the Mount with words of promise. As I read these words, consider where you find yourself and celebrate what promise Jesus is offering to you.

“Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’” (Matt 5v2-12)

Leader note: Close this portion in a prayer of gratitude and anticipation of the kingdom coming.

Finally, to close our practice for tonight, let’s take the next 10-15 minutes to bless one another by celebrating the ways we have seen the character of Jesus reflected in each other’s lives. Maybe it’s the way someone has recently walked through a season of hardship. Maybe it’s the way someone has chosen to live generously with others. Maybe it’s the way someone has made you feel seen or known at a previous Community night. It doesn’t have to be long or profound, it just needs to be honest and ultimately point to Jesus.

So once again, “popcorn style,” let’s bless the character of Jesus we see in one another.

Leader note: Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your group. Be prepared to go first and set the pace for this practice. Pay attention to those in the room that haven’t been blessed and if your time is winding down, be sure to bless them before moving on to “the Practice for the Week Ahead.”

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to:

Expand your Sabbath table. Consider inviting someone to your Sabbath dinner this week who does not yet know Jesus. Take a moment that night to bless them for the ways you see God in them or their story. You can begin with something as simple as “Hey, I’ve been trying to practice celebrating more and affirming the good I see in others, so I just wanted to tell you…” (If you don’t currently have a Sabbath practice, consider teaming up with someone at this table who does, or simply designate a time and place to share a meal with the person God brought to mind last week and bless them.)
Practice Celebration at Thanksgiving. As we anticipate this upcoming Thanksgiving, be prayerful about using that space to express gratitude for the good God has done AND bless the goodness of God you see in those gathered at your Thanksgiving table.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Celebration.

Kylee Logan 11/7/24 Kylee Logan 11/7/24

For the Sake of Others, Guide 4: Hospitality

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John 15v8-14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (10 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to practice “bearing one another’s burdens.” We all had the option to either share our own burden with someone (like a counselor or trusted friend) or to respond to someone else’s burden in some tangible way.

For those of you who shared your own burden with someone, how did it feel to share something personal or vulnerable with someone else? How did it impact your connection with God through another person holding safe space for you?
For those of you who were led by Jesus to respond to someone else’s burden in a tangible way or in prayer, how did this impact your relationship or understanding of their situation? How might this change the way you relate to others in Community, or family, or friends?
What felt freeing or encouraging to you personally about this practice of “bearing one another’s burdens”? What felt challenging or stretching?

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

In Mark 12v30-31, Jesus commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two commands form the rhythm of our lives—loving God by loving others. Loving others means creating space for people to experience God's welcoming presence, regardless of who they are.

Jesus models this by reaching out to the cultural outcasts like tax collectors, sex workers, and thieves, showing that his primary mission was to love and serve the sinners, who were in need of a Savior. New Testament writers call this practice hospitality, which is about sharing your home, food, relationships, and resources so others can experience God's love. When we begin to live with this mindset, we look for ways to offer "love of a guest" to everyone we meet, whether it's a barista, a colleague, or someone experiencing houselesness.

Hospitality doesn’t require an outgoing personality or a masters degree or a unique skill set —it’s about welcoming others as God has welcomed us. This can happen in everyday moments, when our goal shifts from impressing others to simply loving them. Through this practice, we cultivate a heart quick to honor and care for others with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In doing so, we not only deepen our relationships within our communities, but also embody the heart of Jesus, making his presence felt in tangible ways.

Leader note: The next section will include quiet reflection in listening prayer, so before you begin, be sure to transition into a quiet room and find ways to best support the kids to ensure the whole Community can engage the Practice.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to step into the practice of Witness, as we consider how we can create spaces of hospitality towards those who have yet to experience the Father’s welcome. We will do this tonight through Listening Prayer by asking Jesus for two things. First, we’ll ask God to bring to mind a person or family that we could extend hospitality to, who don’t know Jesus yet. Secondly, we’ll ask the Spirit for wisdom and creative ideas about how to extend hospitality toward them.

Leader note: you will need to have access to a clock or a phone or a watch for this next portion, in order to keep track of time while the Community enters a few portions of silent Listening Prayer.

So, let’s begin by finding a comfortable position. Taking a few deep breaths, allowing your shoulders to drop, and then close your eyes.

Let’s take 1 minute in silence and in gratitude to begin our practice of listening prayer. Bring your attention to the infinite love that God has for you, no matter what today has held. Think back over the last 24 hours and find 1 or 2 things that you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s a person, or an unexpected gift of time in the margin, or a specific interaction that you’re grateful for, etc. As those gifts come to mind, connect them back to the Giver as an act of worship.

Leader note: Wait in silence here for 1 minute. After 1 minute, pray a brief prayer of gratitude as you move into the next section.

Now, we want to pray and ask the Spirit to bring to our mind a person or even a family who does not know God that we could extend hospitality to – someone who God wants to equally bless and give good gifts to. Let’s take the next 30 seconds to quiet ourselves before God and listen to him respond by expanding our imagination.

Leader note: Pause in silence here for at least 30 seconds or up to 1 minute for people to listen.

Next, let’s pray, again quietly to ourselves, that Jesus would give us wisdom and insight about how we can best partner with him in the work he’s already doing to love this person or family. Let’s ask the Spirit for direction around practical and relational ways we can move towards this person or family. Maybe it’s reaching out this week to invite them over for a meal, or babysit, or offer a ride to the airport as they fly home for the holidays, etc. Let’s take the next 2 minutes to pray: come Holy Spirit, expand our imaginations.

Leader note: Pause in silence here for 2 minutes for people to listen. Break the silence by praying gratitude for how God was present with us and the wisdom and insight for what next steps we can take.

To end our practice for tonight, turn to the person sitting next to you and share who Jesus brought to mind during listening prayer. Secondly, share what next steps you sensed Jesus inviting you to make towards this person or family. Close your time by praying God’s continued presence and guidance for one another.

Leader note: Set a timer for 5 minutes for people to share. Once the timer is up, go right into the Practice for the Week Ahead.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is incredibly simple: let’s follow Jesus’ example of eating and drinking with and offering hospitality to someone who has yet to experience the Father’s welcome. The practice for this week is to take the next step that Jesus is inviting you to, in practical and/or relational ways, towards the person you sensed God bringing to mind tonight.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Hospitality.

Kylee Logan 10/24/24 Kylee Logan 10/24/24

For the Sake of Others, Guide 3: Bearing One Another’s Burdens

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John 15v8–14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, consider closing this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. Remember, last time we all agreed to practice Confession by incorporating a regular rhythm of the Examen or connecting with a trusted voice to share where we have failed to love God or others:

1.For those who practiced the Examen each night, how did it feel to review your day with God and confess where you had fallen short in either thought, word, or deed? (i.e. natural, challenging, grounding, new, etc.)

2. For those who practiced confession with someone you trust, how did it feel to confess where you had fallen short of God’s command to “love the Lord your god” or “love others as yourself?” (i.e. natural, challenging, grounding, new, etc.)

3. *Optional Question* If practicing Confession in this way is something you want to make common practice in your life, how might Jesus be inviting you to do that?

Leader note: The next section will include quiet reflection, so before you begin, be sure to transition into a quiet room and find ways to best support the kids to ensure the whole Community can engage the Practice.

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

Before diving into our Practice for tonight, we’re going to begin by reading Galatians 6v1–5. Would anyone like to read it aloud for us?

Leader Note: Have someone read this passage aloud.

Tonight, we’re going to engage in another practice that has historically served as a pillar of Christian Community, and that is “bearing one another’s burdens.” All throughout history, God’s people have been marked by love, generosity, and co-suffering. In the book of Acts, we see Jesus’ earliest followers “having everything in common…giving to anyone who was in need” (Acts 2v44–47). The same should be said of God’s people today—that we are quick to come alongside the hurting among us and bear one another’s burdens, just as Christ has done for us.

This is the essence of Christian Community, that everyone has a need and everyone has something to give. Whether it be an emotional, spiritual, or physical need, none of us are without need. We are all human. To this point, the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 6v1-5, provide two primary directives we need to consider before engaging in this practice of “bearing one another’s burdens.”

First, we must humbly face our own needs and respond, however Jesus is asking us to. In Galatians 6, Paul gets really practical and says that if anyone wants to fulfill the law of love in restoring another believer, you must first “watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted…each one should test their own actions…for each one should carry their own load.” In other words, check yourself!

Consider this silly analogy: You and your roommate are moving into your new apartment on the same day. You’re already carrying a box of your own glassware into the house, but you think you’re pretty strong and decide to carry a box of your roommate’s glassware as well. When you inevitably stumble and drop that load, the both of you suffer the consequences of your pride.

If we attempt to carry the burdens of another without paying attention to our own load first, we could unintentionally cause unnecessary damage to ourselves and others. Though our practice for the night is “bearing one another’s burdens,” it is imperative that we humble ourselves and consider our own load first before carrying the burden of another.

Second, we must humbly consider the needs of others and respond however Jesus is asking us to. If we manage to do the first step correctly, we will have already humbled ourselves by assessing our own emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. This then allows us to rightfully discern with Jesus how he might be inviting us to come alongside our brother or sister in need.

Do This Practice Tonight (15 minutes)

With that said, our Practice tonight will have two movements. The first will be a time of guided prayer, to consider what we are personally carrying and ask Jesus how he would like us to respond. The second will be a time of sharing with one another what came to mind in that time of prayer and identifying how they can come alongside us.

Leader Note: Designate one leader to guide this time of prayer, simply reading what follows.

Let’s begin our time of prayer by closing our eyes, taking a deep breath in, and recentering our senses on the presence of God. [Pause Briefly]

Now, take these next few moments to consider what load you might be carrying tonight. [Pause] Maybe you have an emotional need, something causing you distress or concern. Maybe you have a spiritual need, some sin or oppressive thoughts you're wrestling with. Maybe you have a physical need, some practical challenge or financial burden. Consider what load you might be carrying tonight. [Pause Briefly]

Now, open your hands in front of you as a way of offering your load to Jesus. [Pause Briefly]

Jesus came to carry our load, and he did so “for the joy that was set before him.” Knowing this, consider what Jesus is speaking to you as you offer him your load. [Pause for a minute]

Leader Note: Close this time with a brief prayer aloud, of thanksgiving to Jesus for his kindness and nearness.

Now, let’s take the next 10 minutes to turn to the person next to us and share what Jesus revealed to us in our time with him. A few helpful reminders:

As the sharer, be as honest and specific as is appropriate, without expecting any particularly generous response from the listener. If you have an emotional need, something causing you distress or concern - consider asking someone to pray for you or to simply listen as you process that pain with them. If you have a spiritual need, some sin or oppressive thoughts you're wrestling with - in light of our previous practice, consider confessing this to someone, asking for guidance, or receiving prayer. If you have a physical need, some practical challenge or financial burden - consider asking for help or what resourcing is available that the listener might know of. (When prayer requests are made at the end of the night, that might be a good time to share this need with the group, in case others may know of resources the listener is unaware of).
As the listener, give the sharer your full attention, without interrupting, and avoid any sort of judgment or offering of advice unless asked for. This will be a tempting moment for us all to adopt a hero mentality, so remember, when listening, you should feel no pressure to fix whatever is shared. Rather, simply respond to the need with whatever grace God has given you to do so, even if it is to simply listen and pray.

I will set a 5 minute timer, during which time the sharer will speak and the listener will consider how Jesus is asking them to respond. And after those 5 minutes are up, we’ll switch roles and I’ll start another 5 minute timer.

Leader Note: Set a 5 minute timer for each person. Once it goes off, have them switch sharers and set it again. Afterwards, gather everyone back in, thank them for their vulnerability, and discuss the practice for the week ahead.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

In the week ahead, let’s continue to practice “bearing one another’s burdens” within our Community by responding to Jesus’ invitation in one of these two ways:

If Jesus asked you to share your own burden with a counselor or trusted friend, then do so. You may also want to consider bringing a request to a pastor or your Community Leader for discernment and support.
If Jesus led you to respond to someone’s burden in a tangible way, then do so. If nothing specific arose, consider actively praying for a specific request that was shared and follow up to check in about it sometime this week.

Leader Note: If a need arises where it would seem appropriate to share the Bridgetown Benevolence Form, feel free to share this form with them or fill it out on their behalf.

End in Prayer (10 minutes)

Leader note: Offer those who responded by asking for prayer to share what they are carrying, then close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Community.

Kylee Logan 10/10/24 Kylee Logan 10/10/24

For the Sake of Others, Guide 2: Confession

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Review The Last Practice (10 minutes)

Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. Remember, last time we all agreed to practice active listening and being a compassionate Community by intentionally connecting with someone from our Community to hear more about what’s going on in their life, checking in on something they shared last time, or following up about something you’ve been praying for them:

How did it feel to connect with someone in the Community, outside of our normal night? (i.e. natural, challenging, grounding, new, etc.)
How did it impact you to have someone check in with you, or to know someone was praying for you?
If practicing Compassion in this way is something we want our Community to be marked by, what would it look like for us to make this common practice in our group?

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

We live in a culture that deeply values what it calls “authenticity,” in which we are taught that anything that comes from within us is good and worthy of celebration—that we should say, think, and do anything that comes naturally without fear, reservation, or shame. From what seems like every direction,we often hear messages like “be yourself,” to “live your truth,” or to “follow your heart.”

On one hand, this is not all bad. Human beings are created in the image of God and, therefore, much of what is beautiful in our world flows out of what’s inside us: art, generosity, music, love, and more that is deeply human and deeply good. But, what if that is only half the story?

Life in apprenticeship to Jesus involves an internal tug-of-war, a tension between our good desires and our broken desires and the actions that flow from them. Beneath the veneer of being “perfect just the way I am,” we each carry moments we are not proud of. There are thoughts, feelings, and actions that we know aren’t worthy of celebration: that fight we picked with our spouse, the words of anger in the car, the extra glance at the gym, the gossip shared at work, and on the list goes. To follow Jesus is to resist our disordered desires and to live into the new, redeemed desires of the Spirit.

But if we’re going to grow in becoming more like Jesus, we’ll need to be honest with ourselves, God, and one another about the reality of sin in our lives. There is no healing in hiding. For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have resisted their disordered desires not by hiding them, but by confessing them. It is the truth that sets us free.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to step into the practice of Community through the ancient rhythms of the Examen and confession. As we engage the Examen and reflect on the day we’ve had, we willingly invite God into our ordinary life moments to see where he’s been at work, expecting that he will continue that work in the days ahead. When we practice honesty with God first, it can give us courage to step vulnerably into confession. These are foundational rhythms to our Practice of Community.

Let’s begin by getting into a comfortable position and taking a few deep breaths. I will open us up in prayer by inviting the Holy Spirit to come draw near.

Open in Prayer

The Examen

Step One: Review your week with God.

I’m going to set a timer for 3 minutes, where we will sit in silence and spend time quietly reflecting on two things. First, review your week – where did you feel close or distant from God? Thank him for the moments that bring gratitude. Secondly, ask the Holy Spirit this question: “When did I fail to love you or love someone else this week?” Then, confess moments of sin or regret where you overlooked an opportunity to be with God or others.

Leader note: After the 3 minute timer ends, break the silence by saying, “Thank you Lord for your forgiveness and loving presence with us tonight.”

Step Two: Share with another person.
Let’s split into groups of two to share the moments that came to mind during the Examen. If multiple moments come to mind, share the one that feels most significant or that you feel comfortable sharing. And if you don’t feel comfortable sharing what you reflected on, you’re welcome to share about what that time was like for you.

For the sharer: this could sound like, “I realized that this week I failed to love God by _________" or “I failed to love (this person) by ________".

For the listener: this looks like quietly listening without judgment. Once the person has finished sharing, thank them for sharing and share your moment in return.

I’m going to set a 5 minute timer, during which time the sharer will speak and the listener will reflect back what they’ve heard. After those 5 minutes are up, we’ll switch roles and I’ll start another timer.

Leader note: Set a 5 minute timer for each person. Once it goes off, have them switch sharers and set it again. Afterwards, gather everyone back to discuss the practice for the week ahead.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)

The Practice for the week ahead is two fold: 1) continue engaging the Examen on your own – whether using the structure above or by utilizing the Lectio365 app’s Night Prayer option – and 2) identify someone that you can practice confession with.

Follow the prompts we did together as you practice the Examen, and end by asking the Holy Spirit that same question: “When did I fail to love God or love someone else today?” The person you practice confession with could be another member of your Community, a good friend or family member, a pastor, or a mentor. When you meet, you can use the prompt: “This week I failed to love God by _____” or “I failed to love (this person) by ______.”

In order to create spaces of safety while confessing, be slow to speak and quick to listen. Do not offer advice, feedback, or judgment. Instead, quietly listen until they have said all that they wanted to say. When finished, close in prayer thanking God for his forgiveness and his unconditional love for you both.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Community.

Kylee Logan 9/30/24 Kylee Logan 9/30/24

Family Guide: Community

A community of love and depth in a culture of individualism and superficiality through the practice of Community

At Bridgetown, our goal is that every person—adult and child—would be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. But these things don’t just happen overnight; they take time, intention, and repetition. So, with this in mind, we will be releasing a Family Guide during each teaching series to help you engage a particular Practice from the life and teaching of Jesus together. Since these Guides are aimed at kids of multiple ages, please skip or adapt anything that does not feel age appropriate. These Guides are written conversationally, so feel free to read through them. Italicized words are notes to parents and bolded words are questions to take some time with.

For a moment, let’s close our eyes together and use our memories and imaginations. Can you remember a time when you had the feeling that you BELONGED? Perhaps within a group of people where you know anything you might need would be found, and you felt a certain way? Do you have that time in your mind?

Okay, open your eyes. What or who did you think of?

Give space for answers.

What did it feel like to know you belonged? Maybe safe, or happy, or not worried?

Give space for answers.

For lots of us, when we think of belonging, we might think of a group of people like our family. Or, we might think of our Bridgetown Community, your small group at Bridgetown Kids, or some of our closest friends in your school or neighborhood. In a group where you feel belonging, you can trust that you will be safe, that you won’t go without important things that you need—like food, or a hug or band-aid if you fall down and get hurt, or someone to sit next to.

One of the ways God talks about the church is as a family. Sometimes, the Scriptures even call believers or the church the “new family of God.” And when we participate in this new family, we call that practicing Community.

Let’s open the Bible together and learn a little more about how some of the first Jesus-following churches practiced Community together.

Find Acts 2v42–47 and read out loud together.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Talk through these questions together:

What are a few of the things the believers did together?
How did these church members practice helping one another?
How do you think it felt to be part of the community we just read about?
What do you think is good about followers of Jesus being together? What might be better about being together than being alone?

Wow. This sounds like the kind of family or community everyone wants to be a part of. These people took care of each other’s needs! When someone needed food or money, everyone came up with it. They prayed together, ate together, spent time together, and loved each other really well.

Do we do any of these things in our lives right now, like share meals and pray with others?

Who do we do them with?

Give space for answers.

It sounds like you and I both have some people in our lives that we are practicing Community with in small or big ways. That’s so cool. In another place in the scriptures, Jesus says that the world we know we are his followers because of the way we love one another.

How do you treat someone you love?

Give space for answers.

Just like we read in the Bible earlier, communities treat each other with kindness, look out for each other, and take care of each other in all kinds of ways big and small. Some small actions that have a big impact are listening carefully to one another, and helping one another when we need help.

There are all kinds of different Communities. Sometimes, your Community might be made up of people who are a lot like you—boys or girls around your age who also know Jesus, like in your small group at Bridgetown Kids. Sometimes, Communities are made up of all kinds of different folks—like in your parents’ Bridgetown Community, there are kids and adults of all ages and from different places! We can also create Community and practice wherever we go: with friends at school, on your sports team, and with people we invite into our home.

There are all sorts of different people in the family of God. That’s a good thing! There are some things we can only learn and experience with people who are different than us. Being with different kinds of people also helps us understand different things about God. Wouldn’t life be a little bit boring if everyone was exactly the same? God made us all different, but we have being loved by God in common.

Following Jesus isn’t something we do alone. It’s something we do alongside others! Community is fun, and Community takes practice. Just like we aren’t perfect and make mistakes and need forgiveness, other people we are in community with won’t be perfect, will make mistakes, and need us to forgive them.

There are so many ways we can practice Community, but here are a few we can try out right away!

Participate in your small group at Bridgetown Kids

At Bridgetown, in your classes, we have the opportunity to gather with a bunch of other kids your same age to talk about our Bible story of the week, talk about what’s going on in our lives, pray together, and have a ton of fun together. You can go to Bridgetown Kids every week, and see your small group every week too! You can participate by asking and answering questions, praying for your friends, and including new people as they come. If you haven’t started kindergarten yet and aren’t in a small group, you can do these same things in your Bridgetown Kids classroom!

Go with your grown ups to Bridgetown Community.

If your family is part of a Bridgetown Community, then guess what? You are part of that community too! You are encouraged to eat dinner with the whole group and be part of the dinner conversation and fun, play games together, ask questions, participate in serving the city, and more! Note to adults: if your Bridgetown Community doesn’t have a clear entry point for kids, consider asking your leader how your family might more fully participate. If you’re not in a Community, we encourage you to join in Bridgetown’s next round of Basics! You can learn more about Community and Basics here.

Make Community: Invite a friend’s family or a neighbor over to your house for dinner or a playdate.

One thing that’s super helpful to remember is that in order to be in a Community, we need other people and they need us! At some point, all of us were invited in. We have an exciting opportunity to be that welcoming and inviting person to someone else. Does anyone come to mind that you think God would have you welcome with kindness? This week, once you have someone in mind, invite them and their family to your house for a meal or play time. While they are there, ask good questions, listen carefully, and show kindness and love!

How do you want to practice Community in this upcoming month? Let’s pick one to try, and pick a day we’ll follow through.

Kylee Logan 9/26/24 Kylee Logan 9/26/24

For the Sake of Others, Guide 1: Compassion

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, consider closing this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.

Read This Overview Aloud (12 minutes)

One of the most common pictures used throughout Scripture to define the people of God is that of a family. The word “family” is a pretty loaded term in today’s world and means different things to different people. Whether we like it or not, and whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have a particular family background that shapes who we are and how we operate today. The norms that exist within our family of origin often filter the way we relate to others, but most specifically those closest to us. It’s important that we take time to both honor and evaluate the family patterns that have shaped us.

Let’s take the next few minutes to work through some questions together. We’ll read them one at a time, take a moment of silence to reflect on our family experience, and then have a few of us share what comes to mind.

What three words would you use to describe your family of origin?
How did your family talk about—or not talk about—difficult events, conflicts, or feelings?
If your family had a mission statement, what might it have been?

The family of God throughout Scripture is depicted as a highly committed, multi-ethnic community of self-giving and sacrificial love (see Acts 2v42-47 as an example). But, as we just talked about, our experience of what it means to be a family often doesn’t line up with that—and this includes our experience of church community. But this is what it means to be first-fruits: We are a group of imperfect individuals being continually formed into the likeness of Jesus, so there will be tastes of the perfect to come and of the perfect that is not yet here.

And this is why it’s so important to practice Community. We cannot become fully formed followers of Jesus alone; we need other people. Jesus valued Community enough to build his life around it, so we do the same—knowing that we are formed as we offer love to one another and allow ourselves to be loved by our brothers and sisters.

Now, while we gather to practice Community each time we meet, throughout this series we will be zeroing in on what exactly that means. More than a weekly dinner party or Bible study, this is the family of God coming together with the distinct purpose of practicing the way of Jesus. The clarity that we established during our conversation around Community Commitments in the last Guide will serve as the foundation for our Community practice. And one pillar that is crucial to the health of our Community is the practice of Compassion. Compassion was a defining mark of Jesus’ earliest followers, as it should be for our Community.

Do This Practice Tonight (15 minutes)

If we’re going to practice Compassion and learn to love God and others, we have to fight against 3 distinct tendencies: to read minds, to make assumptions, and to have unreasonable expectations. For this week’s practice, we will explore practical ways to stop mind reading, clarify expectations, and listen well, so that we are better equipped to love people in our lives and Community. Followers of Jesus are to be “quick to listen” and “slow to speak,” so let’s do an exercise in listening well!

We’ll begin by splitting into groups of two and taking turns asking one another the following question: What is one thing that has been impacting you lately?

Before we get started, though, here are a few guidelines to follow:

As the sharer

Be as open and honest as you feel comfortable.
Do not feel like you need to over-explain or qualify what is affecting you right now.
Try to keep your statements brief enough to give the listener time to paraphrase.
Practice using emotion words in your sharing. (e.g. happy, disappointed, frustrated, distant, excited, resentful, defeated, honored, etc.)

As the listener

Give the sharer your full attention and listen without interrupting.
Avoid judging or interrupting, and do not offer advice.
When they finish, thank them for sharing and then practice active listening by attempting to paraphrase what they’ve said. You can start this by saying, “What I hear you saying is…” (Remember to speak with empathy and respect.) And once you finish paraphrasing, ask the person, “Is that correct?” and let them respond.

I will set a 5 minute timer, during which time the sharer will speak and the listener will reflect back what they’ve heard. And after those 5 minutes are up, we’ll switch roles and I’ll start another 5 minute timer.

Leader Note: Set a 5 minute timer for each person. Once it goes off, have them switch sharers and set it again. Afterwards, gather everyone back in to discuss the practice for the week ahead.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

In the week ahead, let’s continue our practice of Compassion within our Community by committing to one of these three actions:

Reach out to or get together with a friend from the Community to catch up and learn more about what’s going on in their life.
Follow up on what you heard someone share during the practice tonight.
Actively pray for a specific request that was shared and follow up to check in about it.

End in Prayer (10 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Community.

Kylee Logan 9/11/24 Kylee Logan 9/11/24

Community Commitments Guide

Take Communion

Leader: Begin your gathering by taking communion, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup before or after dinner. If you don’t already have a Communion plan, have someone read these words from Paul in 1 Corinthians 11v24–26

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Read This Overview Aloud Together

Think of our Community like a rowboat: everyone has an oar and we’re all rowing together in the same direction to reach a destination. As you may have experienced, a rowboat trip only works if everyone agrees on where we’re headed. If we all have a different understanding of, or vision for, where our boat is going, we’ll likely just paddle in circles (and probably get splashed in the face along the way). To keep us united in purpose, every Fall each Bridgetown Community sets aside intentional time to return to the Commitments we’ve made and have a conversation about what’s going well and where we can improve. And tonight is that night!

Do These Practices Tonight

1. General Community Reflections

Before we begin our conversation around recommitment, let’s take some time to reflect on the last year of life in this Community by discussing the following questions:

What has this Community meant to you over this last year? Who or what are you grateful for? Where has God met you through this Community?
How have you noticed the Practice of regularly attending this Community change you as a person or as a disciple?

2. Community Commitments

As individuals, and as a community, we have committed to following the way of Jesus together in Portland. That commitment looks like active participation in this Community - to show up, ready to engage and contribute. Community Commitments are a way of laying the foundation of and setting the direction for our Community. None of them should be a surprise, as they are the list everyone agreed to upon joining a Community. We revisit this list each year as a way of a) reminding us about the commitments we’ve made and b) figuring out how we can recalibrate to get back on course if we’ve drifted. The Community Commitments are organized into 4 categories: active participation in your own spiritual formation, active participation in Bridgetown Church, active participation in your Community, and active participation in Portland.

As we discuss them, it would be great if we could all open up the Community Commitments (or share a screen with someone next to you). Once we have them open, I’ll read each out loud to remind us what our Community is organized around and then we’ll work through a few discussion questions. As a side note, if there are any questions or concerns about any of these Commitments, please talk with me at some point (it doesn’t have to be tonight). I’d love to help you work through it or help point you to someone who can.

Leader: Pause here to read through the Commitments. Once you’ve read them all, move onto the following questions.

Consider this list, what do you feel like we do well as a Community?
Where might there be an opportunity for growth for our Community or for you as an individual? What might we be missing? (e.g. for Community: mission, taking more leadership responsibility, praying for each other, etc.; for an individual: regularly attending the gathering on Sunday, showing up to Community on time, being present, etc.)
In light of all this, what specific areas do we want to grow in as a Community? And how can we get there? How will we each, individually, be a part of committing to that growth?

3. 6-Stage Cycle of Community

A Community is a living thing, constantly growing and changing with those who are in it. With that in mind, there is a patterned story within most Communities that includes these 6 stages or seasons that repeat themselves again and again.

While these stages do not have a specific amount of time associated with them (and we won’t necessarily go through all of them in a year), Communities change stages all the time. Though it may feel uncomfortable, change isn’t always something bad and we don’t need to fear it.Transitions can actually be a huge opportunity to grow deeper in vulnerability and transformation with God, yourself, and each other. There are healthy and restorative paths through each stage.

Let’s take a few minutes to work through the description of each phase. As we do, keep in mind where we think our Community might be. It’s okay if we don’t all agree about where we are at. This dissonance can actually foster important conversations as we explore not just where, but why each of us would place our Community where we do and to talk through what we think helpful steps forward might look like.

6 Stage Cycle

Let’s work through these questions together:

What was the state of our Community last year around this time? What changes (good or hard) have we gone through communally over the last year?
As we read this, what stage(s) currently fit our Community, and why do you think that stage is the right pick?
Based on where we think we are, what would our next stage be and how would we like to prepare for that?

4. Other Important Conversations

Whether we have enough time and stamina left this week or we want to set aside some time in the future, there are likely some other conversations that may be helpful for our Community to have.

Leader: Not all of these will be relevant to your Community. Please have read through them in advance and pick out one or two that might feel helpful to discuss.

How is mission going? Is it time to revisit that conversation?
How is our meal plan working? Do we need to revisit that?
How are our Leader(s) and/or Coordinators feeling? Do they need help with anything?
Is there anything we want to start, stop, or continue doing as a Community?
How do we feel about the way we’re currently integrating kids in our Community? Do we need to talk about that again? Or do we need to get ahead of some upcoming transitions?
Are there any other conversations we need to have that we might be avoiding?

End in Prayer

Before we leave, let’s spend some time praying for our Community, asking God for the things that came up tonight, and inviting the Spirit to help us become more like Jesus together.

Kylee Logan 8/25/24 Kylee Logan 8/25/24

Philemon, Pt. 2: Scripture

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone lead through this guided prayer:

Holy Spirit, as we begin our time tonight, would you bring to our minds a moment in which we heard your voice really clearly this last week?
(Leader Note: Pause here for a moment.)
God, we remember that you are kind and that you love to speak to us.
We remember that you are patient and will continue to teach us to hear you.
We remember that you are gracious, gentle, and good.
And, for all of this, we are thankful.
Amen.

Review the Last Practice

Before we jump into tonight’s Practice on Scripture, let’s take a few minutes to hear from one another how our practice of praying Scripture went.

What did your time praying Scriptures look like this week? Did you decide to pray Philemon v4-6 or another Scripture passage?
What’s one way you heard God speak to you through his Word in your time of reading this week? How did you feel led to practically respond to God’s voice this week (i.e. a change of mind or change of habit, an act of love toward someone you know, etc.)?

Read This Overview Aloud Together

There’s no doubt that Scriptures played a central and essential role both in Jesus’ life and ministry. The study and knowledge of the scriptures for Jesus, measured far beyond academia, to a more personal and compelling reality. All throughout his life and ministry we see him use them in his relationship to teaching, interacting with the teachers or the Pharisees of the day, his disciples, and even Satan himself.

For Jesus, it seems, Scripture was not as much a tool, instrument, or weapon as it was part of how he viewed and interacted with both God and the world. Both from a historical knowledge of Rabbi’s, to the account we’re given in the Gospels, we know that the integration of Scripture in Jesus’ life was paramount to his work with his disciples and to those around him.

For the disciple of Jesus, some of the greatest transformation we will experience takes place amongst the thoughts in our minds. What we think about will shape what we believe and, ultimately, that will shape what we live into. This is why, in the New Testament, Paul continually tells us to renew our minds – a renewed mind leads to a transformed life. As Paul invites Philemon to respond out of his own transformation and freedom, we are also invited to live differently because of the Gospel. We’re invited to live in unity with our brothers & sisters even when it doesn’t make sense – to let our weaknesses be our strength.

All throughout church history, disciples of Jesus have pressed into the practice of knowing the Scriptures — and more specifically putting to memory the truths of God found on the pages of the Bible.

In meditating and memorizing Scripture, we are not only following the commands found within them, but employing the deeper reality and power of those words to combat the lies of the enemy about ourselves, culture, God, political climates, and who our real enemy is. When we harness God’s truth in our minds through meditation and memorization, it becomes both a realized and embodied experience.

Do This Practice Tonight

As we talk about memorizing Scriptures, there might be a temptation to think that we are not, or won’t be, good at it. And the truth is, this is a journey and it will take time to develop the skill of memorization. But it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do it. In fact, it means the opposite. Without the practice of memorizing Scripture, the enemy has the ability to deceive us and thwart the truth and, in turn, the good things that God has for us. Memorizing Scripture helps us to learn what the voice of God sounds like. And for the apprentice of Jesus, it is necessary for life in the Kingdom.

Let’s take the next few minutes and talk through these practical suggestions. The goal is to have each person share which idea they want to try this week.

You can start with shorter passages you may already be familiar with (e.g John 3v16, Proverbs 4v5-6, or Psalm 23) or longer passages that are meaningful to you (John 15, Galatians 5, or Romans 12). Either way, keep it simple and start small. And if you learn best when you do something with your hands, it can be helpful to knit, shuffle a deck of cards, squeeze a stress ball, etc. while you quote. The repetitive motion might help you concentrate.

Index Card: Write the verse(s) on one side of an index card and the verse reference on the other side. Carry the card around with you so you can work on memorizing in your free time.

Record Yourself: Try recording yourself on your phone reading the verse(s). Listen back to the recording while you're driving, working out, cleaning your house, grocery shopping, etc.

Make It Visible: Tape the verse(s) to the bathroom mirror or to your car dashboard and work on it as you go about your day. You can also put it as your desktop or phone background. You'll honestly be surprised by how much that helps.

Repetitive Writing: Transcribe the verse(s) by hand. Rewrite the verse(s) over and over or use hand-lettering or other creative illustrations or pictures as a way of putting it in your mind.

Repetitive Recitation: Read the verse(s) out loud in 5 minute increments and repeat (while allowing some time for your mind to rest). Worked out as a discipline, this could look like:

Reading/reciting it out loud 4 times per day for a week
Then, read/recite it out loud once a week for a month
Then read/recite it once every three months for a year
And then read/recite it once every year

Let’s talk through which of these ways of memorizing Scripture you want to try this week – which verse(s), when, where, how.

What do you think about meditating and memorizing Scripture? Is this something you already do? Have you ever done this before? When?
Any thoughts or creative ideas about practicing it this week? Is there anything new you want to try? Or something that has been helpful to you in the past that you’d like to share?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead

In the week ahead, let’s continue this practice of memorizing Scripture, partnering with God in the renewing of our minds. The Practice for this week is fairly simple. Take the time to work through the above way of memorizing Scripture that you selected. Determine what you need to do ahead of time to be successful in your commitment. Whether it means buying index cards or a stress ball, take the practical steps you need to to make it happen.

End in Prayer

Leader note: Close your time praying for each other, asking God to help you make time and press into the Practice, remembering that the enemy attacks that which God is after most. If we are in Christ, we have the mind of Christ, which is constantly being renewed and transformed. So as followers of Jesus, we want to be actively engaging our minds in ways that are worshipful and intentional. Perhaps even consider inviting another person in your Community to help keep you accountable to your commitment.

Kylee Logan 8/18/24 Kylee Logan 8/18/24

Philemon, Pt. 1: Scripture

Take Communion

Review the Last Practice

Before we jump into tonight’s Practice on Scripture, let’s take a few minutes to hear from one another how our practice of Lectio Divina went.

What did your time in Scriptures look like this week? Did you find Lectio Divina to be a helpful tool? In what ways did it differ from your typical practice of reading Scripture?
What’s one way you heard God speak to you through his Word in your time of reading this week? How did you feel led to practically respond to God’s voice this week (i.e. a change of mind or change of habit, an act of love toward someone you know, etc.)?
What about your current practice of Scripture feels off to you (i.e. a discomfort, interruption, inconsistency, etc.)? Is it something for you to change, or is it something God is using to change you?

As we dive into our practice for tonight, we’ll start to see how God uses Scripture to shape our hearts and minds to reflect that of his son’s. Let’s take the next few moments to simply pray and ask Jesus to be our teacher tonight, as we continue to practice reading Scripture together.

Leader Note: As followers of Jesus, we look to him as our teacher, so take this moment in prayer to offload the pressure of your formation back on to Jesus and receive the freedom to simply engage this practice, trusting that the practice itself is what gives the Spirit space to form you.

Read This Overview Aloud Together

In the book of Philemon, the Apostle Paul writes to a pastor, named Philemon, asking him to not only welcome home a runaway slave, named Onesimus, but to go one giant leap further and receive him as a brother. Paul recognizes Onesimus’ genuine decision to follow Jesus and chooses to send him home to the master he wronged. The runaway slave returns to his master with a letter from Paul, detailing what should be Philemon’s proper response in light of this new spiritual reality. Paul seized this opportunity to reconcile the relationship between two brothers in Christ, and at the same time re-shape the minds of his readers to see their world, their society, and one another, through the lens of God’s kingdom.

In verses 4–6, the Apostle Paul prays for Philemon to direct his attention to “every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” Throughout the letter, Paul is teaching Onesimus, Philemon, and surely the entire church gathering in his home to be “transformed by the renewal of their minds” (Rom 12v2) and to see themselves within the redemptive narrative of scripture. Paul knows that without an “understanding of every good thing” our minds will instead be shaped by societal trends, or what he calls in another letter “the ways of this world” (Rom 12v2).

Do This Practice Tonight

Paul’s prayer for Philemon challenges us to reconsider the norms of our society and the typical narratives we accept. As we build a habit of reading Scripture, we learn to find ourselves in God’s story and reframe the world around us from the vantage point of Heaven. What we choose to intentionally fix our minds on will shape the way we view reality and ultimately determine the way we relate to one another.

Let’s take the next few minutes to break into smaller groups and consider these questions:

What influences are you currently giving your attention to on a daily basis? How might they be shaping the way you think about yourself, others, or the world around you? Do you notice each source influencing you in a positive way, or in a negative way, or something in-between?
Paul says in another letter to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4v8). What practices or resources have you found helpful in cultivating your imagination around these things?
For those influences you notice impacting you in a way that isn’t helpful or pulls you away from a Kingdom perspective, how could you replace those habits or redirect your attention to things that reinforce a truer narrative? How do you feel about that idea — excited, daunted, encouraged, something else?

Leader Note: As the smaller groups discuss these questions, keep track of the time and encourage people to talk through each question before moving on to the next part of the practice.

Now let’s take the next few moments to consider each other's answers and pray for one another, using Philemon v4–6 as a guide.

"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ." — Philemon v4–6

Leader Note: When everyone has finished praying, call everyone back in to read the next section and close out the night in prayer.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead

In the week ahead, let’s continue in our efforts to renew our minds through Scripture, allowing God to give us the perspective of Heaven. This week, we’ll be setting aside intentional time each day to pray Scripture, using Philemon v4–6 (or Romans 12v2) as a template for our prayers. The next time we meet, we’ll take time to hear about how this Practice of praying Scripture influenced our week and directed our attention.

End in Prayer

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue teaching your Community that the renewal of all creation comes through our ordinary lives and the Practice of Scripture.