June Wk B
Announcements
- Annual Meeting 6/23/24 @ 15 Hayes – after church
- Newport Summer Sessions 6/26/24 @ 7pm – 3rd Beach in Middleton, RI
- Let folks know about any final HC meeting you want to have, or any off the books social gatherings over the summer. This is our last official home church for the 2023-2024 season. We will pick up after Labor Day for our next season.
Dinner & Communion (30-40min)
Try and begin right on time. At some point during the meal, take communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. Before communion, have someone cut up bread, put on a plate, and fill a cup with wine. Consider those who are allergic to gluten and provide a substitute like (corn tortillas work etc.) Consider also those in recovery and provide a wine substitute like grape juice.
TRANSITION (5min)
Vision & Pass out Handouts (3 min)
Vision leaks. Take a few minutes to remind everyone why we are here and where we are going. Feel free to tweak or personalize any of the following:
We are a Family
As the family of God, we take time each week to eat together, pray together, and share life together. It is in this ordinary rhythm of life in community that we become transformed to look like Jesus.
Following the Path of Jesus
As disciples of Jesus, we make it our aim to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. Through teaching, practice, community, and the Holy Spirit, we are learning what it means to be a disciple, or apprentice, of Jesus.
In greater Providence
As missionaries to our city, we demonstrate and announce the Gospel. As we live and work in the city and share life, we join with God to see the Kingdom of God come in Providence as it is in heaven.
We believe that to be follower or apprentice of Jesus is to order your life to journey in 4 directions:
Upward Direction / learning to be with Jesus
Inward Directions / becoming like Jesus
Outward Direction / doing what Jesus did
Withward Direction / following Jesus in community
*read more about our directions here
It’s here in HomeChurch where we walk these paths together by engaging in shared practices that make up a way of life. The language we use is a shared path.
This year we are going to spend each month focusing on one of our shared practices:
- Prayer & Worship
- Scripture
- Confession
- Sabbath
- Hospitality
- Witness
- Generosity
- Community
In June, we are focusing on our practice of witness.
Reflection
- Hand out the handout / pens or pencils
- Send people into personal reflection for 5 mins.
- Use or tweak the following language:
Our goal tonight is to reflect on our practice of witness. Debriefing and reflecting is what turns our actions into leaning. Another word for this is praxis – action and reflection on that action in the presence of community and the Spirit. This is an indispensable part of how we grow as believers and disciples of Jesus. Take a few minutes on your own and use the questions on the handout to reflect over the past couple weeks. What happened (or didn’t) with witness. What are you learning? What are some next steps?
Individual Reflection Time (5min)
Give folks five minutes on their own to reflect on your witness goal and how that’s gone over the past two weeks. Have them use the questions on the handout to guide them.
Discuss in Pairs, Small Groups, or Full Group ( 20 min)
You can divide up into small groups or pairs if there are a lot of people, or if the group is small enough, you can discuss as a whole group. Use the questions as helpful or if you get stuck to keep the group moving forward.
Pray and Seek the Lord (20 mins)
[Feel free to use or tweak any of the following language. Make it your own]
Use or tweak the following language. You may want to consider putting on some soaking worship music, like William Augusto, eg.
Tonight we’re going to seek God together around the theme of our witness.
We’re praying out of Matthew 9:35-10:1, praying this scripture for ourselves, for each other, and for the church.
Read Matthew 9:35-10:1, aloud
Let’s start by focusing upwards. Let’s praise and thank God. Let’s pray out in short prayers of a sentence or two.
Lord, would you help us behold you and fix our eyes on you. Particularly on your love and compassion for the crowds who were lost like sheep without a shepherd. Before we even pray about our own practice of announcing and witnessing to the good news, would you help us meditate on your heart.
(Let folks pray for 5-7 mins, you can help model)
Now Holy Spirit, teach us to pray for our own hearts. Help us to open our hearts to your love for lost people. Show us the barriers that get in the way of letting you use us to love people. Help us to pray about these and surrender ourselves as instruments of your love.
(Let folks pray for 5-7 mins, you help model)
Now let’s begin to pray outwards. Jesus, would you give us specific people you want us to pray for right now, especially those who don’t know you. Who in our lives is on your heart. Help us to pray for them. Bring them to mind right now, Holy Spirit.
(Let folks pray for 5-7 mins, you help model)
Debrief in Big Group (3 mins)
What struck you about how God led us to pray? What are we learning about praying together?
Sanctuary Church 