Community Practice Week 2
Confessing Our Sin
Simply put, the practice of community is committing to life with others, learning and living the way of Jesus together. Below you will find step to help you engage with this practice over the next four weeks as well as resources that will help you go deeper in your understanding of community.
Ways to engage with in the Community Practice:
First and foremost, this practice (and all practices) are meant to be done in community. If you haven't yet, find a small group of people that are commited to walking through this practice together.
Download the Community Practice Guide. If you can, it is advised to print it out to reduce the distraction of our devices.
Gather with your group once a week to watch the Practicing the Way video found below. This will include questions for discussion, as well as a short teaching on that week's practice.
Step into each practice as much as you are able and feel comfortable to. This invitation is for everyone at all stages of life and faith.
Reflect on your experience of the practice using the reflection questions at the bottom of the guide and be prepared to share them the next time you gather with your group.
Recommended Reading
Made to Belong by David Kim (Chapters 4-5)
Rule of Life Podcast
Community Practice Guide
Download the practice guide here
Week 02 Practice - Confess Your Sins
This week we invite you to find someone who you can confess your sin to. Maybe they’re a trusted friend, a pastor, a mentor, a therapist, or a spiritual director – anyone who you feel safe with and believe would love you no matter what. • Ask them to get together and let them know you want to share how you’re really doing • You can start small by just naming an ongoing struggle in your life. Or, depending on the level of trust and the relationship, you can share a sin that has has it’s hold on you for years. Be discerning in what you share, but we invite you to be courageous in taking this step deeper into community and towards healing.
If you’re the one receiving the confession: • Listen with attention, attunement, and a heart of compassion. When they are done, you can say, “In Christ’s name, you are forgiven.” • Community is the place where we come out of hiding and experience the love of God through each other.
Explore Forming a Discipleship Band
This is a triad of around three people (five people is the absolute max) who meet regularly for prayer and confession.
Your band could be with a subgroup of your weekly table community or small group, or totally different people. While it’s ideal to be together in person, your band can also meet digitally, which makes it possible to join with close friends who may live farther away.
Just like a weekly meal is the optimal way to build the kinship layer of community into your Rule of Life, or your regular routine, a discipleship band is a way to build that more intimate layer of brothers and sisters into your Rule of Life as well.
To form your own band:
Go to discipleshipbands.com download the free ebook, and give it a read.
Identify and invite a few others to start a band with you. (It may be ideal if your band is a subgroup of your Journey Group simply because it’s less relationships to stay up to date with).
Put a date on the calendar and begin meeting regularly following the simple questions in the ebook, also found below:
How is it with your soul?
What are your struggles and successes?
How might the Word and Spirit be speaking in your life?
Do you have any sin that you want to confess?
Are there any secrets or hidden things you would like to share?
Week 02 Reflection Questions
Where did I feel resistance in confession?
Which emotions did I expect to experience? Which was I surprised by?
In what ways did I encounter God as I confessed my sins
