Stay Together to Grow

The practice of community is committing to life with others, learning and living the way of Jesus together. Below you will find steps 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 8-9)

Rule of Life Podcast

Community Week 04

Community Practice Guide

Download the practice guide here

Week 04 Practice - Stay Together to Grow

Now it’s time to translate the last four weeks of learning and practice into a plan. What are the right next steps for living into community? What is the Spirit stirring in your heart? Who is God “spiritually adopting” you to? The following reflection questions are designed to help you discern God’s invitations to you in the next stage of your spiritual journey. • Pause for a moment to quiet yourself before God. Take a few deep breaths. Let yourself come to stillness. • Invite the Holy Spirit to fill your mind and imagination, and guide your heart into his will. • Then, prayerfully reflect on the following questions: 

01 Start by closing your eyes and imagining your life 3-5 years from now. 

02 What’s your ideal vision of living in community? How do you dream of doing life in a more relational way? What kind of close friends do you have? What does your kinship group look like? What kind of rhythms do you live by? How do you move through life together? Just dream for a few moments and write down your preferred future.

03 Next, what next steps do you sense the Spirit inviting you to take to move toward this vision? This could be something like, get coffee with an acquaintance to see if they could become a closer friend; invite a family over for dinner; talk to your friends about forming a kinship group or table community; meeting with a confessor, etc. They are likely small. Write down 2-3 next steps.

End by quietly offering your dreams, desires, questions, and fears to God. Ask him, who “sets the solitary in families,” to pastor you into community, and incrementally shape you into a person of love