Gather (but don’t eat yet!)

Talk, hangout, have fun.

Pray

Gather together in a comfortable setting (around a table, on the couch, the floor of a living room, etc.). Have somebody lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together. Don’t be afraid to leave some space in the quiet to just listen and rest.

Discuss

Everybody hopefully had a chance to listen to the message for this week.

Use these questions to help guide your discussion as a large group:

  1. What impacted you from the teaching this week?

  2. What role has communion played in your life and apprenticeship to Jesus so far?

Learn + Eat

Gather around the table for your meal together.

Our goal tonight is that our communion with God, would also be tied together with our communion with each other. That we would share a full meal together, while also sharing in the traditional sacrament of breaking bread, and drinking wine (or grape juice) as we remember what Jesus has done for us. Hopefully, in line with what Christians have done since the very beginning of the church, our dinner (or supper) together is just as much a joyful feast with friends as it is a powerful time of communing with God - the two happen simultaneously.

Have someone Read Luke 22:14-20

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

1. Somebody plays the role of host at the table. In the early church, it was usually the head of a household or an elder. We recommend it’s either your Community Leader, or somebody assigned for the task. 

2. The leader calls the Community to repent of any sin toward God (or each other) before you eat (this can happen silently). Take a moment to receive the forgiveness of Jesus and the restoration of Shalom.

3. A prayer of thanks begins the meal, and a prayer of invitation to the Spirit to make his presence known. 

4. As you eat the meal, you eat with joy and gratitude and attempt to be present to the Spirit of Jesus, and each other. (i.e., put away your phone, stop worrying about that to-do list, and focus on God and the person across the table.)

5. As the meal comes to an end, share in the eucharist (communion) together.

Have the leader of the group tear some bread and say “this is the body of Christ, given for you” and have each person tear off a piece of bread.

Then have the leader take a cup of wine (or grape juice) and say “this is the blood of Christ, shed for you”. Each person can then dip their bread into the wine and eat it.

6. In closing there’s usually another prayer of thanks and/or a song (if you can find a way to worship together do it! You know someone learned guitar in college to play Taylor Swift songs to impress a girl). 

Share

Split into triads to share and go deeper as we apply this knowledge into our lives.

1. How did it feel to have dinner in this way? Did it feel any different, weird, fun, special, meaningful?

2. How can you praying for each other this week? Are there any needs among you?

Pray

Make sure to take some time to pray as you close your group for the night. How can you pray for one another? Are there any practical needs we can meet?

Practice (90 mins)

This next week’s content requires some set up. Next week we are learning about what it means to be a community of blessing aka we exist to bless others! So our practice this week is to make sure we are ready for next week.

Prepare

You have two things to do for this coming week:

  1. Schedule a time for your Community to volunteer at the Salvation Army Community Dinner (or an equivalent). This requires some planning and scheduling! Get out together and use your collective resources and manpower as a community to be a blessing to the world. If this doesn’t happen by next week no worries, just get it on the calendar!

    You can check the next available time to serve here

  2. We are going to spend this next week gathering together to make Hygiene Kits for the Salvation Army.

    1. The goal is to use your collective resources pooled together to make these purchases and to use your time to assemble and deliver the care packages. This requires a bit of financial commitment and vulnerability: some people in your community might not be able to contribute as much as others. That’s ok. Use this moment as a moment to be vulnerable and safe with each other, give what you can without judgment (even if all you can give is your time)

    2. Designate two people to be your treasurers for this exercise (who’s trustworthy and good with numbers?).

    3. Ask everyone to be honest about what they can give. Then have the treasurers purchase the necessary items for as many Hygiene Kits as your collection can pay for.

      A Hygiene Kit consists of: toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, lotion, shampoo + conditioner.

      Here is the amazon wishlist

Bring these items to your gathering next week!

Listen

 Listen to this sermon as it will form the basis of your discussion next week.

Read

This article is a great resource to go deeper into the meaning of communion. Read it and then pray asking God for a deeper level of ‘communion’ with Him.