A Small Group Series for Local Churches

Every day we send out a reading, reflection and wee prayer to over 4,000 people to help us all in our daily discipleship.  For some time I’ve thought these readings and reflections would make great resources for church small groups and I’m pleased to say that the first set, from a forthcoming series on our Jubilee, are ready for use.

This series, of four sessions, reflects on: our music and desire to include, our ecumenical calling, various challenges in our life and mission, and some musings about our future.  Each session has the opportunity to: sing hymns, all bar one written by a URC member (some from Rejoice and Sing, others outwith that book), read some Scripture together, hear some reflections, discuss questions arising from the reflections, and pray together.  

We’re aided in our thinking with reflections from: Susan Durber, Darnette Whitby Reid, myself, David Thompson, Lindsey Sanderson, James Breslin, Kirsty Thorpe, Fleur Houston, John Ellis, David Cornick, John Bradbury and Fiona Bennett.  The hymns, older and newer, reflect a range of styles and themes but all reflect on our life and challenges.  We will also have, in due course, recordings to download for the hymns enabling a group to sing along or listen to the hymn.  The material can be found here https://devotions.urc.org.uk/small-groups/

Mid-week small groups are a mainstay of many of our churches.  They give a chance for prayer, fellowship, reflection and learning; in an era of fewer ministers, however, they may be harder to organise as ministers often feel they have to duplicate what they offer in one congregation in the others they serve and, after a while, this becomes very difficult.  We hope that some “centrally” produced material will help.  They can be used by anyone – not just ministers – and we’ve made them very flexible.  You could use them as