What to Expect:

Let’s say you are invited to a gathering—here’s what that might look like:

  • Thursday Nights (day and time varies by hosts and/or leaders)

  • At Our Home (Locations vary by hosts and/or leaders—homes, workshops, playgrounds; the sky is the limit.)

  • 6:00 PM Doors open

  • 6:10 PM Casual dinner. Everyone brings a dish to share. (Some people may arrive after dinner, near 7 p.m., due to their work schedules.)

  • 7:00 PM Worship and/or Prayer - About 3 songs or time with background music to pray.

    • Kids are present for worship and prayer, family-style.

  • 7:20 PM Kids released to separate age-appropriate gathering space

  • 7:25 PM Prayer, Communion (At least monthly)

  • 7:35 PM - General Thursday Nights | Bible Reading & Discussion

    • We use a Bible reading plan for most gatherings, and the leader selects a section of Scripture from that week's reading plan.

    • Read a brief section of Scripture.

    • Discuss with the following questions:

      • What do we know about the context? (who, what, where, when, why, etc.)

      • What can we learn about mankind?

      • What can we learn about God?

      • How will we apply or obey?

    • 4th Thursdays | Discussion Pivots:

      • Every other month on the 4th Thursday, we pivot between two different discussions:

        • A. Personal Disciple-Making On Mission - Your goals/wins/obstacles/prayer requests in personal disciple-making.

        • B. Personal Discipleship Growth - How are you? How’s your intimacy with Jesus, time abiding, personal growth? What are your current wins/challenges in daily life?

  • 8:15 PM Prayer for One Another

  • 8:25 PM Hard Stop - Kids return to the main gathering. All hands on deck to help hosts clean up and reset

  • 8:30 PM Out the doors unless the host says you are welcome to stay longer.

  • NOTE: The above layout is a suggested framework that we use, but we believe groups should modify it and pivot as needed to nurture what God is doing in their group and in consideration of their circumstances. If a gathering seeks to incorporate community, worship, prayer, scripture, and a focus on mission then they’ve met the minimum criteria.

  • Regionals - Every 3 months, we aim to have a larger regional meetup. This serves as a fun opportunity to connect with our broader community, cast vision, pray, and learn from one another.

What about Kids:

Here’s a snapshot on how we care for our kids at gatherings:

  • Parents of children who need care rotate in teams, in twos, on a schedule, so as to make childcare a lightweight task.

  • There’s no exact age range on kids' time. It’s really up to parents and their kids on when they are ready to join the adults, but all kids are welcome to stay with us when they feel ready.

  • We divvy up parents in twos, not with spouses, generally by the same gender.

  • We assign one as the night’s lead and one as the helper (but both are fully focused on the kids).

  • Kids shift gears and go to another area of the home for about an hour.

  • The kids’ team for the night does not change diapers or go in the bathrooms with kids; as/if needed, they will get the child’s parents.

  • We try to make this window of time fun, full of play, and incorporate a short devotional book or video.

House Rules:

Each home is different and the hosts may have different expectations for children’s behavior however below are some general guidelines thaty all parents should follow:

  • Your kids are your responsibility.

    • Meaning: From dinner, worship, prayer, etc. please be proactive in watching out for your child.

  • Keep your kids from yelling, screaming, or running.

    • It happens, they are kids, but if we all aim for this it makes the evening way more enjoyable.

  • Ask the host if they have any house rules for your kids to be aware of.

    • Example: Off-limit areas, pets, food in rooms, shoes, jumping on couches, etc.

  • Help clean up the kid’s space prior-to leaving.

    • Many hands make’s light work.

  • There’s grace. Raising kids is lots of work, we get it.

    • Come as you are and know all our kids have had meltdowns.

Some important notes:

We love kids and believe our kids do best when they are more integrated into a family-style environment of prayer, worship, and discipleship. We believe it is the parents' job to disciple their kids, not a kid’s pastor. With that in mind, this gathering and kids' time is not a substitute for a parent's spiritual investment into their kids' lives. This is a safe place to learn how to disciple your own kids—we are all in this together!

For youth, as this demographic grows, we will have additional outings for them to connect on relevant discussions and focused discipleship opportunities that fit their needs.