Sept 19, 2025
Dear church,
I wanted to write today to explain some of the changes we’ve decided to make to October small groups, which start in just a couple weeks. When we set out with our plans for small groups this fall, we planned to do it in the same way we did last year. Participants were asked to commit to at least 3 of the 4 Sundays so that small groups could have some consistency week to week, and develop deeper connection over that shared time together. We shared this plan with all of you a couple weeks ago, and what we’ve heard back from many of you is that you’d love to be part of small groups, but you’re gone too much in October to be able to commit to it.
We heard this from enough of our community members that it prompted us to change up our plans so that we can make this small group experience possible for everyone, whether you can attend one Sunday or all four Sundays or somewhere in-between.
This is our new plan:
• For those of you who can commit to 3-4 Sundays in October, please sign up for a regular small group. Pastor Reed and I will assign you to a group, and your group will remain the same every week.
• For those of you who can only be present for 1-2 Sundays in October, we are offering “impromptu small groups.” This means that you’ll join a small group on the Sundays you’re able to be at Grace. We’ll form the groups in real time, so the groups and facilitators will be different each week.
I hope you hear a few things through this message:
1. Your pastors listen to you! When we get feedback, and especially when we get the same feedback from many people, it causes us to pay attention and to consider new options. Thank you!
2. Church is experimental – we are all about trying new things and then adapting as we go along. This is healthy and life-giving for our community, and we’re grateful to work with a congregation that adapts along with us.
3. Participation is the most important thing – we are adapting our original plan to make it possible for more people to participate. Our goal is to have 100 people participating in small groups in October. Right now, we are at 40!
My hope is that these changes will allow you to be part of this community-building endeavor, whether you can attend once or all 4 times!
Paper sign-ups are also available in the narthex on Sunday mornings.
In Christ,
Pastor Sarah
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.