come to the table.

At the mill, we believe that living in community is an act of great courage and sacrifice as well as a source of joy, hope, and love.  Through the redeeming act of Jesus conquering death on the cross, we are able to live in community with one another.  Living alongside one another allows us to work out our salvation and die to ourselves, while reflecting the beauty of our God who is in constant community with Himself.  Through the years, we have tried many different small groups with the goal of aunthentic community. However, we are unveiling a new approach that has been stirring in our hearts and minds for months.  It is called DINNER GROUPS, and the idea behind it is simple: we gather, read scripture, pray, and eat.  Sounds simple, right? That's because it is. Let's take a look at these ideas in depth.  

            First, we GATHER. Let's talk about the timing of the group.  Dinner groups should happen once every week, or once every other week.  Having this kind of schedule will allow relationships to actually form and grow.  Relationships take time, so meeting every week helps us be known and understood (without the pressure of telling your darkest secrets in a awkwardly forced 30-minute counseling session).  

             Then, we READ SCRIPTURE.  We won’t argue about it, we won’t delve into the meaning of it, or share our opinions on it.  Slowing down and simply listening to scripture is a lost art in our current day busyness.  At each group there should be two to three chapters read aloud for everyone to hear.  Ideally, each group could read consecutive chapters over the weeks to fully grasp the context of the scripture being read.

            We will also PRAY for each other.  This time of prayer doesn’t need to be an hour-long prayer meeting for the nations.  It is simply a time to bring the current day's needs & joys to our loving Father amidst the rich context of community.

            Finally, after reading scripture and praying, we EAT.  The best time for these groups would be at dinner.  Eating an evening meal together allows the space and time to actually enjoy one another’s company without moving on to the next thing.  We understand that not everyone has evenings available, due to work or schooling.  Therefore these groups aren’t constricted to dinnertime.  You could have breakfast on Saturday or lunch on Monday.  The goal is that food is present.  Most conversations are better had over a meal.  Plus eating together eliminates the classic awkward small group circle where everyone takes a turn sharing their feelings. 

     The groups are for everyone and can be lead by anyone.  Each group will have a host, who is simply the one to coordinate the when & where of the group.  It is not the job of the host to supply food for everyone.  The eating, praying, and reading should be an effort that everyone participates in. As a result of eating together, and the goal of knowing people well, the size of the group is limited.  Each group should consist of 5-8 people.  These groups aren’t designed to hold 50 people.  If it’s more than eight, separate. Ideally the group should be able to all sit at a dinning room table together. These groups can be a great way to develop new relationships, but they are even better for the relationships that already have a bit of history. 

            In conclusion, we want to live in a way that brings glory to God.  We want to chase after the things that he loves, living freely in the glorious beautiful mess of community.  We think that these groups will help set the stage for such a life.  When friends have a true depth of relationship, it creates the foundation for honest confession, repentance, forgiveness, and healing.We were never designed to live the Christian life alone. 

We are part of a family.  We are part of a bride.  We are part of the body.  It’s time to be fully grafted in.