Weekly Small Groups
Being part of a small group working through questions about faith and life is an important part of spiritual growth. If you aren’t already part of one, this is your time!
Our small groups have moved from meeting in the building to meeting by Zoom or outdoors (masked and distanced). Check out the current offerings and sign up! All groups are open and ready to welcome you in your faith journey. If you have questions about getting started, contact Pastor Sandra Cox.
Note: If you’d like to schedule an on-site meeting for your small group, please contact the church office to make arrangements.
Sundays
Micah Class | Sundays 8:45-9:45am
Contact: Sandra Cox
Join the Micah Class for conversation about contemporary topics of faith.
The Trails | Sundays 4-5:30pm
Hosts: Lora Andrews & Carter Ellis
Note: this group is at capacity; please sign up to indicate interest as we consider offering a second group. This group meets Sundays in-person socially distanced and masked at Shawnee Mission Park from 4-5:30pm. We will gather, pray, divide into small walking groups for guided conversation, and return to share all together. We will listen to a relevant podcast each week before meeting to guide our time. Join us for faith community, good conversation, and a beautiful hike. First up: Krista Tippett’s OnBeing interview with John Lewis.
Mondays
Monday Study Group | 10am
Contact: Linda Stoner
This group of women meets for one hour on Zoom to learn about and discuss a variety of topics together.
Bible 101 | 7pm
Host: Marilyn Gregory
starts Monday, October 19, 7pm
The Bible is a collection of books, written by many different people over nearly two thousand years for vastly different purposes. We believe it to be our sacred text, a text that can bring us into God’s presence and purpose.
But it is hard to understand. Good people come to different conclusions about what it means for us today. This six-week study will not answer all your questions. But it will give you some tools for becoming a student of the Bible.
We will learn how to find a passage of scripture. We will explore some of the history of the Bible and what that history means for how we read the Bible today. We will acquaint ourselves with resources that can help us understand the Bible. We will practice digging into the rich meanings of a few Bible stories. It is my hope that participants will leave Bible 101 wanting to go deeper into the books of the Bible and feeling confident to do so.
Tuesdays
The Group | 6pm
Host: rotating leadership
Assuming the weather cooperates, The Group will meet on the church parking lot near the garden (westernmost part of the lot). Bring your chair, mask, drink, and your unique personality. We will be distanced and masked, in keeping with church policy. Focusing on relationship with one another, the group will discuss differing topics each week that will allow for growth and education while seeking answers to our questions.
Wednesdays
Men’s Study Group | Wednesdays 6:30-7:30am
Host: Scott Groth
Discussing contemporary topics of faith. Beginning September 9, join us for conversation about G. S. Griffin’s book, Racism in Kansas City: A Short History. This book takes a look at some of Kansas City’s darkest moments—slavery, the border war, the Civil War, bombings of black homes, lynchings, the segregation of neighborhoods and schools, the civil rights struggle, the Black Panther movement, the 1968 race riot, assassinations in the 1970s, the infamous Missouri v. Jenkins U.S. Supreme Court case, and the racial inequities that still plague Kansas City today. Threaded throughout Racism in Kansas City are stories of those who fought ardently against racist policies—and won.
Women’s Study Group | Wednesdays 1-2:30pm
Host: Sandra Cox
If you love to read and discuss what you’ve learned, this is the group for you! During the course of a year, this group will incorporate Bible study, current events, spiritual practices, and seasonal studies into their studies. On September 8 they will begin a three-week study of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book, Between the World and Me, an emotional letter written to the author’s son about what he has experienced as a Black man in this country. Following that, the group will delve into the Book of Genesis with J. Ellsworth Kallas’ offering through the Immersion Bible Studies series.
Scripture Study | Wednesdays 3-4pm
Host: Dustin Cooper
Each week this group will explore the scripture that will be the basis for the following Sunday’s sermon. It’s a good way to prepare for worship and see how the scriptures can come alive in the context we live in.
Wednesday Evening Women’s Group | 8-9 pm
Host: Jamie Turk
Are you over-scheduled due to stress we put on ourselves from work and mothering? This group for adult women meets weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays at 8pm for laughter, friendship and conversation! We’ll kick off the group with a look at the book Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.
Thursdays
The Seekers | Thursdays 6:30-8pm
Host: Sharry Lockhart
This group is currently meeting in the church parking lot (as long as the weather is good!) social distancing by bringing lawn chairs for sitting in a large circle! They are currently reading together Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist, exploring the most basic concepts and tackling some visionary possibilities, with the goal of helping see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
Scripture Study | Thursdays 7pm
Host: Dustin Cooper
Each week this group will explore the scripture that will be the basis for the following Sunday’s sermon. It’s a good way to prepare for worship and see how the scriptures can come alive in the context we live in.
Next Generation Anti-Racism Study | Thursdays 7-8pm
Hosts: Angela Thornton-Millard and Charlotte Millard
Beginning September 10, this group will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays from 7 to 8 pm. Kids and/or youth are invited to participate with a parent and/or adult, and adults who don’t have kids are also welcome! The group will read and discuss the book Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson. Please note, there is a young adult version available. This group will also work together to think of actionable items kids and/or youth and families can take to promote anti-racism in our community.
That One Small Group | 2nd Thursdays 8:30-9:30pm
Host: Mel Gard
This is a group of folks who are intentional about examining issues from a social justice perspective. Recent discussions have centered on: a break down of this session’s supreme Court decisions; a video highlighting White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and a discussion with Pastor Lora. Folks in this group rotate leadership each month selecting a topic of interest.