With Transfiguration Sunday on March 2, you have nearly two whole months to slip in a “J-term” of faith formation for youth and adult small groups.

From Bible studies to book groups, Sparkhouse and Augsburg Fortress can take you on a journey with the Magi, unpack the promise of baptism, and explore the meaning of mission for your church today—all of which are themes of the Epiphany season!

Check out our Epiphany Resources page to see a collection of materials to help your church journey together through the season of Epiphany. Answers to these questions and more can be found there to help to make the most of your season.

• How can our congregation better connect with the Epiphany readings?

• Do you have a resource to get youth engaged with the missional themes of the Epiphany season?

• Are there books we can read and discuss that will give us deeper appreciation for the season of Epiphany?

• The Baptism of Jesus kicks off the season of Epiphany. Are there studies that can help us appreciate the Sacrament of Baptism today?

The Importance of Small Group Discussion

It can be difficult to start a small group in a church setting. There are questions of topic matter - do we focus on theology, broader cultural phenomena, or something else? There are questions of timeline - How often should we meet? How long will the sessions be? How long with this series last? And looming large are questions about audience - Who will attend? Who will lead? Who would even be interested?

These questions and more can feel like unnavigable roadblocks that can stop a group in its tracks. So why is it so important to keep trying?

Small group discussion is one of the most influential moments in the progression of a mindset, a community, and a society. When we sit down and meet each other eye-to-eye not only do we bend and mold our own psyches, but we get to experience the push and pull of respectful group debate. In this we challenge, defend, inquire, and answer...or not! Topics can range from surface opinions, easily talked through and reevaluated, to deeply held values that are core to our being. Finding out how to articulate what it is that is important to you, confusing you, or frustrating you while being respectful and open to listening to others is a skill that keeps the wheels on the track of this train of life. The invitation to discussion and change in this spaces creates an opening the rest of the life of the participant to seek out conversation about exponentially more topics amongst more and more people, creating more and more questions leading to more and more conversation in an endless and joyful cycle of learning and awareness, and ultimately will have positive impacts in every single facet of a life.

Our small group discussion skills are often born out of group projects in school. Whether these were very fun for you, or very not, you learned and learned deeply how to approach topics of conflict with the goal of resolution. As a 5th grader, respectful listening may not have been your strong suit, but as we grow it becomes that which makes for progress in any form. If you are not taught these skills or given space and safety to practice them in childhood, adulthood becomes fraught with seemingly unresolvable conflict punctuated with a distinct lack of empathy. It is with these reasons in mind that we are so glad that small group meetings and discussion are such a valued part of congregations in our worldwide faith community. We hope that these resources can further your mission in and out of your church.