RETREAT REFLECTIONS

Last year, our community "Devoted" gathered to prayerfully discern and establish several core rhythms that would shape our shared life. Together, we crafted a "rule of life"—a set of intentional practices and patterns to guide us as a microchurch community.

One of those rhythms was committing to an annual retreat. We recently lived into this commitment by traveling as a group to Northern Missouri.

The time away allowed us to deepen our fellowship, reflect honestly on our journey, explore feedback loops, consider necessary pivots, and dream together about what God might have next for us.

Entering the retreat, we already sensed where we stood as a microchurch. The structured assessment we walked through only confirmed and sharpened those intuitions.

Our Foundation

Like many microchurches, we organize our life around three foundational pillars:

• Worship

• Community

• Mission

Where We're Growing

As we reflected, the community strongly and consistently identified mission as our area of greatest growth.

We're not entirely absent in this dimension—God has been faithful in various ways—but we recognized a clear invitation to lean in more deeply, especially in being present with the poor and marginalized.

God's Spirit is particularly active among those on the edges of society.

Stepping Into Opportunity

During the retreat, one promising opportunity emerged: connecting with a local leader who directs a food pantry in our area. We reached out to learn from his insights into community needs.

That conversation proved incredibly fruitful. He carries a remarkably clear pulse on what's happening locally, especially among those experiencing poverty, marginalization, and hardship. He generously shared several potential partnership contacts and offered a wealth of practical ideas for how we could serve and support if we felt led.

A Simpler Invitation

Through our broader network, we've seen time and again that God doesn't always deliver a dramatic, specific "calling" or a clearly marked path forward.

The invitation is simpler: pray, stay attentive, and step into the opportunities already present right where we're planted.

When we do, we frequently discover ourselves right in the center of God's active presence and work.

We sometimes wait passively for an "open door" from heaven. But perhaps we need to explore the doors already nearby—test the handles, see if they're unlocked. It might not even be "our" door in the sense of originating the work; it could be one someone else has already pushed open, and they simply need partners to step through with them.

After all, our deepest desire is the same as theirs: to see the presence of Jesus and the advance of His kingdom.

Partnership multiplies the impact and reflects the relational heart of the gospel.

Our Encouragement

So our encouragement to you—and to ourselves—is this:

• Go exploring. Step out to discover where God is already moving.

• Dream together with your community.

• Enter honest feedback loops: What's working well? What's not? Where is energy flowing, and where is there friction?

• Ask the hard, heart-level questions: Who are we called to? What breaks our hearts?

Reflections

May these rhythms draw us closer to Jesus, form us more into His likeness, and send us into the places where His kingdom is breaking in.

We're excited to see what unfolds as we follow Him in this next season.