Page 3 - Communitas Participant Guide 2021

For many of us, 2020 will be dog-eared as the year we lived through incredible and exhausting loss. In more ways than one, 2021 has a lot of expectations at hand. And though we anticipate our daily experiences to be less restricted by the threat of COVID-19 in the days to come, it is important for us to recognize the impact this pandemic has had on each of us. Additionally, we must recognize the incredible weight of racial tension and further division and disunity that still remains in both the country and the Reformed Church in America.
Leadership expert Max DePree has said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” As COVID-19 becomes less of a threat, we cannot simply return to life expecting everything to be the same. Defining a new reality will be the hard work set before us as people of the gospel and as the leaders of our own lives. For us, defining reality requires introspection within ourselves. We may also be required to help foster similar reflection in the lives of others around us.
This year, our four sessions of Communitas will work to set about rhythms of reflection through our foundational Scripture from Luke 10:27: “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Together we will discern how God is calling us to better serve others by leading ourselves first. Each session will emphasize a different part of the human experience: heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving your neighbor.
To help us remain connected and engaged in these calls, we will process through our practices in cohorts. Additionally, please note that throughout this participant guide we have included discussion questions to process as a group. We have also included coloring pages as a way to help you stay engaged but maybe continue to move your hands. Stillness can sometimes feel uncomfortable after long bouts of hard seasons. As always, we invite you to take some intentional time to leave your groups with an action step. As we gather, consider how you might bring yourself fully into these groups by closing other internet browsers and turning off notifications on your phone and computer. We look forward to this time together.