Why Micro Church?
(and other FAQs)
When the pandemic disrupted life, we pivoted to micro churches out of necessity but quickly realized that maybe God was doing something new. Maybe there are ways of doing and being the church that we hadn’t thought about because all we knew was the Sunday gathering model. We began to wonder if there was a better way for us to make disciples, which compelled us to consider the micro church movement. (Please note: we love the capital C Church in all its varieties and expressions. This story is about what God is doing through us in Northeast Denver and is in no way meant as a critique of other churches). Jesus’ last command was to make disciples - not have a Sunday service. We still find regular Sunday gatherings tremendously important for us as a people to come together and celebrate our risen Savior as well as observing the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism together. But still the questions remained: how do we best make disciples and what is the best way to steward our time and resources?
While Sunday gatherings are important, there are limitations whenever a larger group of people gather together. For example, in Sunday gatherings most attenders are not able to contribute except through joint singing and a few minutes of conversation. The communication is mostly one-way and the gifts of only a handful of people are highlighted. With that in mind, here are a few benefits of regular micro churches in no particular order. (If you would like a fuller treatment of this question, feel free to check out this document).
More personal needs are met - physical, spiritual, emotional.
Everyone can use their spiritual gifts in a way that is not possible in a larger group setting.
Everyone can participate in the discipleship process and add to the discussion and learning.
The weekly teaching can be processed together leading to greater life-change.
Relationships grow deeper in smaller groups than is possible at Sunday gatherings.
Authenticity is easier to lean into in a micro church.
Micro churches provide more opportunities for leadership as people step into micro church pastor roles.
Christianity is a way of life, not a religious meeting.
Mission and Multiplication. MCs are large enough and flexible enough to host parties for neighbors as well as work for a cause together.
What else would you add to the list?!
But why Micro churches on Sunday mornings?
Couldn’t we have micro churches on other days of the week?
As mentioned above, we have previously attempted a variety of smaller groups prior to the pandemic with only moderate participation and, therefore, moderate impact. A hybrid approach with micro churches on Sundays demonstrates the importance of Micro Church. (Most groups will meet on Sunday mornings, but some groups will meet during the week. It is up to the MC leader). We don’t believe it is an add-on, but a key part of what God is calling us to do. For the first three centuries after Jesus, churches met exclusively in homes except for a brief period when they met at the temple in Jerusalem as well as in homes. Here are a few more reasons we are experimenting with micro churches on Sundays.
Micro church on Sundays elevates their importance. They are not secondary or “JV” church.
The immediacy of discussion will lend itself to more thoughtful engagement.
Instead of adding another night of the week to our busy schedules, creating space on Sunday mornings makes it easier for everyone to participate.
It changes our mindset from Go to Church to Be the Church.
We want to be good stewards of our time and believe that investing in people through micro churches and raising up micro church pastors is a better use of our time, than planning for all-church gatherings every Sunday.
Sustainability! Sunday gatherings are resource intensive - time and money.
What about my kids?
This is the million dollar question. We are grateful our church is filled with young families who have kids of all ages running all over the place, and we love them dearly. As much as possible, we hope kids can participate with the adults even if it is just for a few minutes at the beginning. We provide weekly bible lessons to micro churches for kids but leave the specifics up to each MC. (Not every MC will have kids). We provide a weekly teaching video for the kids, a simple teaching outline with age-appropriate questions and activities, and a weekly parent guide to reinforce the week’s lesson. The lesson will coincide with what we teach on Sundays when we gather all together. Each micro church will determine how to best engage their kids. It might include some weeks focused entirely on the kids and other weeks when an adult leads the specific kids lesson in an adjacent room.
One of our deep desires is for these micro churches to become a place where our families can flourish. A place where single parents can lean in and other adults for help, and a place where parents and kids alike can worship freely and grow in their relationship with the Lord.
Family Fun and Discipleship! Because we don’t want kids to be left out of the discipleship journey, we are creating monthly family fun and discipleship nights. Once a month, we will rent out a room somewhere fun, like at a trampoline park or kids museum. After some fun and pizza, parents will gather with their kids to learn about Jesus! The church will cover most of the costs, but may ask for a small donation of $5 to help offset the costs. Visit our Event page for the next family event.
What does a typical micro church look like?
Micro church begins with a time of connection. Some will have food.
Check-in question. Sometimes fun. Sometimes thoughtful. Meant to get the discussion started.
Teaching review. Everyone is encouraged to watch the weekly teaching ahead of time so the discussion can be as robust as possible.
Discussion questions.
Real-life application. Micro church concludes with a question about what people are going to do in light of what they’ve learned. Discipleship is about more than new knowledge. It is about life-change!
Prayer.
Micro church lasts an hour to an hour and half. We provide an outline for the micro churches, but each one takes on a life of its own.
Do I sign up for a particular Micro Church or am I assigned to a micro church?
Yes! Both are possibilities. When you register, there is an option to include your micro church preference. If you know a micro church leader and want to join that particular Micro Church, then most likely you’ll be able to join that group. Most won’t know which micro church they want to join. In those cases, we will help people find a micro church. Our hope is to create groups that have a wide range of experiences and cultural backgrounds. Such groups might take more work to connect, but we believe it is worth it!
If you were part of a micro church previously and the same leaders are leading again, you are welcome to sign up for that micro church.
Do micro churches last indefinitely?
Micro Churches will run in five month cycles. After the 5th month, we’ll take a short break and then launch another semester. For example, we’ll take December off from micro church, but will meet altogether the first three Sundays leading up to Christmas. This will allow us to smoothly start new micro churches as well as let leaders take a semester off or stop leading altogether. We don’t want anyone to feel like they’re signing up for life - leader or otherwise! The brief time off would also allow people to more easily change micro churches if so desired.
How will I not get confused if we’re having micro church or altogether church on a particular Sunday?
We will clearly display the upcoming schedule on the website and social media. We will also utilize a texting service to send reminders on Saturdays.