By Cameron Silsbee and Levi Warren

Begin with prayer

Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting. Take a moment to sit in silence in the presence of Jesus and each other, and then have somebody pray to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.

Take a few minutes to go around the group to debrief how the Practice went this past week. 

Read this overview of what it means to be in a Van City Community

At Van City, we believe that spiritual formation and growth happen within the context of Community.  The Scriptures give us a paradigm for life together as a family in what is often called “the body of Christ.”  We are all important members of the body, with ways to contribute, support, admonish, and encourage the other members around us.  But in order to be supporting members of the body, we first need to show up!

Making the commitment to show up to the Sunday gatherings and weekly Community nights is an integral way we can contribute to not only our own spiritual growth but to the growth of the other members of the body.  When we faithfully show up, our consistency leads to an atmosphere where vulnerability and accountability can grow and thrive.

In an atmosphere of vulnerability and accountability, we can encourage and challenge one another, bring our joys and disappointments to each other, and create space to experience growth and maturity in our spiritual formation.  On the other hand, flakiness and inconsistency can create an environment of apathy and discouragement, where people don’t feel the freedom to open up in vulnerable ways. 

Read through the following discussion prompts about commitment:

Commitment and consistency are integral parts of spiritual formation. A Van City Community without commitment and consistency will inevitably flounder and struggle. This means for a group to function well, it needs people towho will prioritize being present at the Gathering and the weekly Community meeting and participating in the life of the group.

The leadership at Van City asks each person who calls Van City home to commit—for the sake of their own spiritual formation and their community—to be present at the Sunday gathering and the weeknight Community meeting unless they are sick, out of town, or have an unavoidable work obligation. The expectation for this commitment is not that everyone will be perfect at this, but that this will be the shared goal that each person is pursuing and is willing to be encouraged towards and held accountable to do. 

Take a minute or two to allow everyone in the group to silently reflect on the commitment level they are being asked to pursue. As you reflect on this, take note of your prominent thoughts and feelings.

Different seasons of life and situations can make commitment to a Van City Community challenging. Ask if anyone in the group has the following concerns about their particular situation and the challenges they face to commit to being present at the Sunday gathering or their Van City Community:

Does anyone have any concerns about their work situation making it difficult to commit to the Sunday gathering and/or the Van City Community meeting? If so, work through the following questions:

• What about your current work situation makes commitment difficult?
• Is it possible for you to adjust your work schedule to make commitment easier? (e.g. switch days off, choose to not take on certain work commitments, seasonal changes to work commitments)
• In the next three months, how likely is it that your work schedule will change to accommodate commitment?

Again, the expectation is not perfect attendance. The goal for the group is moving towards the commitment to be present and to participate. If after discussions and prayer, a work situation makes this completely untenable then stepping back from the group until it is tenable is needed.

(If there is anyone in the group that believes this may apply to them, please reach out to Cameron Silsbee, the Pastor of Communities and People, for a conversation about your situation.)

Does anyone have any concerns about their physical or mental health that would make it difficult to commit to the Sunday gathering and/or the Van City Community meeting? If so, work through the following questions:

• Is your situation chronic or temporary? (You are not required to share the specifics of your struggle if you’re not comfortable doing so.)
• Are you receiving medical/mental health treatment for your condition? If not, could treament help alleviate the difficulty in committing to be present?
• Is there an accommodation that could be made to help you be present and participate with the group?

Once again, the expectation is not perfect attendance. The goal for the group is moving towards the commitment to be present and participate.

(If there is anyone in the group that is struggling with health/mental health issues to the point that commitment to be present is a struggle, please reach out to Cameron Silsbee, the Pastor of Communities and People, for a conversation about your situation.)

Does anyone have any concerns about having too many previously made obligations that would make it difficult to commit to the Sunday gathering and/or the Van City Community meeting? If so, work through the following questions:

• What are some of the obligations you have that make it difficult to commit to be present at the Sunday gathering or your Van City Community? (e.g. school, hobby, side-hustle, kid sports/activities, etc.)
• Is there an end in sight to the amount of conflicting obligations?
• Are you willing to prioritize being present at the Sunday Gathering and Van City Community over future obligations?

Once more, the expectation isn’t perfect attendance. The goal for the group is moving towards the commitment to be present and participate. If there is anyone in the group that is struggling with conflicting obligations/over commitment with no easing of the situation in sight and a lack of willingness to prioritize being present at the Sunday Gathering or Van City Community then stepping back from the group will be needed until a commitment to being present is prioritized.

(If there is anyone in the group that believes this may apply to them, please reach out to Cameron Silsbee, the Pastor of Communities and People, for a conversation about your situation.)

Talk about this week’s Practice as a Community:

For this week’s Practice, take time to invite God’s Spirit to speak into the choice of committing to be present at the Sunday gathering and the weekly Van City Community meeting.

If your situation (for whatever reason) is making it difficult to make this commitment, take the time to reach out to Cameron Silsbee (cameron.silsbee@vancity.church) to discuss the specifics. 

Next week, plan on debriefing this Practice as a group by sharing if you are willing to make this commitment, unwilling to do so, or would like to but have a challenging circumstance. 

Close in prayer

End your time as a group by having one person say the Nicene Creed. 

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 

Amen.