1 · Sit
Pull up a chair.
We meet at a table. Coffee, sometimes breakfast. Fifteen minutes of plain talk before anyone opens a book. You do not need to know what to say. You do not need to have your life cleaned up. Come sit down.
Before you come
Come hungry.
Bring nothing else.
You do not need to have your life in order. You do not need to know what to say. Come sit down. Listen. Open the Word with us.
The rhythm
Five things happen at a table.
Most groups follow this rhythm, in this order. It is simple on purpose. A man should be able to walk in the door and know what is coming.
2 · Read
Open the Word.
We read scripture out loud, slowly. Whoever wants to read, reads. We do not lecture. We ask what the passage says, what it means, and what it asks of us this week.
3 · Speak
Tell the truth.
Each man says one true thing about his week. A struggle. A win. A confession. A man who is willing to be honest will find brothers willing to carry it with him.
4 · Pray
Take it to the Lord.
We pray for one another by name. Short prayers. Plain words. We trust the Lord with what we cannot fix.
5 · Leave
One thing to obey.
Each man names one thing to do this week, in light of what we read. We hold each other to it without nagging. That is the watch.
The Charge
§ Acts 20:28
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Acts 20:28 · ESV
Plain answers
What men ask.
- Do I need to know the Bible?
- No. Most men in our groups did not know the Bible when they started. Reading it together is how we learn it.
- Can I just listen the first few times?
- Yes. Many men sit and listen for a month before they say a word. That is fine. Take your time.
- What do I bring?
- A Bible if you have one. We have spares. Bring nothing else. If your group meets at a coffee shop, bring a few dollars for your drink.
- How long does it last?
- Sixty to seventy-five minutes. Most groups start early so men can get to work afterward.
- Is this a Bible study or a support group?
- It is a Bible study. The brotherhood that grows out of it is a side effect of reading the Word together.
- What if I have not been to church in a long time?
- Welcome. Come anyway. There is no test at the door.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. Coffee is on you.
- Is this affiliated with a denomination?
- No. We hold to the historic, orthodox Christian faith. We do not push a denominational line. If you have one, bring it; we will not ask you to leave it.