Every Church Ministry a Discipleship Group: Deepening Eucharistic Visitors' Faith and Ministry

At Calvary, we recently used the Rooted online curriculum - available through ECMN’s Faith+Lead portal - during our Sunday School hour as a small group series. My hope was twofold - to begin laying a foundation for ongoing small group ministry, and to gently reawaken our congregation’s call to Eucharistic Visitor ministry. Both of these aims are deeply connected to our mission as the Church—to grow together in Christ and to carry the presence of God into the lives of those who cannot be physically present with us.

Each gathering began with prayer, lifting up the joys and burdens of our lives. We then engaged with the Rooted video content, followed by guided conversation using the Faith+Lead discussion prompts. Some weeks, we took a deeper dive into Eucharistic Visitor formation, exploring topics like compassionate listening and how our posture of presence can open the door to sacred encounters. One session focused on the question “Who is God?”—a deceptively simple prompt that led to profound moments of storytelling, listening, and shared reflection. That week, we practiced reflective listening as a spiritual discipline, noticing how it formed us for ministry with others.

What stood out most was how much people appreciated the rhythm and structure of the Faith+Lead format. It offered a familiar liturgical grounding, while opening us to a fresh experience of discipleship—accessible, formational, and Spirit-filled. People shared their questions, their hopes, their memories of serving in Eucharistic ministry, and their callings for the future. Through it all, there was a growing sense of community and clarity: that discipleship is not something separate from ministry, but the soil from which all faithful service grows.

I’ve come to believe that discipleship groups like this have a place in every area of church life - from the Altar Guild to the Vestry, from pastoral care to children's ministry. We all carry many responsibilities in the life of the Church, and it’s easy to slip into “getting things done” without returning to the wellspring. Faith+Lead helps bring us back—reminding us to listen, to grow, and to remember why we serve in the first place. In a time when many are longing for connection, clarity, and renewal, these groups offer a gentle and powerful way forward.

I invite you to consider how this kind of discipleship journey might take root in your community. The Spirit is already at work - Faith+Lead simply gives it room to grow.