Grace and peace to you this week.
You are the person everybody calls. You show up, you handle it, you keep the plates spinning. And if someone asked how you are really doing, you'd say "fine" before they finished the question.
Fine is doing a lot of work in your life right now.
Most of us aren't missing information. We've heard the talks, read the books, saved the posts. What we're missing is a few people who will ask the second question and actually wait for the answer.
That's what Reconnect is. For six weeks, small groups of people are meeting to talk honestly about what's quietly gone dark: their faith, their relationships, their rest, their purpose. One topic a week, one simple practice to try, nothing to prepare.
You don't have to be a member of Mars Hill. You don't have to have been to church in years. You don't need to know the Bible or have your life together. Come curious, come tired, come skeptical. All three are welcome.
And you haven't missed it. Groups are meeting right now, and each week stands on its own. This week's conversation is about the things you carry and keep calling fine.
Pick what fits your life:
⓵ In person. A small group that meets in the Chicago area.
⓶ On video. Same conversation, from your kitchen table, anywhere.
⓷ On your own. One short email a week with a question to think about. Reply with what you noticed, and a real person writes back.
Not in Chicago? Bring your own table.
Reconnect works wherever you live. Pick two or three people you already share your life with. Your spouse. Your sister. The friend you text every morning. The coworker you eat lunch with.
Sit at your kitchen table or get on a video call, and walk through the six weeks together. Everything you need is on our website: the weekly guide, the questions, and the practice. You bring the people.
Some of the most important conversations you'll have this year won't happen in a church building. They'll happen with the people who already know your name.
Or text LIFEGROUP to 33777.
Not sure? Just reply to this email with a question. Our Life Groups coordinator will get back to you, and there's no pressure either way.
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
Mars Hill Anywhere
P.S. Already in a group? Forward this to one person who would never come to church but might come to a table. That's who this was written for.
A word from this week's sponsor
This week's sponsor is my own Substack. I write it for the person who carries other people and hasn't been carried in a while. Real stories, plain truth, and one thing you can do about it before the week is over. No theory. I teach from survival.
clarencestowers.substack.com