Introduction | Journeying through Acts Together.
Hello!
We’re so excited to kick off the fall term at St. Pete’s. As a church—and especially in our community groups—we’ll be journeying through the book of Acts together.
You might be wondering: why Acts?
Over the past year, our staff and council have been wrestling with a vital question: what is St. Pete’s mission? Or, put another way, what does it mean for our church to live on mission?
To help us explore this, we thought the best place to begin was with the church’s very first story of mission: the book of Acts.
This fall, we’ll have eight studies that invite us to reflect on what Acts is, what it teaches us about the mission of the church, and how it calls us to join God’s mission here and now. These studies will move through the book of Acts but large sections will be left out, if you would like, we invite you to read the chapters in between, during the week.
For those who are eager to go even deeper (and don’t mind a little hand cramp!), we’d love to invite you to hand-copy the book of Acts. To finish by December, you’d write about two chapters a week, or you could take your time and spread it out until May. This isn’t required, of course—but it’s a wonderful practice for slowing down, noticing details, and letting Scripture really sink in.
Each Study Will Be Broken Into Five Sections
1) Introduction
A short introduction to the passage, with a few things to keep in mind or questions to consider as you read.
2) Read
Your group will read the passage together—sometimes one chapter, sometimes two connected readings. You can choose how to read: one person reading the whole passage, or different members each reading a few verses. After reading aloud, we recommend a few moments of silent reading to notice anything that stands out.
3) Three Quick Questions
After reading, we’ll always ask these three questions:
What stood out to you in the passage?
Did you learn anything new or surprising about Jesus or God’s character?
Are there other stories or passages in Scripture that Luke might be referencing? Why do you think he is connecting this story to that passage.
These often spark rich discussion. Don’t feel pressured to move on quickly—linger here if the conversation is fruitful.
4) Questions for Digging Deeper
Each study will include 3–5 questions that highlight key moments in the passage and invite reflection. The final question will connect the text to our everyday lives. You don’t need to cover every question—move through what works best for your group.
5) Benediction / Prayer
A short benediction or prayer of sending will close the study. You can use it as the final moment of your gathering or simply pray it at the end of your reflection.
Most importantly, make the guide yours, use what works, skip what doesn’t, and feel free to pass on feedback to phill@stpf.ca. The goal is to that by entering into the scriptures together, we encounter God, and are sloly are transformed more and more into his image.
