We entered January knowing God is wanting us to press into and commit to living in community, we’ve been learning about it and experiencing it firsthand. It feels this change is the natural next step and to just sit on our hands and do “business as usual” would be not only wrong but damaging. We feel so strongly that this is the direction God is leading us in this season, we aren’t bringing change for the sake of a shake up.
God has been leading us on a journey over the last few years and to continue on means we need to not only listen to what he is saying but commit to community in a new fresh way.

Well, as soon as possible! There’s plenty of logistics to work out but the vision and the hunger are clear. At the same time, we don’t want to rush this process. Change can be tough and we want to get it just right before we launch, reassuring those who may find this change difficult.
Realistically we look to have Tables beginning to gather just after Easter.

The existing 6 small groups will formally close at the point we launch Tables. We are well aware some relationships you hold in these small groups run deep, but we aren’t asking these Kinship relationships to conclude. Rather, we are looking to add another layer to your web of community in River. We expect and encourage you to continue these friendships while committing fully to your new Table community.

Tables will meet fortnightly on a rolling 2-week schedule (just like our existing small groups). We aim for all our Tables to meet on the same weeks of the month (spread out over the different days and time slots), meaning the other ministries, discipleship courses, meetings and prayer gatherings can all fall on the in-between weeks limiting the number of clashes in our church diary like there often are now.

We would also encourage your Table communities to meet once a month outside of your usual pattern (maybe meeting with another Table) and do life together on the weekend. This is a great chance to go for a walk, visit somewhere, attend an event, prayer walk or serve the community…  and of course, bring the family along for those with young children/teenagers (getting them involved with the life of the church).

Whether you have changing shift patterns, you travel for work or going through a difficult season, we want Tables to work for everyone! We are hoping that with there being so many options when Tables could meet (different times of day and days of the week) there will be an option for everyone to be able to attend.
Even if you are only able to commit to one gathering a month and commit to have a more active presence in your Table group chat, this is an active step forward.

A Table is a gathering of around 6-8 people at launch, giving space for a little bit of growth as our church grows. We want it to be a size which is practical in any host’s home so realistically not growing above 10. Because Table gatherings are formed out of community and a desire to grow together, they should always go ahead, even if only 2 or 3 of you are gathered!

Every Table meeting will start around the table – sharing food or enjoying nibbles (this will depend on the time of day, dietary requirements and the participants). During this time around the table, everyone can catch up with each other. Build relationships, get to know each other. Get to the point where deep questions can be asked and discussed. We would like to see Tables breaking bread together every time you gather as part of sharing a meal, just as Jesus taught us.
After time around the table, the group is encouraged to move to a different setting, for the second part of the evening. The idea is that everyone brings something. If it’s not food, it’s a worship song, a psalm to reflect on etc. Everyone belongs and is committed to the community.

Tables will run on a fortnightly programme:
– On week A, there will be a bible study, a discussion around scripture with questions from the current teaching series/something the leadership team might want the Tables to cover. Whatever it is, this is the week where we want all of our groups to grow in their relationship with God while in community.

– On week B, it is time for growing in relationship together. Time to check in and pray with each other, listen to each other’s joys and sorrows, sharpening each other and bringing wisdom or a prophetic word. This is an opportune moment to worship together and seek the spirit collectively.

Differing from our small groups, our Tables won’t have a Leader who takes responsibility for the running of the group and deciding what’s on the agenda. In Tables everyone will be responsible for gathering, bringing something physically or spiritually.
Tables will have a named representative who will be the point of contact for the Leadership Team (this will probably be chosen by the Leadership Team, or elected from within the Table). This individual will be the channel for communication, passing on of courses and information.

This is where the fun begins… and the logistic nightmare! We recognise everyone’s diary looks different and can sometimes change and shift week to week. We are looking for everyone to fill in a form, letting us know a few details around availability and maybe if there’s anything we might need to take into consideration when prayerfully considering the groupings.
Whilst much of the group allocation will rely on logistics (people who are available on the same days/times), we will also be prayerfully considering who we think would be an encouragement to one another and form a multi-generational oikos community.

Of course, we recognise it takes time (sometimes hundreds of hours) to invest in relationships, we encourage you to commit to your Table even if it doesn’t seem to be a natural fit to start with. We want Tables to be an exciting part of your River diary that you look forward to week on week. If challenges persist, please do reach out to a member of the leadership team.

Yes and no… You don’t need Tables as an excuse to meet with the people you’re already friends with. We encourage that you will continue to meet your own kinship community and do life with them outside of Tables. We won’t be intentionally ‘splitting up’ people from friendship groups but also recognise Tables should bring something fresh and new.

We are sure you agree, from the journey we have been on (particularly the last few months) our collective understanding and desire for relationship has grown and evolved, giving us language to express how we feel and what we need. We need community to not only create lifelong kinship relationships but also to not become stunted in our spiritual growth.
With this in mind it’s our hope that everyone signs up, committing to take community seriously and to take the next step on your journey with your River family, but also your journey as an apprentice of Jesus.
For some this will be a difficult decision and we applaud your bravery in committing to relationship where you have found it difficult, been hurt or burnt out before.
Even if you are only able to commit to one gathering a month and commit to have a more active presence in your Table group chat, this is an active step forward.

We will be offering a range of Tables which meet during the afternoon and evenings and while meeting in person is favourable this isn’t always possible. We are excited to also launch an Online Table for those who can only meet digitally. We recognise this provision which began during lockdown in 2020 is still very much needed for a few who call River their spiritual home.
Our Online Table will have to look a little bit different to a regular Table but will follow the same pattern, the same material and the same heart.

As you will be well aware we have a fantastic pastoral structure, that until now has relied heavily on our small groups. Our vision is that each Table becomes a support community to those belonging to it, after all, pastoral care (looking out for each other) is everyone’s responsibility. Each Table will have an individual that is the Leadership Team’s point of contact and to feed any pastoral concerns to our pastoral care team.  

“I’d love to have people gather in my home, but my space isn’t big enough. And I need to be at home – for reasons such as childcare.”
We are hoping that with there being so many options when Tables could meet (different times of day and days of the week) there will be an option for everyone to be available. We also encourage Tables to help each other with babysitting if there isn’t a Table option that would work otherwise. Please also see our Q&A for Online Table.

The new Table format of our small groups will also give us the opportunity to introduce a Welcome Table and a Pathways Table.
The Welcome Table will be a 6 session introduction to our church, which we until now covered with Newcomers lunches post church. In the Welcome Table we will talk about who we are as a church, our relationship with Pioneer, introduce our leadership team and discuss giving, serving etc. It will also give us a chance to get to know those new to our church, just as they get to know us. After the 6 week rolling programme we will be able to place those individuals into a Table that we believe will fit them best, this could be an existing Table, a new one or the Pathways Table.

The Pathways Table is for those who are new to faith. A Table for those who would benefit from teaching that is tailored to those at the beginning of their walk with Jesus as we explore what it means to be an apprentice of Him. This Table will also work on a rolling programme (of 12 sessions) so it can be joined at any time. After completion we look to adopt those individuals into an existing Table to continue their growth and apprenticeship.