Letter from Amy: August 5, 2026

Made by a child who participates in a midweek small group!

Dear friends,

Happy August! I had the privilege of spending the past two Sunday evenings at Holy Comforter as their pastor, Katie Hamlin, was on vacation. It was so wonderful to worship with them! Will you pause right now and pray for our friends at Holy Comforter in their work of church planting?

We could also call this work "seed sowing" or "dough fermenting" or "field buying" in the language of Jesus' parables from several weeks ago. But whatever we call it, this is slow, faithful, risky, and often hidden work, and I encourage all of us to pray often for Holy Comforter as they labor for the mustard-seed kingdom in Hyattsville.

Over here at Incarnation HQ, we are already beginning to think about the fall! And one aspect of fall planning is our small groups. Most of our small groups are multigenerational and follow a simple format: a shared meal followed by praying Compline together from the Book of Common Prayer. That's all! If you're newer to Incarnation, you might wonder why we do small groups the way we do.

When I became rector and Incarnation was still finding its post-pandemic footing, we were hoping to rebuild our small group system into something that fit the church we had become (like all churches, we experienced a lot of change during the pandemic). Sometime in my early months as rector, I had a conversation with wise and gifted question-asker Nicole Gagnon, who gently suggested, "What if our small groups did less?"

She was right, and since then, I've grown to really appreciate the benefits of groups that "do less":

• They are much easier to lead, host, and attend. People often comment that small groups feel restful and refreshing, something they look forward to instead of an obligation or another box to check.
  

• They emphasize belonging and easily welcome newcomers. Small groups give ample time to getting to know others over a meal and bring together people of all ages who might not otherwise spend time together. They allow space for discovery, difference, and delight (with some occasional awkwardness too — that's just part of being human together). This may not feel like much, but over time, it forms us into Christ's body as we practice Paul's instructions each week: "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:2-3).
  

• They emphasize the holy in the ordinary. We gather with mixed ages, messy homes, busy lives, and tables/rooms that are often far too small for the people gathered around them and expect to encounter God's presence in the midst of it. And week after week, we do.
  

• They form us in habits of prayer. There's no agenda to work through, and no falling behind each week; being together and praying is the main event. Many of us have spent our Christian lives working to know more about God, but have less experience simply knowing God. For the latter, we must learn to pray. And growth in prayer happens most naturally with other people, slowly over time. Our Anglican tradition of Compline (as well as Morning, Midday, and Evening Prayer) forms us in a way of praying that is deeply scriptural and builds a vocabulary of prayer to sustain us even when we can't muster the words or feelings. Young children grow up praying right alongside parents and safe church grownups, who are just as willing to pray for an ailing classroom bunny as for someone's medical appointment.
  

• They fit our size and strengths. We are a small church, and we can't do everything. Eating+praying together is a habit of formation that is right-sized to our congregation's capacity. It's a simple midweek opportunity for worship, welcome, and wonder.

  
  

That said, sometimes people want more! A bible study, a book discussion, a shared spiritual practice, a creative space, deep theological conversation, etc. We love hearing and empowering your small group ideas, but don't be surprised if we encourage you to consider simplifying your initial plan a bit (i.e., "do less"). We may also point you toward trusted resources/programs outside our church that can offer things that we simply can't.

If you're interested in hosting or leading a small group this fall, please let us know! TJ will be handling many of the logistics, so reach out to him with questions (tj@incarnationanglican.org) or fill out this form if you are ready to sign up to lead!

Fall small groups will start the week of September 14 and run until mid-November before taking a break for the holidays. Registration for groups will open in late August.

It's a gift to be your pastor, and to grow alongside you in prayer.

Warmly,

Amy