For the first time in a long time, Leadership Board members got home early from our monthly meeting after efficiently completing the agenda in record time. Following the last half dozen or so meetings that crept beyond the three-hour mark, October’s one-plus-hour meeting was a welcomed outcome, particularly for Board member and proud new papa, Shane Mills (twins born in September!). The main reason for early dismissal was the brevity with which we were able to address LULU (Look Up, Lift Up), usually the most time-consuming item on previous months’ agendas. That’s because Board members have been immersed daily in LULU projects, so we simply had to provide progress updates rather than wrangling over LULU priorities and details.
The meeting’s swift pace left ample time to turn our attention to performance metrics and status of the goals we set for 2026. What struck Board members most during this review was the number of people participating in SUMC’s small groups. Small group participation is soaring! If you didn’t know, SUMC has a diverse range of group opportunities, each unique in their own ways. We have small groups that pray, sing, dance, play music, crochet and knit, speak Spanish, dissect Scripture, rage against injustice, serve, and support. All for the glory of God and service to our church and community. Compared with last year, group participation is up nearly 150 percent. In 2025 through September, 1,327 total people, or an average of 147 a month, took part in one or more of SUMC’s small groups. This year through September, 3,288, or an average of 365 people a month, attended small group sessions.
This progress is not happenstance. SUMC’s success is due to the deliberate efforts of the Leadership Board, Administration, and Ministries to increase personal interactions and establish interpersonal relationships. Our Education Coordinator, Mandy Williams, has made key contributions by uniting the groups, tracking progress and attendance, and coordinating group plans. Growth group leaders have spent time preparing lessons, researching, providing resources, and coming up with challenges and opportunities to expand our minds and hearts.
Plus, it’s been a cool way to stay true to our tradition. Small groups are the foundation upon which the United Methodist Church was built and flourished. John Wesley, the church’s founder, built the Methodist model around small group structures that gathered weekly to share faith stories and care for each other. Sunday worship service is awesome, of course, but it is small group interaction that offers emotional support and safe, nonjudgmental space and enables deeper connections that make the church thrive. During these gatherings, we learn from each other, love and support each other, and become accountable to each other. It’s how we fulfill our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Speaking for myself, SUMC’s growth group experience has been my lifeline to connection, commitment, courage, and compassion. I encourage you to connect with a group that. If you’d like to learn more about these opportunities, click this link. Meeting schedules, times, and locations are unique to each group. You can find information by going to this link or in the weekly bulletin or by contacting Mandy.
Smart guy, that John Wesley. A model that worked two hundred years ago is relevant today. SUMC is proof positive that by connecting with each other, we are connecting with God. Thank you to everyone who has been part of SUMC’s 2026 growth group efforts!
November Leadership Board Meeting
The Leadership Board will conduct its annual planning meeting on Saturday, November 14th and Sunday, November 15th. Usually, we hold this retreat at a remote location where we stay overnight and bond over meals and meetings and field trips. But this year, money is tight and better used for LULU, so we will meet at a convenient and economical location: the Simpson Room at our church. The November Board meeting will be an item on the weekend-long agenda, the bulk of which will focus on planning 2027. Please note the Leadership Board will not meet in December. We’ll all be busy with a multitude of holiday activities as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King!
Lynn Colosi
Board Member