Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene - IL

OCTOBER 4, 2026

Becoming the Church - PAUSE

K1 Teaching Team

This Sunday is a pause. After five weeks of naming what the church is meant to be and what we have drifted into, the teaching team stops adding and starts listening. Pastor Jenna opens by naming something most of us feel but rarely say: we live under constant information overload, and church can start to feel like one more pile we cannot keep up with. But information doesn't automatically produce transformation. Sometimes it gets in the way, because there is never room to process and pray. Psalm 1 describes a person who meditates on God's word and becomes like a tree planted by streams of water. So instead of another challenge, Pastor Savannah leads Pastors Dave, Jenna, and Maddi through a conversation about the five weeks behind us, followed by space to reflect and pray. The goal is not to be challenged again. It is to let what God has already said sink in.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN

A Spirit-Dependent Church (Acts 1:4-8): Jesus told a trained, capable, committed group to wait. Nothing happens without the Spirit.
A Devoted Church (Acts 2:42-47): They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, the table, and prayer, and lived like family.
A Cross-Shaped Church (Mark 8:34-35): The "American gospel" says curate yourself. Jesus says deny yourself and follow me.
A Rested Church (Hebrews 4:9-11): Hustle is not God's design for us. We stop so that we can dwell with Him.
The Church as a Body (Acts 6:2-7): Ministry belongs to the whole body. We weren't made to consume, we were made to contribute.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Which of the five messages has stayed with you, and which one have you quietly set aside because it felt like too much? What makes the difference between the two?
Pastor Jenna named the feeling of information overload: another sermon, another challenge, more than we can process. Has church felt that way for you lately?
Psalm 1 describes meditating on God's word rather than just hearing it. What would it take for you to chew on something instead of taking it in and moving on?
Looking back over these five weeks, has anything actually shifted in how you live, even slightly? What helped it move from information to formation?
The pastors said we will take this one step at a time, together. What is your one next step, and who here can walk with you in it?

A Note for This Week: Sunday was a pause, not a new challenge, and this conversation should feel the same. Rather than building a to-do list, name what has been hard, listen well, and pray for one another.

Discussion Guide

LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS

LIFETRACK: STEP 2

12:00 PM in the Youth Room this week! - Lunch and Childcare Provided

No matter where you are at on your journey, Lifetrack is the first step that we encourage you to participate in here at Kankakee First Church. This is where you will learn about WHO we are as a church, WHAT we believe, and HOW we are structured to help you along your spiritual journey. Lifetrack is a three-step process that helps you discover your redemptive purpose and live the life God created for you.
Lifetrack is also our onboarding for serving on our DreamTeam.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark your calendars! On October 11th we will have ONE service at 10:45 AM
IN THE GYM!
Our sanctuary will (finally!) be getting new carpet so it will be under construction that Sunday. Thankfully we have a second space to gather, so we will be utilizing the gym for our Sunday morning worship. See you then!

Join us for a night of fellowship as a church family. We will open our time together for bingo (winner gets first in line at the snack table!) Then you’ll have the chance to share your game with someone new.

What to bring:
A friend
Favorite game
Favorite game night food/snack
Your game face