Using We Make the Road by Walking in 2016-2018
My strong recommendation for groups using the book is to keep it super simple and super participatory. Here’s how:
1. Have the group seated in a circle or gathered around a table. (If the group is too large, invite 6 or 8 people to the front and they’ll model participation for the larger group.)
2. Identify someone to begin reading the first Scripture reading. It’s best if they read a paragraph or so of the text (about 3 to 5 verses). It helps to be sure everyone has the same translation – whether NRSV, CEV, or whatever.
3. Then someone continues with the next paragraph, and so on, through the Scripture readings. It’s good to keep things moving at a good pace.
4. The same pattern continues for the chapter, with each person reading a paragraph. If people don’t want to read aloud, of course they can just pass. If kids are present, I encourage you to include them in the readings and Engage questions.
5. When the chapter is complete, the next person can read the first Engage question, and so on.
The group really runs itself. The leader doesn’t need to do any preparation; the hour is really self-contained.
A few observations from groups that have used the book:
1. By involving everyone with reading, attention levels stay high.
2. By everyone having a Bible and copy of the book, they can follow along as others read, thus taking in the content both orally and visually.
3. The experience of listening to others read aloud may seem unfamiliar at first, but it quickly becomes natural and very enjoyable.
4. When you move from the chapter to discussion, it’s important to let people know that it is perfectly acceptable to express disagreement or discomfort with the readings, which the first Engage question invites people to do. Differences of viewpoint don’t need to be resolved – simply respectfully expressed, listened to, and understood. (See #8)
5. If there is a large group, it’s easy to break into groups of four. Four people can engage deeply with a chapter in an hour.
6. Engaging with the material over a meal works really well too.
7. If you want to add liturgical elements from Appendix 1, of course you can do so before and after the readings, chapter, and engagement questions.
8. At your first gathering, the leader/host should read the 5 guidelines (Appendix II). It’s good to get everyone to verbally agree to assist in following these guidelines (like sitting on an exit row in a plane). The leader/host should promise to remind the group of the guidelines if problems come up, and review them from time to time.
9. If problems do come up – someone is argumentative or over-participates, for example – remind everyone of the 5 guidelines (Appendix II). Because the approach I’m recommending is so highly participatory, I think groups will get in the groove quickly and problems will be rare.
If you want to begin using the book for your curriculum/lectionary in 2016-2017, you’ll see how you would sync up chapters with the calendar and holidays below.
You can also use the book for a quarter or season together, and have folks use it on their own thereafter.
Date/Chapter
First Quarter
Aug 28 – 1
Sep 4 – 2
Sep 11 – 3
Sep 18 – 4
Sep 25 – 5
Oct 2 – 6
Oct 9 – 7
Oct 16 – 8
Oct 23 – 9
Oct 30 – 10
Nov 6 – 11
Nov 13 – 12
Nov 20 – 13
Date/Chapter
Second Quarter
Nov 27 – 14 (Advent Begins)
Dec 4 – 15
Dec 11 -16
Dec 18 – 17
Dec 24 – 17A (Christmas Eve)
Dec 25 – 18 (Christmas)
Jan 1 – 19
Jan 8 – 20
Jan 15 – 21
Jan 22 – 22
Jan 29 – 23
Feb 5 – 24
Feb 12 – 25
Feb 19 – 26
Date/Chapter
Third Quarter:
Feb 26 – 27
Mar 5 – 28
Mar 12 – 29
Mar 19 – 30
Mar 26 – 31
Apr 9 – 32 (Palm Sunday)
Apr 13 – 32A (Maundy Thursday)
Mar 14 – 32B (Good Friday)
Mar 15 – 32C (Holy Saturday)
Apr 16 – 33 (Easter)
Apr 23 – 34
Apr 30 – 35
May 7 – 36
May 14 – 37
May 21 – 38
May 28 – 39
Date/Chapter
Fourth Quarter
Jun 4- 40 (Pentecost)
Jun 11 – 41
Jun 18 – 42
Jun 25 – 43
Jul 2 – 44
Jun 9 – 45
Jun 16 – 46
Jul 23 – 47
Jul 30 – 48
Jul 17 – 49
Aug 6 – 50
Aug 13 – 51
Aug 20 -52
Here’s 2017-2018:
Date/Chapter
First Quarter
Aug 27 – 1
Sep 3 – 2
Sep 10 – 3
Sep 17 – 4
Sep 24 – 5
Oct 1 – 6
Oct 8 – 7
Oct 15 – 8
Oct 22 – 9
Oct 29 – 10
Nov 5 – 11
Nov 12 – 12
Nov 19 – 13
Date/Chapter
Second Quarter
Nov 26 – 14 (Advent Begins)
Dec 3 – 15
Dec 10 -16
Dec 17 – 17
Dec 24 – 17A (Christmas Eve)
Dec 25 – 18 (Christmas)
Dec 31 – 19
Jan 7 – 20
Jan 14 – 21
Jan 21 – 22
Jan 28 – 23
Feb 4 – 24
Feb 11 – 25
Feb 18 – 26
Date/Chapter
Third Quarter:
Feb 25 – 27
Mar 4 – 28
Mar 11 – 29
Mar 18 – 30
Mar 25 – (31 &)* 32 (Palm Sunday)
Mar 29 – 32A (Maundy Thursday)
Mar 30 – 32B (Good Friday)
Mar 31 – 32C (Holy Saturday)
Apr 1 – 33 (Easter)
Apr 8 – 34
Apr 15 – 35
Apr 22 – 36
Apr 29 – 37
May 6 – 38
May 13 – 39
Date/Chapter
Fourth Quarter
May 20 – 40 (Pentecost)
May 27 – 41
Jun 3 – 42
Jun 10 – 43
Jun 17 – 44
Jun 24 – 45
Jul 1 – 46
Jul 8 – 47
Jul 15 – 48
Jul 22 – 49
Jul 29 – 50
Aug 5 – 51
Aug 12 -52
Aug 19 – 31*
If that sounds confusing, don’t worry. Once you get the group going, you’ll be surprised how easily things flow, how quickly community begins to happen, how refreshing the whole experience is, and how effectively it can contribute to spiritual formation, reorientation, and activation.