I keep re-learning that Christian living isn’t something you do all by yourself.
I can be in a room full of people and still not be engaged. Half-present, half-listening, half-thinking – it’s embarrassing how normal that feels. I have an unhealthy knack for ‘going it alone.’ I convince myself it’s easier—fewer expectations, less clean-up, and I can ignore my own sin.
Yet the Bible shows God pulling folks into relationships, like close bonds, family ties, even whole communities. You’d think that straightforward moment in the garden – “It's not good for the man to be alone” – would be enough. But it’s not. Instead, God keeps nudging me to lean into deeper community with all its messiness.
Easter brings this home. Jesus did more than rescue individual people, he built a whole community.
Here are four ways to connect with God alongside others this Easter, making space for his closeness together. Invite family, housemates, a Bible study crew, colleagues, or whoever to share in this experience of God.
1. Show Up in Real Life
We all grab our phones way too often. Our devices hook us and keep us scrolling. Pew says 41% of American adults are basically online nonstop—and honestly, that tracks.
No need to throw your phone in the toilet. You rely on it for jobs, family, maps, safety, and group chats. Still, it’s a tool you control, not the other way around.
Last year I set up my Focus modes to make my phone work for me—work notifications when I’m working, silence at home, and a home screen that nudges me toward better things (like music with my family). Helpful small shifts, big dividends.
But I’ve also learned I need a firmer boundary than “do not disturb.” Some nights I leave my phone in the bedroom after dinner, so I don’t reach for it on reflex. And that’s when I notice what I usually miss—real glances, laughter, quiet pauses, conversations that don’t get interrupted.
That extra space has been moving me toward people—and I’ve felt God meet me there. Try a phone-free walk with someone in your group this week and ask: When did you feel most present? When did you feel most pulled away?
2. Help Someone Nearby
Plenty of us aim to care the way Jesus did, with patience and open hands, not tallying favors. But that doesn’t always happen just from trying harder.
Dallas Willard is right: habits for the soul are steady practice, not raw effort—do what you can, and over time God honors it.
Service is a perfect Easter activity, shifting Jesus’s resurrection from something you know about to something you live out in love. This doesn’t need to be anything flashy. Brainstorm quiet acts that reshape you over time and draw you closer to God and to the ones you serve alongside.
Choose something doable together:
- Pick a neighbor to assist—bring pre-made food from Hy-Vee, cut their grass, or run errands. This could be someone with a new baby, unemployment, sickness.
- Offer low-key welcome—invite someone over for a meal who might otherwise eat alone or include someone new in your next group hang out. Keep things easy and inviting.
- Other options—volunteer with Coyote Hill, sign up for ForColumbia, serve with COR. Whatever you do, just do it together.
Turns out, serving isn’t only about the help given. It’s forming you into people who mirror God’s kind of care. It may feel weird, but that’s kind of the point.
3. Listen to the Bible Out Loud
This is one of the easiest paths to meeting God collectively. We’re used to looking at a few verses at a time, or even chapters in our morning devotionals. Early believers got the whole thing at once, read to everyone assembled.
Some of my favorite group moments have come from times when we’ve read a whole letter from the New Testament together. Give this a try with your small group or family.
Here’s the experiment:
- Select a short New Testament book you can read in 15 to 25 minutes: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, James, or 1 John are good options.
- Divide the chapter among a few readers to keep energy up.
- Don’t stop reading until you’ve finished. Leave reflection for the end.
- Once finished, linger in quiet for a minute. Let the words settle.
Then discuss:
- What stood out about who God is?
- Anything catch you off guard or sound fresh?
- Which ideas popped up repeatedly?
- If we lived this out for real, what shifts this week?
End with quick prayers: “Jesus, let this take root in us.” “Father, guide us to act on what we heard.” “Spirit, shape us more like Christ.”
4. A Meal of Thanks
So much happens around the dinner table. We experience God through laughter and honest stories of where we’ve seen God work. So as Easter approaches, try a meal of thanks.
Here’s the simple version:
- Prep the spot first.
Decide when and where, home or outside, whatever works. Good Friday can be a great time for a meal of thanks together. Food-wise, go easy but make it a proper spread. - Fast as a group before the meal.
Decide on an amount of time as a group: fast for one meal, or from sunup to sundown, or even for 24 hours. Then, when hunger hits, pray for a group member. - Gather around a table to break your fast together.
Use thanks as the spark for your conversation. Start your time by asking, “Where did you spot God at work this week?” Share specifics with one another—a story, a kindness, a small gift. Name God’s hand in it. - End with simple prayers for each other.
“Jesus, thanks for showing up for Addison. Build his faith. Amen.” - From there, dig in!
Share stories. Linger. It will start to feel like the heart of Easter: God creating room for shared life.
If you’re not sure where to start, start at the table. Keep it simple, invite a few people, and name what God is doing. Easter has always been about God making a new kind of family—one meal and one conversation at a time.
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