Small Groups

Trinity Sunday - May 31, 2026 – Spirit in Partnership

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “When did you first learn about the Trinity? What do you remember about God being Three-in-One?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Genesis 1:1-2:4a and Matthew 28:16-20.

Genesis 1 provides a poetic description of creation. Where do you see elements of partnership in this story of creation?

Where do you see partnership in Matthew 28:16-20? What does partnership look like at the end of Jesus’ earthly life?

Matthew 28:16-20 includes the instruction to baptize disciples in “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This phrase is known as the “Trinitarian Formula.” How does thinking of God as Trinity affect your understanding of:

Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4a; it may be helpful to also read John 1:1);
Baptism (Matthew 28:16-20; it may be helpful to also read about Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17).

The preaching note for May 31 says, “Go and grow disciples. Invite them in through the water of new creation in the name of the Trinity. And then teach them that they are not done at baptism. They have only begun. Teach them everything I have taught you.”

How do you feel about the idea that baptism is the starting place to grow as a disciple? What does growing as a disciple mean to you at this point in your life?

The concept of Three-in-One and One-in-Three is challenging: three persons, one God; one nature, three distinctions. How do you understand that unifying nature? What character, personality, or attribute of God is visible in all three persons of the Trinity?

Just One Thing: What can you do this week to grow as a disciple, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with you?

Going Deeper on Your Own: This week, consider studying one of the lectionary texts in the following pattern:

Prayerfully ask God to open your eyes to the scripture. (Psalm 119:18)
Read the text (Genesis 1:1-2:4a or Matthew 28:16-20) out loud.
What do you notice about the text?
What questions arise?
What do you think God might be saying to you in this text?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Triune God, we pause in awareness that there is much about your nature as Three-in-One that feels complicated, confusing, or mysterious. But even in the mystery, we can see unity of purpose that is rooted in Love and invites us into partnership. Open our hearts and minds and equip our hands as we become co-creators with you and grow as your disciples. We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Rev. Dr. Ashlee Alley Crawford, Director of Adult Discipleship, an elder in the Great Plains Annual Conference of the UMC, served in campus ministry for twelve years and in leadership with the Great Plains Conference for over a decade. She has a passion for connecting people with resources and encouraging them to nurture their faith and walk in step with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. She has a D.Min. in spiritual direction