Discussion Questions

Teresa describes feeling pulled between presenting herself as “just a conservative Christian” or “being Mennonite,” especially when visiting old friends and family; what does her struggle suggest about God’s concern for integrity and wholeness rather than living in two identities? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa feels torn between calling herself “just a conservative Christian” and being Mennonite, especially around old friends and family. What does this say about God wanting us to be whole and honest, not living like we have two different selves?

Teresa’s childhood included moving among Independent Methodist, Baptist, and Brethren churches without joining one; what assumptions about church membership and belonging does she say that arrangement produced in her, and how does that challenge the modern idea that “attendance” is enough? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa moved between different churches as a kid but never joined one. What did that teach her about what it means to belong, and how does it challenge the idea that just showing up to church is enough?

During COVID, Teresa said they could have “just watched sermons online” and questioned “why do we have to go to church on Zoom”; what does this reveal about what church actually is, and how would early Christians—who met as a living body rather than consuming content—have recognized the difference? JumpstartAnother way to ask: During COVID Teresa wondered why they couldn’t just watch sermons online instead of “going to church” on Zoom. What does that show about what church really is, and how is it different from just consuming religious content?

Teresa says her dad’s illness and death exposed her need for something “steadier,” including “people around me” and “Christians in a church”; how do suffering and instability function in her story as God’s tools, and what does that imply about God’s priorities for spiritual formation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa says her dad’s sickness and death showed her she needed something steadier, like Christians around her in a church. How did suffering shape her faith, and what does it suggest God cares most about in spiritual growth?

Teresa contrasts surface-level Sunday greetings (“nice to see you”) with “real care” that comes through community life; where have you experienced the temptation to substitute polite church interaction for actual shared life, and what would repentance look like in concrete relational terms? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa contrasts quick Sunday hellos with real care that comes from shared life. Where are you tempted to settle for polite church talk instead of deep relationships, and what would it look like to change that in real ways?

Teresa names “accountability” as a major blessing—“holding us accountable to things that God values”—while admitting it can be hard to hear; how does her framing confront modern evangelical instincts about personal freedom, privacy, and “don’t tell me what to do”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa says accountability is a big gift, even when it’s hard to hear. How does that challenge today’s focus on personal freedom, privacy, and “don’t tell me what to do”?

Teresa talks about mentoring and an accountability setting as a “safe way” to share without being judged, with “grace and understanding”; what makes accountability spiritually life-giving rather than controlling, and what safeguards (heart-level and practical) are implied in her description? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa says accountability can be a safe place to share with grace, not judgment. What makes accountability helpful instead of controlling, and what protections are needed to keep it healthy?

Teresa says God “delights in His people being different” and that “it’s not meant to be easy”; what picture of God’s intentions for holiness and witness emerges here, and how does it clash with the common Christian goal of being seen as normal, relatable, or culturally seamless? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa says God is glad when His people are different, and that it’s not supposed to be easy. What does this show about God’s goal for holiness and being a witness, and how does that clash with wanting to seem normal and fit in?

Teresa’s turning point involved concrete visibility—clothing, then specifically the white veil—and she feared changing “so that I would fit in”; how do you discern the difference between obedience God is asking for and mere conformity to a group, using Teresa’s process (prayer, time, seeking clarity) as a test case? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa’s turning point included visible changes like clothing and the white veil, and she feared doing it just to fit in. How can you tell the difference between obeying God and just copying a group, using her steps of prayer, time, and seeking clarity?

Teresa interprets Joshua and Jericho (seven days of silence, then a shout) as a pattern for her decision, and she’s guided by the poem “Do the next thing”; what is compelling—or unsettling—about applying those images to modern discipleship choices, and what “next thing” might God be putting in front of you that you’ve delayed because it’s scary or would make you stand out? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Teresa connects her decision to Joshua and Jericho and the idea of “do the next thing.” What feels helpful—or uncomfortable—about using those stories for choices today, and what “next thing” might God be asking you to do that you’ve been avoiding because it’s scary or would make you stand out?