Discussion Questions
Samantha says assimilating into Mennonite/Anabaptist culture is often easier for children than for adults because kids adapt, make friends, and have built-in avenues like church school, youth group, and Bible school; what does that expose about the kind of “community life” Anabaptists assume—and what relational work might adults need to accept as part of discipleship rather than a personality issue? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it show about the kind of “community life” Anabaptists expect when kids fit in faster than adults? What relationships and effort might adults need to treat as part of following Jesus, not just “I’m not a people person”?
The speaker compares moving between Anabaptist churches to moving between Chicago, New Orleans, and New York—“subcultures within subcultures”; what expectations or stereotypes do you carry into a church setting that might keep you from “getting to know people for who they are,” and what would repentance look like in that area? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What assumptions or stereotypes do you bring into a church that keep you from seeing people as they really are? What would it look like to repent of those attitudes?
Samantha calls it a “pet peeve” when seekers “make idols” out of conservative communities because the lifestyle looks quiet, simple, and perfect; how can admiration for orderliness, simplicity, and countercultural living drift into idolatry, and what would it look like to pursue those same values while refusing to romanticize the people? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can liking a “simple, peaceful” conservative community turn into making it an idol? How can you seek simplicity without putting the people on a pedestal?
She insists, “community is hard… it’s a blessing, but you got to work for it,” and quotes a Bruderhof idea that “forgive one another” implies offenses will happen in brotherhood; what does that suggest about God’s intentions for sanctification through close community, and how does that confront the modern ideal of conflict-free church life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it say about God’s plan for changing us that community includes conflict and forgiveness? How does that challenge the idea that a good church should be conflict-free?
Samantha describes Anabaptists valuing “external expressions of obedience” (well-kept homes, yards, cleanliness) but says they’re not meant “to hide what’s going on inside”; where have you seen externals used as a cover (either in Anabaptist settings or elsewhere), and what practices would help a church keep externals tethered to honesty and repentance? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen “good-looking” outward behavior used to hide inner problems? What could a church do to keep outward obedience tied to honesty, repentance, and real change?
Two seekers were told, “You will never be a real Mennonite,” and Samantha responds that Anabaptism is “first and foremost a faith culture and not an ethnic culture”; how should that reshape membership, belonging, and leadership in churches with strong bloodlines—and what sins does that sentence expose that may be easier to excuse as “just culture”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Anabaptism is mainly about faith and not family background, how should that change who belongs, who becomes members, and who can lead? What sins are exposed by telling someone, “You’ll never be a real Mennonite,” even if people call it “just culture”?
Samantha says the early Anabaptists “didn’t give their lives so we could get stuck on external things,” naming divorce/remarriage and nonresistance as truly countercultural distinctives; which Anabaptist “markers” do you see Christians (including you) tempted to center—black cars, cape dresses, homemade cinnamon rolls, owning a business—rather than costly obedience, and why is that temptation so powerful? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What outward “Anabaptist” signs do you see people focus on (like clothing, cars, food, or business ownership) instead of costly obedience? Why is it so tempting to focus on the easier markers?
She argues seekers get discouraged when people can’t explain why they practice things (covering, no buttons, hook-and-eye), and “we’ve always done it this way” feels empty; what does God deserve from His people regarding understanding and conviction, and how might churches unintentionally train the next generation to treat obedience as tradition instead of truth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why does God deserve more than “we’ve always done it this way” when it comes to practices like coverings or clothing rules? How might churches accidentally teach kids to follow traditions without knowing the truth behind them?
When discussing people who want Anabaptist convictions but lack local fellowship, Samantha says faith must be grounded enough to stand alone—“He is sufficient”—and asks whether you’d hold to convictions like nonresistance or divorce/remarriage even if no one stands with you; what does that reveal about God’s role as the source of strength, and how does it challenge the assumption that obedience requires ideal church conditions? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Would you still follow hard convictions like nonresistance or teaching on divorce/remarriage if you had no supportive church around you? What does that show about depending on God instead of depending on ideal church conditions?
The Oregon seeker was told, “Go home… build community right where you are… grow faith right under your feet,” even in a non-Anabaptist church, while warning about the temptation to stay in an Anabaptist “bubble”; how do you discern when to relocate for community versus stay and “love people well” where you are, and what concrete steps would it take this month to build real community and costly witness without becoming controversial or self-righteous? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do you know when to move to find community versus stay and love people where you are? What are a few specific things you could do this month to build real community and a bold witness without being proud or trying to start fights?