“We need to return to square one…”
- Eugene Peterson
Square One Groups
In a talk given at Seattle Pacific University in 2011, Eugene Peterson addressed what it means to be “shaped and formed by the creative genius of God revealed in scripture.” Peterson said, “… we need to return to square one." (Peterson Talk- click here to listen)
For Peterson, “square one” is referring to a return to knowing the Bible and to holding our sacred text front and center. What Peterson was diagnosing in 2011 is no different than in 2026- people don’t know it, or at least not well enough. Our hope is our Square One program will help address this need and hopefully better equip people of faith to know and be transformed by what we read in the Bible.
As I read the part of Acts that recounts Paul's time in Corinth during his second missionary journey, where he spent 18 months, I don't know if that was ever his plan. I would imagine not given how he nurtured other churches around this area of the Mediterranean. Paul would drop in and check on things, might get arrested, check in on some young leaders and converts, and then be on his way to the next town. However, Paul's relationship with the church in Corinth was different. 18 months is a long time. A lot can happen in 18 months. People get to know each other in 18 months. And if Paul was going to convey the gospel in a town like Corinth he must have learned a lot about the Corinthians and this rebuilt Roman outpost with all its quirks and idiosyncrasies to do so. So if he spent all of this time there in the mid part of the first century and soon thereafter heard that the theological wheels had gotten knocked off the rails, well it might have hit a little harder than hearing a new unknown god was being worshipped in Athens.
As much as the casual reader thinks of Corinthians (who may only be familiar with 1 Corinthians 13 and has a poor understanding of whose love is even being discussed there) the Corinthian correspondence is the response of a deeply invested leader doing his best to draw this church back to its center. Not him. Not Apollos. Not Peter. To Jesus. Crystal clear. In matters of faith and living. Yes, Corinth in the first century had its own particular issues that may sound foreign to us, but what we can observe is that our current church is no less influenced to assimilate into its own culture than it was in 52 AD in Corinth. Can Paul speak into this?
An appearance of foolishness does not suggest an inability to understand. I don't think so at least. Rather, I think it speaks loud and clear to a stubbornness to welcome what will truly set us free. Where does the Lord want to offer you clarity in the life you are living or ministry you have been called to lead? We would love to have you join us as we sit with these texts and experience the transformative power of what comes when we linger over the text together.
Fall 2026 Groups
Our groups will start on Tuesday, September 29. There will be a total of 6 sessions.
Available Groups:
Tuesday Midday In Person Ministry Leader Group meets from 11:30-1:30 at Journey Community Church at 114 Weaver Dairy Rd in Chapel Hill. Lunch is included.
Tuesday Afternoon In Person Square One Group meets from 4:30-6 at Journey Community Church.
Thursday Virtual Ministry Leader Group meets from 9-10AM EST. (Thursday groups will start on October 1)
Thursday Virtual Square One Group from 7-8PM EST.
Our aim is to provide unhurried delight in Scripture which is never contingent on your perfect attendance. We will be here offering it however you are able to participate. You are welcome to try a session or two if that is what you need to see if it is a good fit for you. Your signing up does not suggest every session is compulsory, but to be clear what we have noticed in 6+ years offering these small groups is the more you show up the deeper you go. If you have any questions about this series or the groups please reach out to us in response to this email or clicking the sign up button below. Our groups are all free of cost.
So who is David? Not the one we have dreamed up or narrowed to one particular text or even a good movie clip, but who is the young boy shepherd to bewildered king of Israel who lived a real life attempting to be faithful to the God who called him? Given the amount of material we have from and about David in Scripture we have the chance to sit with a large scope of his life. Though we are not being called to lead God’s people in the same context as David, we are attempting to respond to God’s call upon our own lives.
Winter/Spring 2026 Groups
Our groups usually range in size from 6-12 participants and we do our best to create groups that bring a rich diversity representing different parts of the body of Christ. We believe that such diversity can elevate what we are experiencing in the text. A facilitator will organize and moderate, though, will not be seen as a “teacher” or “lecturer” on the text. Our hope is the facilitator will be able to organize and moderate the time and bring out the insight of the group while also honoring the background of the text. The purpose of our gatherings are less consumption of content, rather, participation and voice about the text yourself. What we have learned from our groups is that this program is best when the pace is slow and the reading and reflecting feels purposeful and with depth. Even if you are not familiar with lectio divina, you will soon be excited for a space to sit still with the text with a feeling of unhurried delight.
What do you notice? How do we pay attention to each other and what we are hearing in the text? The facilitator may give some helpful background and keep the conversation organized, but mostly the facilitator is someone who loves the text and wants to help others engage in it as well. Our gatherings are less academic and more experiential. This is not a class. It is an immersive time together giving space to let the Word take on flesh in your life. The pace is thoughtful, intentional, contemplative, and probably slower than your stereotypical Bible study/class. Participants are less “student” and more invested contributor. A prerequisite for a participant is not that you are a scholar or that you may have read the Bible 100+ times. What we want is a group of people who are committed to reflecting on the Bible in a new way (but not really new at all) where through the diversity of the group and the pace of the read, we can sense a larger perspective of what the Lord is at work doing in the world, in the church, and in us.
Our “Square One” program is at the heart and soul of what Peterson House aims to do- bringing small groups of people together to read and reflect on a particular scriptural text — where through the lens of the group and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, participants will be shaped by the Word they are consuming together. A bit of lectio divina (holy reading) meets southern cover dish Sunday meal, “Square One” gatherings will be thoughtful, intentional, and soulful.
