Hi Zion,

For the month of May, we’re piloting small *Affinity* groups:
Five groups. Five weeks.  One Journey through Romans.

Why? (You might ask).  For two key reasons:

#1. Zion is growing – which is amazing and wonderful.

But, with our growth, we don’t want to lose one thing we love about Zion – our connection to each other.  As one person put it, connections are made in circles, not rows.  So, as we grow in numbers – we also want to grow in connection with each other.

#2. Zion is a spiritually diverse community – which is also amazing and wonderful.

We’ve named it for years now, our two distinct groups: Lifelong Lutherans and Spiritual Seekers (Deacon Dorie uses the term, Spiritual Refugees – those who have been rejected or denied a church home – now seeking a spiritually safe place to land).  As such, our church is not dissimilar from the one Paul was writing to in the book of Romans: two groups, with different backgrounds, learning to belong together through the grace of Jesus, sharing the love of God with their greater community.  

This is why we’ve named this five week journey: “On Belonging”.  We are not just members of a church, we are members of a family of faith doing our best (as our mission statement proclaims) to embody the gracious love of God for all who hunger.

Keep scrolling to check out group descriptions and FAQs to learn more — then, click the link to sign up and jump in.

We belong together.  Thanks be to God.

Affinity Group Descriptions

• Parents Playground
  Sundays after worship • Parents of young children
  → Lunch + conversation while kids play (nursery support provided)

• Affinity On Tap
  Sundays (or as scheduled) • 21+
  → Gather at local breweries for drinks, food, and real conversation

• Midweek Table
  Wednesdays • Zion (Great Room)
  → Potluck-style lunch + relaxed, thoughtful discussion

• Heights House
  Weekly • Home in/near the Heights
  → Neighborhood-based gathering (day/time set by group)

• West Side Social
  Weekly • Home on the west side of Houston 
  → Neighborhood-based gathering (day/time set by group)

👉 Click here to sign up for a Zion small group!

FAQs:

1. What is an Affinity Group?

An Affinity Group is just a small gathering of people who share something in common—
a stage of life, a location, or even just a rhythm that fits their schedule.

• Parents with young kids
• People who live near each other
• Folks who can meet midweek
• Or those who’d rather talk over a drink than in a classroom

2. Why small groups?

Because real connection doesn’t usually happen in rows. It happens in circles.
These groups are designed to be a place where you can:

• show up as you are
• talk honestly about life and faith
• listen to others without pressure to fix or agree

 3. Why start with Romans?

At its core, Paul is writing to a group of very different people trying to figure out:

• How do people from different walks of life and various spiritual backgrounds belong in one family of faith?
• What holds us together?
• How to we live our faith in the greater community?

4. What’s the commitment?

Five weeks. One gathering / per week.
Each group will meet for about 60–75 minutes.

5. What’s the benefit?

Here’s our hope:

• You’ll feel a deeper sense of connection—to others and to God.
• You’ll have space to be honest about your life without pressure.
• You might discover new clarity—or even just new questions.
• And you’ll experience what it feels like to belong.

👉 Click here to sign up for a Zion small group!