Spring 2026 SMALL GROUPS
Our small group sign up is closed. If you’re interested in joining a group, email communications@sanctuaryic.org.
College/Young Adult Sunday Brunch Club
- Led by James & Steph Tutson. For college students and young adults. Enjoy brunch at the Tutson’s, connect with other college students and young adults, and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Meets Sundays after church, 12pm at James and Steph Tutson’s home, east side of IC. Meeting dates TBD.
Social Justice Film Series
- Led by Jacki Marquardt. Explore how faith calls us to wrestle honestly with injustice, power, and responsibility during this four-session film and discussion series. Together we will watch powerful films, reflect and engage in guided theological conversation around themes of racial justice, economic inequality, immigration, and the limits of authority. Films include 13th, The True Cost, Minari, and V for Vendetta. Each session will include a film screening, small-group discussion and movie snacks. No prior preparation is required. Due to content sensitivity, no kids please.Tentative Dates and Times: February 15 2-5PM; March 8 2-5PM; March 29 2-5PM; April 19 2-5PM
Playgroup
- Led by Lianna Cornally. Join others for some playgroup days from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Sanctuary on these dates: Friday, February 6; Thursday, March 12; Friday, April 10; Thursday, May 7. This is a laid back, free, friendly gathering for anyone with young kids to attend. We'll have coffee, tea, snacks, and plenty of toys.
Microactivism
- Led by Athena and Nathan Eilers. “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” - James 2:17. Do you want to make a difference in the world but feel overwhelmed by the thought of doing it all? Do you not know where to start? Join us as we educate ourselves on taking actionable steps while reading Microactivism by Omkari Williams. Meets every other Tuesday, February 10 to May 5, at Sanctuary. You don’t need a bullhorn to make a difference!
Gay-Bi Men’s Fellowship
- Led by Aaron Burmeister and Derrick Clark. A welcoming space for all queer men to connect, reflect, and grow together. This small group offers fun activities, meaningful conversation, spiritual exploration, and mutual support. We have a schedule of monthly activities. Come when you can. Come as you are—your questions, your faith, and your whole self are welcome.
Exploring Faith
- Led by Paris Bond. In this faith-led Bible study for young adults, we will read the letter of James, which addresses practical faith, a great way to begin our exploration! James explains that faith produces good works. During this Bible study, we will break down the chapter of the week and share our thoughts. I encourage those who join to read the appropriate chapter before our Bible study so you may come with questions, comments, and ideas to share with the group. We all have different interpretations, and since faith is not meant to be a lonely journey, this is how we can explore it together! Meets Sundays, 3-4:30 p.m. at Sanctuary, Feb. 15 - March 15.
Craft Night Group
- Led by Annika Zimmer. Come join us for Craft Night! Please bring your current project or plan to start a new project. All crafting abilities are welcome (knitting, crocheting, coloring, etc). Meets on Thursday evenings at Sanctuary, or in Iowa City, starting Feb. 12. Dates: Feb. 12, 26; March 12, 26; April 16, 20.
Tears of Things Book Group
- Led by Eric Axelson and Terry Johnson. Join us for a book club conversation around The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage by Richard Rohr. In this book, Rohr leans into the biblical prophets not as distant holy figures, but as sharp-eyed truth-tellers who knew how to pay attention to pain, injustice, and grief. Together, we’ll talk about what it means to sit with the world as it is, how lament can be a form of wisdom, and why the prophets might have something important to say to our anxious, angry moment. Expect honest conversation, curiosity, and space to grapple with God, ourselves, and our world as we do life together. Meets Sundays, 7-8 p.m. starting Feb. 22.
Immanuel Prayer Group
- Led by Adey Wassink. Immanuel Prayer is a prayer practice that combines good memories and gratitude with connecting with Jesus. This grounds our being in an experience of the divine and produces a safe space in which we can find healing for our own traumas and griefs. Meeting dates and times TBD.
Hiking Group
- Led by Judy & Paul McRoberts and Lori Chasse. Join others from Sanctuary on walks and hikes throughout Johnson County area trails and parks. All ages and abilities welcome. Meets every other Saturday, starting April 4.
Tree Huggers
- Led by Amy Kraber & Lori Chasse. Join others in visiting significant trees in Johnson County. Meets twice a month and starts later this spring. The plan is to meet one Sunday per month after church and one additional Saturday or weekday evening per month. Examples include an American Chestnut tree on Oakdale Campus, the Iowa Writers' Workshop Literary Grove, the Hawkeye Orchard, and the Ann Frank Tree.
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus
- Led by Joy Perkins. Old Testament scholar John H. Walton said, "The Bible was written for us but not to us." The Bible was written to an ancient Near Eastern Jewish audience, not a modern Western Gentile audience. Modern readers miss so much of the richness of the Bible because we don't understand the original context, which can lead to confusion or misinterpretation. In this small group, we'll be reading and discussing Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg to dip our toes into reading the Bible with a Near Eastern Jewish context. Two chapters in the book deal with the Jewish Festivals, so there potentially will also be a chance to participate in a Passover Seder on April 1st. Meets every other Monday, 7-8:30 p.m. at Sanctuary.
The Problem of Evil
- Led by Luke Wassink. If God is real, why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God allow wars and disease and earthquakes? The problem of evil–that is, how to reconcile the existence of a good and powerful God with so much bad in the world–has troubled people of faith for thousands of years. This group will explore the problem of evil from a philosophical perspective. We will look at a series of arguments that the presence of evil is evidence against God’s existence, and then examine various responses to these arguments. Each class will be a mix of presentations and discussion, supplemented by brief readings. Meets every other Wednesday, 7-8:30 p.m. starting Feb. 4.
The (Faith) Life of a Showgirl
- Led by Becca Turnis. Taylor Swift in 2019: "Holy Orange Bottles, each night I pray to you, desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus too." Join others on a journey through Taylor Swift's lyrics and (publicly confirmed) details of her personal life and watch how she found faith again after being an actual victim, not just a sad girl with a guitar. General vibes will be kid-friendly, and we'll do content warnings in advance as we approach more mature material. Meets Sundays after church, dates TBD.