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A Summer of Neighboring — Orchard Church
Orchard Church · Summer 2026

A Summer of Neighboring

For one season, we’re bringing church back to the table — and out into the neighborhood.

For most of us, Sunday has meant driving across town to a building. This summer, we’re doing something different. We’re gathering in homes, parks, and local spaces around Sun Prairie and Madison’s east side — the ordinary places where we actually live.

Our teaching will follow a single question: what does it mean to be a witness? Not witness as a program or a pitch, but as an ordinary life lived openly in the place God has planted us. We want to know our neighbors, be present on our own streets, and pay attention to where God is already at work right around us.

In a real way, it’s a return to how Orchard began — gathered face to face, in our own places, simple and warm. At Orchard, “the table” is less about food and more about what happens when people gather around one another: it’s the formative act of being present, telling the truth, and being shaped together. That’s the heart of every gathering, whether or not a meal is shared.

Everything you love about Orchard stays the same. We’re just bringing it closer to home.

Witness was never a performance. It’s a life worth coming to see.

It begins

At the table

Gathered face to face — where we’re present to one another, stories are told, and lives are shaped.

It grows

In the neighborhood

Learning our neighbors’ names, noticing the places our lives already touch other lives.

It’s sent

Into the everyday

Ordinary, placed presence — being people whose lives, right where we live, are worth coming to see.

How we gather

A familiar rhythm, closer to home

  • Worship 1st & 3rd Sundays 4:30 PM We sing, open the Scriptures, and meet God in community — now in homes and parks.
  • Sunday Supper 2nd Sundays 4:30 PM Our shared meal — the one gathering each month where we actually eat together. Like Jesus, we believe the table is a sacred place.
  • Prayer Gathering 4th Sundays 4:30 PM Listening for God together, and praying for the neighborhoods we’re learning to love.

Our rhythm stays the same — only our locations change for the season. We’ll meet in various homes, parks, and local spaces around Sun Prairie and Madison’s east side. Visit our Events page for dates and locations, kept current all summer.

What we’re practicing

The art of neighboring

Each week, alongside our gatherings, we’ll carry one small, shared practice into our own neighborhoods. Nothing heavy — simple ways of paying attention to the people and places around us.

  • Notice where you already cross paths with your neighbors.
  • Learn one neighbor’s name.
  • Pay attention to where God is already at work near you.
  • Take one small, concrete step toward presence where you live.
Questions

You might be wondering…

Is Orchard changing permanently?
No. This is a summer season of gathering closer to home. Our rhythm, our table, and our community all stay the same — we’re simply meeting in homes and local spaces rather than one fixed building for these months. We’ll discern together what comes next as the season unfolds.
Do we eat a meal at every gathering?
No — only at Sunday Supper, on the 2nd Sunday of each month, do we share a meal together. When we talk about “the table,” we mean something deeper than food: the formative gift of gathering face to face — being present, telling the truth, and being shaped as a community. That’s the centerpiece of every time we meet, whether or not there’s a meal. Worship and prayer gatherings aren’t potlucks; they’re simply us, gathered.
Where exactly do we meet?
In homes, parks, and a few local spaces around Sun Prairie and Madison’s east side. Because locations vary week to week, we keep the Events page updated with each gathering’s details — and we share them the same way every time, well in advance, so you’ll always know where to go.
I’ve never been to Orchard. Can I still come?
Absolutely — please do. Come as you are. When you arrive at a home, just come on in and make yourself at home; we’ll be glad you’re here whether it’s your first time or your hundredth. There’s a place for you at the table.
What’s the time commitment?
Our gatherings are Sunday afternoons at 4:30. Come to what you can — every week, or now and then. The weekly neighborhood practices are simple and self-paced; they’re invitations, never obligations.
What happened to Table Communities?
Table Communities — our smaller weekday groups — are a cornerstone of life at Orchard. They take a rest over the summer and return in the fall. This season’s neighboring practices carry a similar heart in the meantime.
Can I help host or get involved?
Yes, and we’d love that. There are many ways to step in — hosting, helping with a gathering, welcoming, leading a song, sharing in a conversation. You don’t need to be an expert; willing is enough. Reach out to Nick or Leiah to learn more.
Who do I contact with questions?
Just reach out to Nick or Leiah anytime — or connect with us through the link below. We can’t wait to meet you.
Join us this summer

There’s a place for you here.

Whether Orchard is a weekly home or somewhere you’re just discovering — come and see what God is doing in our neighborhoods.

Connect with us
Orchard Church · A Summer of Neighboring, 2026