The Greek word for ‘abide’ is menō, and it means to stay, remain, dwell, or live in something. John 15 captures it best: “I am the True Vine…. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (15:1, 4). For us to thrive and bear fruit as disciples, we must stay connected to Jesus. We must remain in His Word, dwell in fellowship with His Body, and live in conversation with His Spirit. We know these things, but as one Fairview member said, “I find that without some accountability, some reason to pay attention we get so lost in the every day day-to-day stuff that we lose sight of Him.”

How will you find the time to abide?

Here at the church, we’re going to help by pressing pause on these for 2026:

• Wednesday Night Bible studies (suppers will still happen)

• Discipleship Groups

• Friday Morning Bible Study

We’ve also reduced the number of meetings for our Session, Diaconate, and Teams.

But if you want to abide with Jesus, you’ll also have to find some ways in your life to slow down. Pray and ask God to show you what you can let go of or pause so you can abide with Him.

How will you slow down to abide?

Spiritual renewal happens in the presence of God, and Abide 2026 is all about slowing down to dwell in that presence.

In January 2026, we’re starting a year-long, church-wide Bible reading plan that is simple and accessible. We’ll be reading about 1/3 of a chapter a day, starting in the Gospel of Luke, and we’ll read Luke’s resurrection account on Easter Sunday.

If you aren’t used to reading the Bible, this is a great place to start or get back into the habit of abiding with God. But even if you do read the Bible regularly, this is a chance for you to slow down and listen more intentionally for how God is speaking to you.

As we dwell in God’s Word together, we know that the Holy Spirit will renew and move among us. As James, the brother of Christ, wrote, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (4:8), and like Hebrews declared, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (4:12).

Abiding with Jesus is difficult—especially in our day and age. We are so busy, our lives so frenetic, our distractions so abundant that we often fail to abide. Even when we get into the Word, we are often so rushed or treat it so much like a textbook that we miss out on dwelling in God’s presence and hearing His voice. Subsequentially we may not see the true transformation or experience the full life which God has promised. So, this is Fairview’s focus next year. Abide: Walking with God together in 2026. We’re going to spend the year slowing down and developing rhythms of abiding with God, habits together which keep us connected to the True Vine.

Abide groups are small groups of 8-12 people who want to abide with God in 2026 & support one another along the way.

They will meet around a table most weeks for 90-minutes to enjoy being together & to share how God has been speaking & working in their lives.

What’s the commitment?

• An intent to abide with God.

• Reading & reflecting along with the Abide Bible reading plan (~1/3 a chapter a day).

• Meeting most weeks for 90-minutes.

Who will you walk with?

The pastors will be preaching along with our Abide emphasis. Each week you’ll hear a teaching on one of our Abide Bible reading plan passages or on something which goes alongside—or complements what we’re learning in God’s presence. These messages will help you grow as a disciple and abide ever more deeply with our Lord.

After all that we’ve been through the past several years as a congregation and country, a lot of are are feeling weary. Thus, Pastor Dan is especially excited to lead a summer preaching series called “All Who Are Weary” on abiding with God in our work, rest, and weariness.