Reading Group Guide

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for
The Welcome Committee of
Butternut Creek

  1. Adam heads out toward Butternut Creek in a car he’s not sure will make it. How do you feel about his starting out so unprepared? Why did he do that? Have you or a loved one undertaken a task with no idea what lay ahead? If so, how did you or your loved one make it through the unexpected?
  2. Do you know anyone like Miss Birdie? Does a person like her help or hurt a church? How do you feel Adam handled her? How would you deal with a church member or family member or acquaintance who’s so certain he or she is right?
  3. Adam dreads counseling Sam. Are there duties or responsibilities a minister has that may be difficult? How would a minister handle these? How do you cope with responsibilities you dread? Do you turn to prayer? How does God speak to you at that time?
  4. Did Sam’s reaction to loss seem realistic? Have you experienced a difficult loss? How did you handle that? Again, do you turn to prayer? How does God answer?
  5. Willow refuses to become serious about Sam until he comes to grips with his anger. Do you agree with her decision? Why or why not?
  6. How did the following help Sam to deal with his losses?
    • Adam and the church
    • Willow, Leo, and Nick
    • His father
  7. Winnie Jenkins says that helping the Firestones is what the church does. Do you agree with their turning the parsonage into a shelter? Why or why not? What concerns did Miss Birdie and Mercedes express? Did they have valid points?
  8. Hector says that, in his experience, churches don’t always do good deeds. What do you think he might have experienced in his life that would make him believe that?
  9. Adam tells Hector and Sam that his father, a very successful businessman, didn’t like his choice to enter the ministry—even though he and his sister were raised in the church. Did this make sense to you? Why or why not?
  10. How had the general become so demanding that Sam felt like a failure? What changed the general? Can you think of some examples of how tragedies change people, either good or bad?
  11. Where can we find good in the midst of tragedy and loss? Does God cause those? Why do you believe this—or why not?
  12. Have you experienced a loss that made you angry at God or left you doubting God’s existence? What happened, and how did you recover your faith? Were you changed? How?