This five-session GCORR study of Gary L. Roberts’ Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy guides small groups and individual readers through the 1864 massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people, which was led by a Methodist minister and sanctioned by a Methodist layperson. Through honest engagement with the text, group members will reflect on the intersections of faith, race, power, and historical trauma, and will explore how we as United Methodists can move toward repentance, healing, and justice.
This study is designed for small groups who want to learn more about Methodism’s role in this horrific event and how it continues to shape our communal, spiritual, and societal lives today.
This study contains 5 sessions:
- Memory and Erasure
- Complicity and Conscience
- Bearing Witness
- Repentance and Repair
- Walking Forward
Each session includes:
- Opening Prayer from a Native American
- Chapter Synopsis
- Provocative Thought
- Moment of Centering
- Group Discussion Questions
- Self-Reflection
- Historical Reflection
- Closing Ritual
Note: The book is not included with this book study. You will need to purchase the book separately.
This content was originally published by the General Commission on Religion and Race; republished with permission on ResourceUMC.org on November 5, 2026.