What Is A Community Group?
A place to share life and grow in faith together.
Share Life - A community group is a place for real community and friendship to occur. This starts during group but largely extends outside of group, as we share everyday life with one another. This social component is very crucial and what makes a community group a great place to invite others into. But sharing life is more than just social. Sometimes sharing life means caring for and being cared for by one another. This happens through prayer, accountability, and tangibly taking care of one another’s needs however and whenever possible.
Grow in Faith - A community group is meant to be a place where we can also grow in our faith. We experience God though biblical community that is rooted in a love for God and desire to know Him and His Word more. This spiritual component is where discuss the Bible and our faith together.
Why Community Groups?
We value real community and believe creating a place of authentic community is essential in leading people to life in Jesus. Biblically, there are at least 4 reasons why community is so important?
1. We are created to be in community. From the very beginning, we see that we are created to be in community. In Genesis 2:18, God says it is not good for man to be alone. Why? Because we are created to reflect God, and God is communal (Father-Son-Spirit). It is impossible to abide in the power & presence of God if we are not reflecting God in community.
2. We grow best in community. On our own we will fall. We have blind spots. We need others to help build us up. We are designed to be a part of the whole, and only when we all work together will we grow to maturity in Jesus. (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Hebrews 10).
3. We worship God in community. God did not desire only a single person. But rather, His desire is to create a people, a new family, who would worship Him. It’s many voices, many lives, together that worship God. (1 Peter 2, Galatians 4, 1 Corinthians 14)
4. We show Jesus in community. The Gospel is not only meant to be heard, but it is meant to be seen through the church, the community of Believers. It is only in community that we can forgive, show compassion, show humility, serve. In community we can reflect the Gospel to a watching world. (John 13, John 17)
We believe Community Groups is not just an optional program, but rather provide an indispensable way in helping us live out our mission.
It is in Community Group where we are encouraged and challenged to abide in relationship with Jesus.
It is in a Community Group that we can find and create real community with those inside the church as well as invite others to come and share life with us as well.
It is in a Community Group where we can regularly share the gospel in words and actions.
It is in a Community Group where people move from simply going to a church, to being the church with one another, where we can build one another to love, trust, and follow Jesus.