connect
- upward — with God
- inward — with each other
- outward — with our neighbours and community
It is only in relationship with others that lasting growth
and change in life will happen.
In a small group, people study God's Word and they are also in a small enough environment to discuss the issues and challenges of their life. A small group is also where we pray together, care for one another, and if someone does not show up, they are missed.
There will never be a way for our pastor to personally minister to everyone who attends our church. That's why we place a high value on small group involvement.
Our members meet in the spirit of the early New Testament home churches. In Acts 2, Christians gathered together in homes to study Scripture, bonding as a Christ-loving community, and advancing the Gospel where they lived. They held everything in common through friendship, prayer, fellowship, meals, and study. Most of our groups take place in the homes of church members who are committed to sharing their lives with those who participate in their group.
Our Goals
To develop deep and lasting relationships.
We have found that a small group environment is the best way to form friendships. We can participate in many activities having fun, light-hearted times. These moments help us to open our hearts to one another. Then we can begin to share honestly, drop our masks, and stop pretending. In time, we learn to trust one another.
To grow in relationship with God.
We believe small groups must ultimately point to God or they will not succeed. In our small groups, this comes through worship, prayer, Bible study, confession of our sins, and holding one another accountable to mature in Christ.
To provide adequate pastoral care for each member.
Whether the church is 50 or 5,000, a small group is the ideal environment to functionally be the church. It is where we love, care and serve one another.
To relate the Word of God personally and practically to daily life.
It is through the application of God's Word to our lives and the submission to God's Word as our absolute authority that we can become what God desires.
To train group members to do the works of Jesus.
We believe that everyone is called to minister in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We have found that it is safe to learn to practice and grow in gifts in a small group among friends. We try to provide an atmosphere where people can step out, take risks, and even fail from time to time without ridicule. We encourage the modeling of gifts in our meetings.
To provide a place for crisis and ongoing healing.
Everyone needs healing from time to time. Some of us will even face emergencies or crisis moments. In either situation, we need a close group of friends who will pray for us. These groups offer comfort, counsel, prayer support and helping hands when needed. There is no one like friends in a time of need or crisis.
To develop leaders.
New leadership is necessary every growing church. Most churches are limited in the size they can attain by the amount of quality leaders who are emerging. Small groups provide us a way to identify, recruit, and train our new church leaders. We do this by watching those who emerge as leaders within our groups. We then draw alongside these men and women to give them further training and help them develop the gifting within them.
To add new members and believers into the life of the church.
You are a member of the church when you function in it. You participate by, committing time, energy and money to this fellowship. Secondly, you demonstrate commitment to the people of this fellowship by joining and participating in a small group.
Doable Evangelism.
Every group should have specific projects to serve their neighbourhood or city in some tangible and practical way. We desire every group to participate in bringing a people to Christ. Evangelism is preparing ground, sowing seeds, and harvesting. God brings the growth and we are called to be stewards of it.
To multiply groups.
Ideally, groups should grow. In fact, they must grow or they will eventually die from stagnation. It is important for people to personally invite and bring their friends into the small group. Our hope is that every group will reproduce itself.