|
|
Small Groups
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Mt 18:20 (NIV 1984)
Small Groups — Study Groups — Covenant Groups — Service Groups—Fellowship Groups... Are we going Group Crazy? What do we mean by all these groups in the church?
We have the best example of small group formation when we look at Jesus himself. His ministry is to the whole world but he concentrated his efforts with a small group of twelve. Whatever we call our small groups they are designed to give everyone of us opportunities to deepen and share our faith in Jesus Christ.
Our small groups program has been instrumental in bringing us together, giving a venue to pray and deepen relationships with each other and with God. We want to continue these groups and expand them. To do this we plan to add a number of Covenant Groups. These are groups of 2 or more folks who agree to meet for a specific time to focus on life issues of their choosing.
For example: A group of 5 may decide to meet at noon on Thursdays for 6 months. When they gather they may decide that their covenant would focus around three questions such as: Where have I seen God at work this week? Where have I been, “The Church” this week? How can I be, “The Church” this coming week? After a few weeks or months, they may decide to do a study for a time. After the 6 months have passed they evaluate their time together and decide if they want to continue. This is only one example. Each group determines their own focus depending on the interests and desires of group members.
We hope to form at least 2 or 3 covenant groups in the next few weeks with more forming throughout the year. Will you consider being a part of a group or even forming a group with a focus on common interest and needs? I plan to be part of the forming of a covenant group myself. Come join us, and Jesus will be with us!
Bill
Discipleship
|
|
