We are a church of groups not with groups.
Want to get connected?
How do I get involved in a group?
We have group sign-ups multiple times a year that typically follow our liturgical calendar. We have a Groups Sign-Up Page where you can find a group that meets at a time and place that is convenient for you, provides your particular study interests, is a group that has similar interests as you, or a group in common life-stage as you; we even have groups that are online only groups. Also, we usually have a group for people who are either new to the church, new to groups, or both. Everyone in this group is in the same place so it’s a great place to start and meet some new people at the same time.
We are created for community.
God created us not just to want people in our lives, God created us to need one another. We grow spiritually when we grow together.
God is a relational God and seeks relations with us and God’s creation. Without others in our lives, we simply do not live into the full image of God and the desires God has for us. We need people to grow spiritually and to care for one another. God set in motion from the beginning certain godly and human realities that are uniquely “imaged” and “reflected” where two or more persons come together in the presence of God and one another. We are the Body of Christ when we are living together in community and we fulfill our mission of proclaiming Christ through faith, hope, and love.
Jesus was in a group.
Jesus was in a group of a core of twelve and had many others around him, and that was something that Jesus valued for himself, and those in his group. They all, even Jesus, benefited from “doing life together.” The gospels are a record of Jesus and this group that lasted for around three years. Jesus and the group journeyed together, lived together, taught one another, and cared for one another. If it was good enough for Jesus, isn’t it good enough for us too? If Jesus needed it and modeled it, we should follow that example.
The church started in groups.
Before there was even an organized Christian church, the early followers of Jesus met in small groups in homes to talk about God, pray for one another, eat with one another, care for one another, and partake in Communion. What we refer to as the early church, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, was made up of small groups. Everyone was in one. Groups have never been a ministry of the church—they are the church. What happens on Sunday is small groups coming together to all worship together however, real spiritual growth, community, and care happens outside of the Sunday morning worship. Sunday worship is to support groups, not the other way around.