Community Groups
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your souls. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11-12
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Each of these texts describe a relationship and a context… In two relationships, God calls us into two vital and consistent relationships… with Christians AND unbelievers. In two contexts, God calls us to live good lives both among believers AND unbelievers; he calls us to gather together with fellow believers on a consistent basis in order to provide a time to serve and challenge one another and to fulfill the “one another” commands throughout the New Testament AND to grow in our mission to our community.
Community groups provide this context. We meet three times a month in homes, eat a meal together, much like a family. These times provide a context beyond the regular Sunday Gatherings whereby we can be transparent and grow in relationship with one another, while at the same develop a strategy to be a witness to our local communities. In other words, we believe our Community Groups are the most effective vehicle for both mission and discipleship…
Why the Sunday Gathering Service?
What is the function of our Sunday Gathering? First, Sunday gatherings provide much needed equipping and vision casting from the GCC eldership in a context of celebration that occurs within the dynamics of the larger gathering. Both these two elements (equipping and celebration) are more difficult to achieve in small groups – not impossible, just more difficult. Secondly, Sundays are also important because we are a body of believers and as such, we need regular times to come together and express and celebrate our unity and maintain relationships that could not be sustained otherwise.
The Sunday Service must drive us to Do something
The Sunday gatherings are an integral and important part of The Gathering, no one would deny that. But we must be careful here… If we were truly honest with ourselves we would admit that this individualistic culture we live in infects us – to such a degree that we can feel “at home” with event driven Christianity without connection with others. It is easy for us to simply go to “church” on Sunday to relax in a pew and “receive” what is placed before us, like a smorgasbord; and leave without changing, and live a separate existence the rest of the week. The Sunday celebration not only provides limited opportunity for us to exercise our gifts as members of Christ’s body. But something else could easily be missed: That the church is not an event, or a building, but a new community of saved sinners, called out to celebrate and display the excellencies of Jesus who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Church is not an event. It’s a Community.
Mission is not an event. It’s a Lifestyle.
We are called to live ordinary life with Gospel Intentionality.
Tim Chester, Total Church
Jesus is calling us to “do” his word… to apply what we learn on Sundays. Christian experience: discipleship, sanctification, relationship, mission take place in the normal “stuff” of life, in the regular rhythms of everyday life… seven days a week. In the stuff of everyday life… not just on Sundays.
Community groups, we believe, gathering together on a consistent basis provides the environment for nurturing our relationships with one another, while learning together and challenging each other to live this life with Gospel intentionality. It’s as simple as that….
What are some of the things Community Groups do?
Community Groups gather three times a month. We gather in homes to share a meal together, learn each other’s stories and grow together in much the same way a family would. We spend time worshipping, praying for another, and in Bible study.
Each CG develops a strategic plan on how to gospelize our local community… Each CG takes time together to dialog and research the needs and rhythms of their local community with the goal of integrating the normal rhythms of our lives with our community with gospel intentionality and sustainability (for more info, see link: Community Groups at The Gathering). How this plays out will be different for each community group. It could include:
- Adopting a local establishment or business
- Commitment to get to know the employees, guests with gospel intentionality.
- A monthly celebration/party with unbelieving neighbors
- This could be rotated between the homes of the CG members
- This could also take various forms depending on the rhythms of the local community
- A quarterly community service
- A local non-profit, charity, public school or park or a shut-in…
The Community Groups also are very productive:
- They are a great and safe environment for expression of spiritual gifts
- A helpful place to equip under-shepherds and other serving gifts.
- Opportunity for obeying the “one another” commands in the New Testament.
- Provides a care network of close relationships for your local group
- Because Community Groups are missional, they are Reproductive: and will ultimately provide opportunities for future church plants.
Read More About Community Groups // Find a Community Group in Your Area
