building community beyond Sunday morning
Are Groups new? Yes and no. We’ve had small groups for decades, but they were often called “classes” and came with the corresponding connotation of going back to school – not an exciting prospect for most people…and we scratch that learning itch on Sunday mornings as we listen to teaching and figure out how to apply it to our individual lives.
That should be a regular part of our lives, but it’s not designed to build relationships beyond those moments. Sure, you can sit in the same section and say hi to the same people every week, but we need more. One of our Group leaders, Dave Goldsmith, said it best: “The greatest value of Groups is not what we learn but who we meet.”
You might not meet your new BFF in a Group. However, you will undoubtedly experience community with fellow travelers on this Jesus-following journey. You will connect with people you’ve never met before and have the chance to forge relationships that could last the rest of your life.
Why Groups? Our relationship with Jesus is intensely personal, but it was never meant to be lived alone. We have Christ, and we have each other.
Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.