COMMUNITY GROUPS
“No matter how good the preaching or worship is in a particular church, unless people are involved in some kind of small group fellowship they will leave a local church in 2 or 3 years and move onto the next.”
WHAT ARE COMMUNITY GROUPS?
Community groups are small group gatherings that meet in homes around Daniel Island and Clements Ferry for the edification of both believers and those exploring the truths of Christianity. In community groups, people come to know God and to experience His presence, community is developed and fostered, and people are nurtured, equipped and released for God's work in the world. Community groups provide an opportunity for friendship, mutual support, practical love and service, learning about the Christian faith, prayer, and sharing of how God is at work. They are led by trained lay-leaders from the congregation who are given on-going support.
WHY DO WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY GROUPS?
We believe that a healthy church can be defined primarily by its relationships— relationships with God and with others. When people go unnoticed and are not connected to others in any meaningful way, they suffer and so does their relationship with God. God created us in his image to live in community with him and with one another. In the very beginning, God said "it is not good for man to be alone.” When we live in community where people know each other, are involved with one another, and keep track of one another, we are living out God’s design for our lives and people grow and mature. The early church recognized that the essence of being the church was face-to-face, where every member was ministering to every member in a small group context. (1 Cor. 14). Nurtured within a culture which encourages a radical individualism, our ability to participate in a robust community life has been severely diminished. The muscles required for life together have wasted away and atrophied. It is no wonder that many of our attempts at being a community are unfulfilling and sub-par. Simply put: we are not very good at it. But this can be no excuse for avoiding it. After all, it is what we were created for and it is what God expects from us. The more we work at it, the better we will become at it. We must recommit ourselves to developing the muscles necessary to become God’s new society.
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE GATHER IN COMMUNITY GROUPS?
A typical meeting involves sharing a meal, discussing questions related to the Sunday’s Scripture and sermon, sharing joys and needs, and praying for one another. Most groups are comprised of both members and guests.