It’s Thursday morning and I am still buzzing from the Growth Group launch night last night. Masses of people from all our congregations gathered together to celebrate a new year, give thanks for the opportunity to be devoted to maturing in Jesus and to launch another year of Growth Groups. The message of the night was – get in a group and be part of the growth.
Growth Groups are in many ways the powerhouse of our church. They are small communities of people who meet together weekly to read the bible and grow in Christian maturity together. They usually meet in people’s homes in our local area and have between 8-14 people – some are bigger, some smaller. I have been in a Growth Group since 1985 and I think there are few things better for regular and steady personal Christian growth than to meet up with other believers around God’s Word. Growth Groups complement the opportunities for growth we have on Sundays.
Simon Twist, our Maturity Pastor, has articulated four purposes for our Growth Groups.
Growth Groups are for…
- Learning how to read the bible correctly
- Discovering how to pray and develop an active dependence on God
- Community, care and encouragement
- Serving and Mission
Each group spends some time together reading through the bible passage that will be preached on in the following Sunday services. This helps to have a good look and think and pray about the bible passage along with good friends before arriving at church on Sunday. People tend to get more out of the Sunday message when they have already thought through the issues raised in the passage.
Throughout the group time there are a myriad of opportunities to pray – as you share together about your lives, in response to the passage you have read, and often at the end for broader concerns of the group and church. Growth Groups are able to actively model what it looks like to have an active dependence on God.
In a complicated church like ours with multiple congregations, finding a connection with people is important – we want you to feel at home and a part of what is going on. You will never know everyone in our church but being in a Growth Group gets you connected and gives you the opportunity to know people and to be known. It is great to walk into a big crowd at church and know there are a dozen or so people who are looking out for you each week.
Our Growth Groups are also our primary avenue for care and love throughout our church. We pray that relationships will be fostered in every group that will lead to people genuinely caring for one another, noticing when someone is missing, providing practical support for those in need and upholding one another in prayer. They are also great hubs into which you can invite unbelievers and from which you can launch each other into ministry.
It’s not too late to join a group for 2019 – in fact our groups are always open. Grab a flyer from the membership table, email the church office or ask the person sitting next to you in church. Chances are, they will be in a group already!
In Christ
Nigel