Our Growth Groups ministry has launched for 2020. Going to a Bible study is not a new idea (although it’s not that old either!) but our Growth Groups ministry is more than just getting into the Bible. Our leaders are directed and supported on how to create a group that is caring for and coaching one another.
We coach one another in the Christian faith. This is also known as discipleship. We meet to encourage one another and pray for one another and to listen and learn. It is a support group which leans on the scriptures for direction and truth. We do learn the skills of good Bible reading. We nurture prayer. We remind each other of the hope that we have in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We teach, correct, rebuke and train in living out our faith – all in love and Christian relationship.
We care for one another in appropriate ways. Being connected to a Growth Group means you are connected to people in the church. When life gets hard, your group ought to be aware of this. When others are struggling, then you ought to be aware too. We have pastoral care teams in our church but one of the earliest places for support is found in your Growth Group. We are all needy and we are all needed. A Growth Group can be a place where we learn how to care with wisdom and truth. Even those who are unable to attend Growth Group meetings can get connected to an appropriate group as a Satellite Member. Ask for more information on this if this is where you are at.
This ministry in our church is important because we can raise up and equip hubs of people to do the work of disciple making. Those who engage with this ministry soon find themselves engaging with church better. In any growing church, it is important to be ministering to one another and Growth Groups enable us to do this in an ordered and facilitated manner.
The best way to get into a Growth Group is to ask the people close to you at church which Growth Group they are in. Our information tables also provide information on when and where each group is running.
We’ll be starting off this week with a 6 part study on ‘how to love your church.’ This is a very practical study aimed at transforming our thinking at church. Someone once said, we don’t go to church… we are the church. How we approach our Sunday or Wednesday service can have a very real impact on the health of the congregation – positive or negative.
I pray that 2020 will be a year of engaging with God and with one another as an effective body of Christ in Macarthur. I believe that the Growth Groups program is worth getting into.
Acting Rector
Simon Twist
Yours in Christ.