LIFE Groups
What
is a Life Group?
A
Life Group is a small group of people meeting with a purpose: to experience
God, transform lives, and impact our world. One of our core values at Faith is
that life change happens best in small groups. We want to cultivate that value by
intentionally encouraging people to share their faith with each other in a
group setting. We know some people have the personality to reach out beyond
their comfort zone and form new relationships, but Life Groups is all about
providing a little encouragement to form new relationships where it’s safe to
talk about our faith and our life. We want to live life together.
Acts
2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done
through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in
common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing
the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple
together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad
and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
What
do Life Groups do?
Every
Life Group has a threefold purpose. That purpose is reflected in our vision
statement: experiencing God, transforming lives, and impacting our world. Every
group has a spiritual, relational, and missional dynamic. In other words, they
look upward, inward, and outward.
- Upward -
Life Groups pray at every meeting and have a short devotion to dig deeper
in God’s Word.
- Inward -
Life Groups are about building relationships with people. That’s why Life Groups are formed with
common interests in mind and encouraged to meet in coffee houses and homes
throughout the community: to facilitate fellowship with one another.
- Outward -
Life Groups also must incorporate a missions project into each session.
This can be as local as volunteering at the homeless shelter or helping to
build a house with Habitat for Humanity or as ambitious as going on a
missions trip overseas. If you join a Life Group, you will be drawn closer
to God, closer to other believers, and you will impact the world in His
name.
When do Life
Groups meet?
Life
Groups can choose to meet whenever they would like, provided it is a reasonable
time for those who attend the group. However, we prefer that most Life Groups meet
at least every other week, with some exceptions.
For Example: Some Life Groups will prefer to
meet every Sunday night, while others prefer to meet during the week, mornings
or evenings.
How
long is a Life Group meeting?
The
length of the Life Group meeting depends on the group but a typical meeting
should last a minimum of 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. Life Group meetings are long enough to allow
for groups members to grow in the Word and develop deeper relationship with one
another. Life Group leaders start and
end on time because we know that your time is valuable.
Where
do Life Groups meet?
Because
we want Life Groups to be missional, we would prefer groups to meet outside the
church premises. Life Groups meet in homes, and others meet in various places
in the community: coffee houses, restaurants, golf courses, or anywhere people
gather. The Life Group setting should be
accessible to anyone who wants to participate in experiencing God, transforming
lives, and impacting the world, not just regular attendees at Faith.
How
can I join a Life Group?
You
can join a Life Group at any time. For a
schedule of when Life Groups meet, just take a look at the Life Group Schedule
on our website. And there is no limit to
what Life Groups you can attend. We do
however prefer that you attend a Life Group that shares a common interest you
have or is studying a particular subject you have interest in.
Can
I be a Life Group leader?
Yes.
Anyone that feels called of God to lead a group that is spiritual, relational,
and missional can start a Life Group. If you feel led to lead a Life Group, contact
the Life Group Director today so we can begin to walk you through our simple
steps of getting started. We’ll take you through a two-week training, discuss
the specifics of your new group, and set a date to launch.
