Community

One  of the easiest errors to make about growing as a disciple is that it is  essentially about learning more and more content. As important as content is, what’s more important is Christ-centered relationships. There are two key reasons why Christ-centered relationships are central. First, in disciple-making more is caught than is taught. We learn as we grow in friendship and model for one another how to live as disciples. We all need a place where we can practice imitating Christ as we imitate each other(1 Corinthians 11:1). Over the long  haul, who we relate to has more influence on our ability to live as fully devoted disciples than the amount of doctrine we have memorized.

The other reason Christ-centered relationships are central is because growing as a disciple is not a linear process.  There is no cookie-cutter pattern the Holy Spirit follows as He works with each of us. Each journey is unique and personal. Yet no one can make the journey alone. Everyone needs a place of love, support,  connection and even accountability to grow as a disciple. We need a  group of other disciples who come alongside and walk with us through the  challenging seasons of spiritual growth. This is why we have community groups.

Community groups typically meet twice a month and have 8-12 members, and they are always open to newcomers. There is no single pattern for groups; some groups may be coed with kids while other groups may be for men or women only. The group hosts are responsible for  leading, organizing, and shepherding the community group. In our community groups, we do three things: eat, pray, and discuss scripture.