A community group is a gathering of
people who meet together regularly to help each other grow spiritually,
emotionally, and relationally.
Every community group, as they seek to live ou the vision and values of
CF, decides what they do on their own. You have to contact the group
leader to know what a specific group is doing. Typically, it involves
application of scripture, discussion and prayer.
Community Groups are the primary way to get involved and build
relationships with other people who desire to Imitate Christ, Tell His
Story and Relationally Engage our Neighbors for th Glory of God. Every
community group has its own personality which is shaped by people who
are seeking to live out the vision and values of Community Fellowship.
Most of all, Community Groups are a safe place for you to begin
experiencing biblical community as you grow in your relationship with
Christ.
Click on the link below to begin the process of finding a group that fits your schedule, interest, and/or location.
Find a COMMUNITY GROUP
Downloadable
PDF Community Group List
If you're interested in starting a Community Group in your area, Contact Kevin Sampson
There are morning, evening and noontime groups that meet in homes,
restaurants, coffee shops, Community Fellowship and businesses
throughout the area. A typical meeting will last an hour and a half.
The purpose of Community Groups is to connect and grow authentic
relationships with God, our brothers and sisters, and our neighbors.
Community Groups function as the main way for the church body to
become like family. In Community Groups, people talk through life
issues, eat together, pray together, laugh together, serve others
together, etc.
We intentionally say that getting involved means participating in
both the Sunday gatherings and a Community Group. Sundays are a time
for celebrating in worship together and hearing the preaching of the
Word. Smaller Groups are preferred for building relationships with
one another and living life together. Both types of gatherings meet
different needs in the spiritual health of the Church as well as
individually, which is why we emphasize both.
Community Groups are an environment for building relationships with one another which strongly emphasizes challenging one another to drive God's Word deeply into our lives. Some Groups follow the Sunday sermon series; some choose to work through another book of the Bible. In most cases though, Bible reading and discussion is geared toward personal life application and transformation rather than intensive Bible teaching.
A typical meeting can involve time for food, conversation, prayer,
and discussion for applying the Bible to practical living. Many
Community Groups have periodic special events such as barbeques or
parties.
No. If you consider Community Fellowship your church home, you are
welcome to join a Community Group before becoming a member or
ministry partner as we call it. However, we do stress the importance
of becoming a ministry partner, since Community Groups are intended
for those who call Community Fellowship their home and for the
friends and neighbors we are trying to reach. Ministry Partnership
is required to be a Community Group Leader or Host.
Definitely. Joining a Community Group is a great way to find out more
about Jesus and see what Christians are like. If you have questions,
we can help you process through them.
We love the idea of families attending a Group together. Plans for
accomodating children vary from Group to Group. Feel free to either
inquire with the Group directly, or email ksampson@commfell.org for a
recommendation.
Community Fellowship appreciates the value of relationships between people in various life stages, so connecting people by neighborhood or region is our goal. We encourage you pursue relationships both with those who are in a similar life stage as you, and those in different stages. Ideally, you will find a Group with a blend of both.
Our vision is for each Group to be active in diverse ways, as an
overall sign of Group health. God-given passions and areas of gifting
are reflected through individual Group members. Here is how the
Apostle Paul put the idea:
If
the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If
the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in
fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just
as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the
body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. (1 Corinthians
12:17-20)
Community Groups are designed to be small enough for members to get
to know each other well. When a Group grows to a size of
approximately 12-15 people, they are strongly encouraged to focus on
planting a new Group out of the original Group.
Consistent participation is very important for the stability of
Groups, and not all Groups are equally able to accommodate irregular
attendees. Due to the effect on the Group as a whole, a minimum
expectation is that individuals should attend more than half of the
meetings. Individuals with challenging schedules are encouraged to
email ksampson@commfell.org for assistance in looking for a Group
that may be an appropriate fit.
Each Community Group meets at the time and location that works for
the majority of people in the Group. In time, it is possible that a
Group could form that would be a better match for those with less
common schedules.
We recognize that you may need to visit a few Community Groups before
you find the right fit. Our goal is to help you minimize the number
of Groups you might visit, and help you settle into a Group you can
call home as quickly as possible. If you'd like help finding a
good fit, please attend DISCOVERY class or contact us for assistance
by emailing Kevin Sampson.
Community Groups expand into new areas when and where we have a Community Fellowship member who desires to host a Group. Our ability to plant Groups in new areas is influenced by the number of people in a given area who attend Community Fellowship. If the next closest Group is too far away to attend, check back periodically to see if a Group has been planted in an area closer to you. We recommend that you to join the nearest Group to you so that you can be plugged into the Community in the meantime.
Not necessarily, but location is an important consideration. Much of
the actual Community that exists in a Community Group may take place
informally outside of the Community Group gatherings. This is a great
disadvantage for someone who does not already live or work near the
area where the Group meets.