Small Groups

At Grace, our vision is to help everyone find a small group where they can connect to God, to one another and to Grace so that Christ’s redemptive purposes are accomplished in the world.  We define a small group as a group of people who meet regularly to intentionally pursue full devotion to Christ and are served by a leader/facilitator who can help them achieve their purpose.

Small Groups: Community with a Cause
Small Groups provide the optimal place for…

• Transformation
  “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6
  
  …growing in mutual accountability, in mutual submission and in the application of scriptural truth, so that seekers and believers become more like Jesus in attitude and behavior.

• Community
  “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24–25, NLT
  
  …creating an environment characterized by authenticity and transparency so that seekers and believers enter into relationships where they are known, loved, accepted, and challenged.

• Compassion
  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
  
  … encouraging group members to grow in love for others so that seekers and believers embrace and serve people in and beyond their small group.

• Mission
  “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Matthew 9:37–38
  
  … building a community with a kingdom perspective so that each small group member actively pursues relationships with lost people and considers God’s calling to group leadership.

Each Small Group can be described by various defining characteristics:
Group Location – Groups often meet together according to the region, city or town where the members live.

Group Affinity – Groups often meet together according to shared affinities, such as gender, marital stage, activities, hobbies, work, areas of service, or major life events.

Group Emphasis – Groups often meet together according to the desired group emphasis. Some groups emphasize study, some emphasize service, others emphasize relationships, and still others emphasize activities – yet all four of these components exist in most Small Groups.