Small groups and bigger meetings

Most weeks we have a Mid-Week group either a small group or a larger gathering..

Small Groups

small group Some churches call these home groups, others connect group, others life groups.

As a Church we want to give space for us to meet in informal fellowship as well as to have opportunities to grow through teaching and exploring the bible.

This is why we have introduced 'small groups'

Small groups are really where church happens but they are not a replacement for church. Small groups provide a setting where the church begins to experience the kind of closeness that will characterise the life of the redeemed in the age to come. A small groups can be the primary place of belonging, discipleship; a community, not just a meeting.

Each small group is uniquely shaped by community that make it up, by people's gifting and calling. Small groups are the place where individuals grow together through mutual discipleship, regularly eating and praying together. Small groups connect with other small groups and connect to the wider church.

There is so much more that we could say about the role of a small group have a look at the small group guide to find out more.

Fellowship and Study

We meet together as a wider group, where the small groups and others joint together to study. This gives us an opportunity to grow together a a larger group. We may be led in studying the bible by someone in the church or we may use a range of published materials.

As a larger group we have looked at life issues and focused on exploring aspects of faith, the group has used a range of materials including.

Being Human

Many of us use figurative lenses to view the world. Like a political lens that views the world in terms of left and right. Or an economic lens that views the world in relation to finance, trade and market forces. Or a feminist lens that views the world in terms of patriarchy and dominance. But unlike these, the Being Human lens helps enlarge our vision. The point is not the lens itself, rather we see through the lens to examine the cultural stories forming and shaping our humanity today. But it is more than an exercise in analysis. The lens also helps us to see that there is a more compelling vision of what it is to be human available to us all.

At the centre of the Being Human lens is that focal point question: what does it mean to be human? Christianity is a deep revelation about how all of reality, including we ourselves as human beings, exist in God. But it is more than a revelation. It is an invitation to the new humanity found in Jesus, an invitation to truly good and beautiful significance, connection, presence and participation.

Significance – you matter. To be human is to search for significance and meaning in our contested culture. Through this aspect of the lens, we can explore the source of our significance, looking at what it means to know and be known and how this impacts our understanding of identity, dignity and equality.
Connection – we matter to each other. To be human is to crave connection in a world of self-centredness and fear and anxiety. Through the connection aspect, we can explore our desire to love and be loved, looking at relationships, justice and peace.
Presence – it matters that you are here, now. Every human being is called to be present to each other and to the world. This aspect helps us understand how the importance of bodies, the places we inhabit, and the time we are living in shape us as human beings.
Participation – the difference we make matters. To be human is to make a difference, to leave a legacy, to have an impact. Here we examine how power and freedom in Jesus leads us to fulfill our purpose.

The Being Human lens is designed to help us explore the fullness of what it means to be human. To understand what Jesus was offering when He declared, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10)

	Over the years, God has used the truths of Experiencing God to awaken believers to a radically God-centered way of life. As a result, millions have come to know God intimately, to recognize His voice, and to understand His will for their lives. This new edition is revised, updated, and ready to help you again--or for the very first time--experience your Creator. God is inviting you into an intimate love relationship through which He reveals to you His will, His ways, and His work. When you recognize where God is working, you can join Him in what He is doing. Carefully listening to His voice will anchor you in His plan and set you free to live it with boldness and freedom. Then you will experience God doing through you what only He can do. ● Learn to discern when God is speaking to you. ● Recognize God's activity around you. ● Adjust your life to God and His ways. ● Identify what God wants to do through you. ● Respond to God's activity in your life. ● Find where God is working and join Him. ● Be conformed into the image of God. ● Look to God, listen to Him, and watch for what his directives are. ● Obey God in every area of your life. ● Gain an understanding of what Scripture teaches about interacting with God. ● Adjust your life to be more fully used by God.
	Materials from Jonathan Conrathe's organisation Mission24 Each title is a four or five session series on that subject, recorded onto one DVD. Each session on each DVD is approximatly 11 minutes long with questions, and application points at the end to help individuals or home groups apply the truth of that session to their lives effectively. Believer's Authority Deliverance Ministering Healing Praise, Worship and the Presence of God Receiving Power Understanding the Prophetic. A sample of Believer's Authority can be found here
	The home groups are using "The me I want to be" - John Ortberg
	The home groups have used "Apprentice" by Steve Chalk
	The home groups are looking at Lifting the Lid on Lent
	The home groups are working through the Saddleback Church - Foundations Course
	The home groups have used the Alpha Course and often re run this course for new christians.
	The home groups have worked through the Freedom In Christ Discipleship Course
	The home groups have used gone through the blowing your cover programme
	The home groups have used gone through the Never Give Up Curriculum by Joyce Meyer
	The home groups have used gone through the "God is closer than you think" by John Ortberg
	The home groups have used gone through the "God is closer than you think" by John Ortberg

Midweek Groups

Small Groups

Fellowship and Study

Being Human

The Being Human lens is designed to help us explore the fullness of what it means to be human. To understand what Jesus was offering when He declared, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10)