So what are Community Groups?

Great question! The simplest way to answer this question is to know Community Groups make the large gatherings that happen on Sundays and Wednesdays feel more like a family. The majority of Community Groups average 10-12 people that simply do life together. They celebrate the ups and cry with the downs of life. They encourage, pray, serve, and gather together regularly. You can say they are an extension of your family or in some instances, they are your family.

When the word ‘community’ is in the title of these groups, it means a couple of things.

First, it is a  community of people that gather together to accomplish three things: study, serve, and party.

Study. Community Groups gather to study God’s Word together. Your faith is personal but it was never meant to be done alone. In Community Groups studying God’s Word in a setting that invites conversation allows faith to grow. The result of studying God’s Word is the application of serving.

Serve. Putting your words into action. Serving means that you are providing a need for someone. It may be providing a meal for a family, raking leaves, creating care packages, volunteering in the church, and so much more. Serving builds comradery with each other and helps others in need. When there is a bond between people you naturally want to hang out with each other.

Party. In Community Groups we call this partying with each other, not just any party but a party with a purpose. The purpose is to invite others to join you as you gather for a game night, movie night, a day at the park, dinner, and pretty much anything else that you do to socialize with one another. Inviting others to join you allows the doors to be open for gospel conversations and new friendships.

Second, the word community means groups of people in and of the community.

Community Groups exist to reflect God’s love to the community. These groups are made up of people that live in the communities that they are serving. When groups serve their community, it is living out the model Jesus set to serve and not be served. It turns the focus from yourself to others. As more and more people focus on what is best for them, serving begins to change that mindset and is a catalyst to understanding what Jesus meant to put others before yourself. The end result of serving is not just to provide a need but the opportunity to share the gospel with them. When the gospel is shared, the Great Commission is being fulfilled to go and make disciples.

The gospel is the backbone of Community Groups. The gospel drives us to study together, serve together, party together, and do life together.

Are you ready to join a Community Group? Let us help you! Go to www.fielder.org/connect and select “Get Connected” then Community Groups to begin the journey to find a group for you.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us at grouplife@fielder.org and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Carlos Montoya, Community Groups Pastor