WHAT WE ARE ABOUT
Letting God shape us to be who He wants us to be.
The Bible talks about us maturing in our faith. We mature in our faith as we hear the Gospel preached, participate in the sacraments and daily prayer and reading God's Word.
THE LANGUAGE WE USE
We want to help you do the things that lead to Spiritual Growth. Hearing the Gospel preached, participating in the sacraments, daily prayer and daily scripture reading are how God shapes us.
HOW WE HELP YOU DO THIS
Our small groups are called Growth Groups. Members record their daily readings and prayer time on a community form used by the whole group. The recording of your daily reading and prayer serves a few purposes. First, it encourages other people in your group as you are all on this journey of faith together. Motivating and encouraging one another is a great way to stay on track. Second, if the readings and prayer stop, that is an indication for your group leader to reach out and see how you are doing. Your group leader prays for you twice a week and if there is an issue you are having, they want to pray for you.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
We come to church for an hour a week. This is important. However, there are 167 hours in the week. We want to help you on Sunday AND ALSO during the week. The Christian Journey is a daily walk. Growth Groups are the tool we use to help members do the things that lead to Spiritual Growth.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS OF YOU?
Everyone should be reading at least one chapter a day in the bible. They should also be spending at least five minutes a day in prayer.
WHAT ARE THE EXECTATONS YOU SHOULD HAVE OF LIGHT OF CHRIST?
You will be prayed for twice a week by your Growth Group Leader. You will also be prayed for at least one time a week by Pastor Jim. We want to encourage you on this journey and we are here to help you. We will follow up with you if you stop recording your prayer and reading. We do this to make sure you are okay. If you stop recording for awhile, this is an indication for us to check on you to see how you are doing.
WHAT IF I MISS A DAY OF PRAYER OR READING?
This will happen. Life gets difficult. No one does this 100% of the time. We usually wait a week of no recordings to check in on you. So, don’t worry if you miss a day or several days. It happens. This is one reason we call this a journey.
FINALLY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE ARE MATURING IN OUR FAITH?
This is the part that is impossible to directly define. God has gifted us all differently and in different measure. One person may be gifted in Evangelism while another is gifted in Hospitality. At this point, it is individual. This is why we don’t have a program that forces everyone into the same mold. We trust God to develop us to be who He wants us to be. Part of the journey is discovering what God is shaping us for. As we read in Galatians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
This is a quick overview. If you want more details you can download a much more detailed explanation. It is a long reading so you won't be able to read it in two minutes.
