R - Relationships with God and others are given a higher priority in our lives. God is all about relationships. He sent His only Son for us so that we might have a personal connected relationship with Him. Because believers in Jesus have the same Father in heaven, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and can enjoy the incredible experience of being “family.”
E – Evangelism becomes more “natural” – just invite your friends, relatives and work associates to your Life Group. Those who may never step a foot in church may feel comfortable in a home environment with a small group of Christians who demonstrate genuine love, warmth and honesty. This may allow those who are unbelieving to become more receptive to the Christian faith.
L – Learn the Bible in a way that brings it alive to your life and deepens your personal understanding. You will have the opportunity to consider and discuss, ask questions and investigate the Word of God in the context of a Life Group and discover how it applies to your life. The give and take of a small group allows for a whole new level of learning.
A – Attention is given to individuals in a way that could never happen in our large church worship services. It’s in Life Groups “where people know you and care.”
T – Time is set aside each week or bi-monthly to devote to spiritual growth. Participation in a Life Group is saying –God and people are important in my life.
I – Individuals don’t feel isolated when they are in a Life Group. Life Groups are made up of people from different walks of life. There are married couples, single adults, people with children in different stages of life, empty nesters, single college aged, divorced, widowed and senior adults. A Life Group is a small group of people to whom you are connected, study the Bible together, pray together and want to get to know you.
O – Others-oriented lives, are something Jesus talked about repeatedly. Participation in Life Groups means we are thinking and caring about others. Our focus in life widens to care about others in significant and tangible ways.
N - New Testament Christians (as in the book of Acts), met together regularly. There will never be enough professional church staff to meet every individual’s needs. God’s plan was that all Christians would minister to each other.
S – Spiritual Giftedness has a place for expression in Life Groups. Perhaps you will find that you have gifts of leadership that were never discovered. It’s in the context of ministry that your spiritual gift of hospitality, helps, intercession, mercy or administration (as well as many others) is developed and your sense of God-given purpose amplified. Life Groups encompass great opportunities for the development of spiritual gifts.
H – Handling the Pressures of Life comes easier when we share our concerns, struggles, and joys. We find in Life Groups we “do life together” and “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”.
I – Investing our lives in eternal values sets our priorities in place. Life Groups help us to do just that.
P – Prayer becomes more significant as we lift up the needs of others in our group and community and have the assurance that our needs are being prayed for as well.
S – Significance – God honoring lives lived out in community give us a sense of significance, knowing that God loves us, saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and gives us unique purpose and meaning.
