What Is a Community Group?
Community Groups are small gatherings of people that build relationships, grow in Christ, and serve the community.Our Goal
At Gaines Church, our goal is to help people become more like Christ in their daily lives. Christianity is not a Sunday-only thing. Community Groups help people move beyond a Sunday - morning faith.Our Community Groups emphasize three things:
- Relationships: A Community Group develops relationships with one another, taking care of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of each person in the group.
- Discipleship: A Community Group studies lessons that are designed to help participants understand God, His Word, and what it takes to live as a new creation.
- Service: A Community Group serves in the church and community, developing ways to help those around them. Each Community Group engages in at least two service projects a year.
Types of Community Groups
Gaines Church has Community Groups for people at all different stages of life. Most Community Groups consist of 12-15 people. They typically meet in a person’s home. Each group is served by a trained Community Group Facilitator.Your Time Commitment
At Gaines Church, the Community Group Calendar follows the school year. Our Groups run on a 14/16 Cycle. They meet every other week for 14 weeks in the fall and 16 weeks in the winter/spring, with time off in between cycles and during the summer. During a cycle, a Community Group meets every other week for 1-2 hours.Stress and Rest in a Community Group Season
The primary reason Community Groups run on a 14/16 Cycle is that people need times of stress where they are growing spiritually followed by times of rest where they can process the growth they accomplished. Think of an athlete giving his or her body time off for muscles to heal, or picture it this way:
How You Plug In
During the promotional month leading up to a cycle, you can sign up for a Community Group through the Communication Card in your Sunday Bulletin.What we Value
- Authentic, loving relationships
- Biblical study that is application-oriented
- Honesty and confidentiality
- Serving in the community
- Leadership development
- Times of rest