It is often said that small groups are the key to feeling connected in a large church. That’s why we urge everyone at Hope Fellowship to belong to a small group.
We discussed the importance of small groups again this week at the Pastoral Elders meeting where Melissa Claxton-Oldfield reported on her work as Community Life Co-ordinator. She provided us with a list of thirty-two groups that are currently functioning in our church. These groups include the New Members Class, Table-talks for Seasoned Souls, the Tuesday night Ladies Bible Study, the Men’s Hockey Team, the new Parenting Solo group, the Wednesday night Prayer group and twelve home groups.
Melissa also informed us that she had almost fifteen requests from people who were interested in joining a group. The pastoral elders discussed this together, and various small group leaders will be asked to invite these people into their groups.
I happened to mention that we had attended a community church in Orillia on our weekend off, and that this church had shown a slide during the service that listed two groups that were welcoming new members. I found this announcement to be very helpful, but I was especially struck by the fact that they called their groups “Life Groups.” Melissa and the pastoral elders really liked this name, preferring it to “small” groups or “cell” groups. So we decided that we would begin referring to our small groups as Life Groups, too. “After all,” one person remarked, “it’s about doing life together.” Good point, especially when you expand that to mean, “doing spiritual life together.”
If you would like to be in a Life Group, if you have room in your group, or if you are wiling to start one, please contact Melissa (community@hopefellowship.ca). Also, we can look forward to an upcoming worship service in February when the importance of belonging to a Life Group will be highlighted.
Life Groups: it’s the great way that we do pastoral care and feel more connected at Hope Fellowship.
- Pastor Peter
We discussed the importance of small groups again this week at the Pastoral Elders meeting where Melissa Claxton-Oldfield reported on her work as Community Life Co-ordinator. She provided us with a list of thirty-two groups that are currently functioning in our church. These groups include the New Members Class, Table-talks for Seasoned Souls, the Tuesday night Ladies Bible Study, the Men’s Hockey Team, the new Parenting Solo group, the Wednesday night Prayer group and twelve home groups.
Melissa also informed us that she had almost fifteen requests from people who were interested in joining a group. The pastoral elders discussed this together, and various small group leaders will be asked to invite these people into their groups.
I happened to mention that we had attended a community church in Orillia on our weekend off, and that this church had shown a slide during the service that listed two groups that were welcoming new members. I found this announcement to be very helpful, but I was especially struck by the fact that they called their groups “Life Groups.” Melissa and the pastoral elders really liked this name, preferring it to “small” groups or “cell” groups. So we decided that we would begin referring to our small groups as Life Groups, too. “After all,” one person remarked, “it’s about doing life together.” Good point, especially when you expand that to mean, “doing spiritual life together.”
If you would like to be in a Life Group, if you have room in your group, or if you are wiling to start one, please contact Melissa (community@hopefellowship.ca). Also, we can look forward to an upcoming worship service in February when the importance of belonging to a Life Group will be highlighted.
Life Groups: it’s the great way that we do pastoral care and feel more connected at Hope Fellowship.
- Pastor Peter
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