Three Qualities of a Healthy Community Group

No two Community Groups look alike… yet, there are some common characteristics of groups that are healthy. When I meet with prospective Community Group Leaders, there are three things that I emphasize that they must develop in their group. As the Community Groups Pastor, it’s my desire that every Rock Community Group would be growing and engaged in all three of these characteristics:

1.     Relational Engagement (aka – Authentic Community)

As I wrote in another post (CLICK HERE), God created us for relationships with others, and without them, we are isolated and vulnerable to discouragement and defeat. Community Groups are a safe place to be honest and transparent about the victories and struggles in life. As you spend time with those in your group, you’ll find those relationships growing into true friendships. The best place to grow closer to Jesus is in a community of friends!

2.     Spiritual Formation (aka – Discipleship)

When Jesus met with his disciples for the last time before he ascended to heaven, he gave them their marching orders:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matt 28:19-20a)

This passage is at the core of what the church is called to do – make disciples. A disciple is a learner, one who is in the process of becoming like their master. And that’s our goal, becoming like our master, Jesus! Every Community Group includes time spent in the Word, prayer, and encouragement for spiritual growth. But ultimately, we each need to take responsibility for our own growth, and then when we meet together in our Community Group, we “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb 10:24).

3.     Missional Impact (aka – Community Outreach) 
The Rock Church is a Do Something Church – we believe that God calls us to be engaged in the neighborhoods around us in order to bring Pervasive Hope to every street and every person.  Our Community Groups likewise engage in outreach projects to the neighborhoods around them. Some groups participate in the quarterly Rock Your City events. Other groups, like Corbett & Susan Stone’s group, go to a local food pantry once a month to hand out sacks of groceries to hungry families. There are hundreds of opportunities in our city and county to meet needs and serve others in the name of Jesus.

So how is your Community Group doing? Are there some adjustments you need to make so it will be engaged in all three of the above essentials?

Let me know what you intend to this month to make a difference!

Be strong & courageous!
Dave Stewart

Three Reasons to Join a Community Group!

When you hear an invitation to get into a Community Group, maybe you feel like you’re too busy and can’t add “1 more thing” to your life.  So why does it matter anyway? What’s the big deal about being in a Community Group?

I’m glad you asked! Here’s a few reasons that I think a Community Group should be a high priority for every follower of Jesus:

1. God created you for authentic community relationships

Five times in Genesis 1 it says that after God created, He “saw that it was good.” At the end of the chapter it says, “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” Then in the very next chapter, the story line changes to something not good!

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone…”  Gen 2:18a

Isolation isn’t part of God’s plan for your life. His solution to the problem of isolation was family; God created Eve to be Adam’s wife and fill the void of being alone. God made every human being with an internal need for authentic relationships, and when we don’t have them, we experience loneliness.

In the New Testament, both Peter and Paul refer to the church as the “family of believers.” God provided you with a spiritual family, and in that family you will find the relational connections that defeat the discouragement of isolation.

2. We grow and change best in accountable community

If I were to ask you if there are areas that you need to grow in, chances are, you’d say “yes” and know right away what needs to change. If you’re serious about growing to be more like Jesus, then you’d better seriously considering doing it in a community of friends!

In a couple of studies on heart patients, it was discovered that:

• Only 1 out of 10 people were able to change to a healthy lifestyle when they were on their own
• 8 out of 10 people made significant and lasting changes to their diet, exercise, and habits when they were in an accountable community group that met weekly for one year

 

So what do heart patient studies have to do with the Christian life? Those studies exposed a principle of human nature that I’ve seen to be true in being able to stay the course in following Jesus. That’s what the writer of Hebrews was talking about when he wrote these words:

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

We might think that some sins are “no big deal” or that “it doesn’t hurt anyone.” But as this verse describes, when we dabble in sin, it causes us to grow cold toward God and we turn away from him as a result. When we’re in accountable community with others who are also on a spiritual journey toward Jesus, they encourage us and help keep us from being ensnared by the deceptiveness of sin.

On the other side of the table, your Christian brothers and sisters need you to be there to encourage them to keep walking with Jesus and not be deceived by sin! You need your brothers and sisters, and they need you.

3. You’ll have a blast with your new friends!

Every Community Group needs to include a good dose of food and fun! And if you start going to a Community Group and they’re not having any fun, maybe God sent you to the group to liven it up!

So… what do you think? Is your spiritual life worth the time and effort needed to be in a community of friends? Invite a friend to join you and go find a group this week!

http://www.sdrock.com/communitygroups & click on “Find a Group”

“Bringing Pervasive Hope to San Diego as we grow closer to Jesus
in a community of friends”