Being in groups is a big deal. The longer you serve Jesus the more you realize how important being in groups are. It’s not an optional part of the Christian life, it is essential.
The Bible gives us verses like:
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” (Acts 2:44-46)
(Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV; Psalm 133:1, ESV; 1 John 1:7; Romans 12:5)
Community Groups
God designed you for community. Here at Verge Church Community Groups are a huge part of who we are as a church. We were created for community. Community is where we learn, where we are loved and love others in return. In Acts 2:42-47 we see believers continually committing themselves to study God’s word, doing life together, and praying. We see a small picture of this happening on Sunday mornings, where we feel this community and fellowship is being built but Sunday cannot be the only place where we build community.
Why Community?
We believe that community is an essential component of our discipleship. It’s a place where we can be ourselves and experience real life transformation where we point one another to Jesus. It’s where we show up to learn from one another while also adding value by sharing our gifting with others. We aren’t meant to go through life alone! We need community to spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).
What Does Life in a Community Look Like?
Communities typically meet on a weekly basis to share in life, engage in discussion, and pray together.
Community Groups look different from group to group and week to week. Some weeks, groups engage in discussion using one of our discussion guides. Other weeks, groups might have a sermon based focus on what was taught at Verge the previous Sunday.
So what does community look like?
• We Pray for Each Other
• We Meet Regularly to Share Our Daily Life Experiences
• We Engage in Biblical Discussion
Follow Groups
Follow groups are 3 or 4 men or women pursuing spiritual growth and friendship with the hope of becoming more like Jesus.
Why Follow?
Spiritual growth is not about attaining knowledge about Jesus but rather its about becoming like Jesus. Through daily reading, Scripture memorization, prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit, He leads us on this journey of seeing the attributes of Jesus change our lives.
Spiritual friendship is a deep friendship centered on Jesus; one where it’s safe to be vulnerable and honest because there is no need to pretend, hide, or impress. If we are going to become like Jesus, we need to see each other’s lives and be willing to submit to others speaking into our lives.
What Does Life in Follow Look Like?
You can be in a Follow one-on-one with anyone, but typically, your Follow Group will be connected to a Spiritual Coach and will typically consist of three or four people of the same gender who commit together to:
• Submit to God’s Word under the leadership of the Holy Spirit
• Meet regularly to share what they are learning and how they are growing as believers in Jesus
• Care deeply for another
• Bring accountability, encouragement, and challenge to one another’s lives
