The past Sunday (July 25th) I spoke about the value of Small Groups. Pastor Scott and I believe that Small Groups are an important part of the discipleship process. Let me explain why.
Jesus gave us a command in Matthew 28:18-19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
The command to make disciples includes both helping people start a relationship with Christ and then helping them to grow to spiritual maturity. Jesus didn’t say to go make converts or new believers. Our mission is to make mature, godly disciples who can reproduce.
How do we do that at Central Manor Church? Well, we worship the Lord on Sundays and hear a message form God’s Word, and many of us stay for a Sunday Class to learn more about the Bible. This is a great place to start, we need to gather for worship on the Lord’s Day.
There is something else we all need, other Christians. We need people to encourage us, challenge us, pray for us, and be role models. The author of Hebrews put it like this:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” – Hebrews 10:24-25a
We are hoping to grow a movement of sermon-based small groups.
These groups have two main goals: (1) spiritual growth and (2) authentic community.
Starting in September, we will begin calling them Life Groups. Why the new name?
- We want to grow spiritually. – God gives us spiritual life and wants us to grow.
- We need to do life together. – Growth happens through life-on-life, authentic community.
You may think, “I already come on Sunday and hear the sermon, why do I need to talk about it in a small group?” That’s a good question. Let me ask you two questions: What did Scott teach on last Sunday and did you apply it to your life. It is so easy to hear a sermon and then forget what you just heard. The book of James gives us a big challenge:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – James 1:22
Some of you may think, “Why do I need a Life Group? I have been coming to CMC forever.
I don’t need more community. I already know too many people.” But are the people in your life challenging you to grow and serve God with all your heart. It’s easy to have Christian friends but still only talk on a surface level. Life Groups help us be intentional about growing together.
And one more thought, it’s not just about what we need. Being a part of a Life Group gives us the opportunity to serve and disciple others. God has called Central Manor Church to make disciples. As God brings new people to our church body, we want to connect them in small groups. We want to love them and help them grow!
We will be launching new Life Groups in September. I want to challenge you to make a commitment this Fall to join a group. If you are interested (and I hope you are), please let us know. The best way to do that is to fill out a Life Group interest form. You can pick one up at the Welcome Center. Please fill it out and leave it on the Welcome Desk or drop it off at the Office.
Why Life Groups? Because life is better together.
