Why Growth Groups?

I've had the chance over the last few weeks to chat with a few of you about the idea of bringing Growth Groups into college ministry here at Grace in the Fall. For those of you who aren't familiar with our Growth Group model, let me explain briefly what Growth Groups are. Growth Groups are closed groups of 6-12 people who meet regularly for prayer, care and Bible study. They're sermon-based "lecture-lab," giving opportunity to go beyond just hearing a sermon to grappling, discussing, and applying God's Word in the context of open and honest relationships. Growth Groups have allowed people who are new to Grace to connect deeper with our church family and to build lasting friendships.

Why "Sermon-Based" Growth Groups?

1. It's a model that maximizes learning and application by taking into account different learning styles. Learning increases dramatically when people are given the opportunity to hear, take notes and discuss.
2. It's a model that unifies the whole congregation as multiple groups study, learn and apply the same material together and grow in the same direction at the same time.
3. It's a model that's flexible in that it allows different leaders to springboard off of the sermon material in their own individual ways.
4. It’s a model that's scalable by allowing the creation of new groups on a continual basis as the church and the college ministry grows.\It's a biblical model. Jesus himself taught in large group settings and then discussed His sermon in small group settings. (Matt 13)
   

For these reasons and more, we believe College-age Growth Groups are a great addition to the ministry that is already taking place at The Source. This will provide a context for people to plug in to our ministry and build authentic relationships and community. Growth Groups will allow our existing group to take our relationships to a new level of intimacy and unity. Additionally, it will strengthen the ties between college ministry and the intergenerational church family here at Grace!

I know some of you are still thinking, "But what's unique and distinct about Growth Groups from other studies out there?" That's for next week! For now, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Luau at the Woods on Saturday! Don't forget to bring meat to BBQ, swim stuff (girls--one piece please), snacks to share and get ready to have fun!