Small Groups

Living Life in Community

We think living life in community is the only way to live life. Doing life with others helps us to connect in community, focus on others, and establish meaningful relationships.

Jesus had a team He "did life" with. He ate with them, walked with them, and ministered with them. He developed meaningful relationships with them and developed a strategy through which all humankind could be reconciled. Why is it that modern-day Christians have such a hard time doing anything other than going to a church service?

The early church connected in very natural, organic ways: "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:46 NIV). They loved to eat a good meal together, laugh together, and pray together in one another's homes as well as in their large temple gatherings.

Here at Bethel, we have developed "communities" that exist within our larger congregation: women, men, couples, young adults, youth, and children. Within this context, small groups meet weekly in homes, coffee shops, or wherever they can gather. In these small groups, the focus is on fellowship, worship, teaching, serving, and outreach.

Within each community, some groups focus more on Bible teaching curriculum, some on ministry, and some on outreach.

Connection to any of our small group communities is easy:

  1. Stop by the Welcome table in the lobby and pick up a listing of all our small groups listed by community, emphasis, and meeting time and place.

  2. Call the leader for directions or sign up on our Web site, and the leader will contact you.

  3. Attend our Life Development Class 201 - Believe - Introduction to Discipleship. Usually held on certain Sundays from 12 - 2:00pm.

    This class includes a good meal, short teaching, and group interaction with some of our top leaders. They will assist you in locating a group that best serves you and your family.

    Class 201 is also our introduction to other resources to help you grow in your Christian walk for all new members and new believers. It's a quick way to connect to Bethel and get involved.