INTRODUCTION
This fall we will be starting community groups
(aka small groups). The purpose of the community groups
are to help people develop God centered community, mission, and
service. The groups will be open to anyone and meet on
different nights and at different locations though out Devils
Lake and the Lake Region. The community groups will
include a time of discussion, fellowship, prayer, and bi-annual
service projects within the community.
“Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it
is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may
participate.” These words are taken from the book, Life
Together, written in 1937 by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the
renowned German theologian. The book was written during a time
in which Bonhoeffer and a number of other German pastors started
an underground seminary in Finkenwalde Germany after choosing to
not yield to Nazi interference of church affairs. The book
contains Bonhoeffer’s thoughts about the nature of Christian
community based on the common life that he and his seminarians
experienced at the seminary and in the “Brother’s House". He
was later arrested and executed on April 9, 1945 at the age of
39, just a few weeks prior to Hitler’s death and the end of
World War II. As Bonhoeffer so poignantly showed us,
Christianity community is not an ideal, but a reality created by
God for us to participate in. May you take the opportunity to
participate in Christian community by being part of a community
group. If you have any question or would like to sign-up
to participate or lead a community group feel free to
contact
Pastor Ben at the
church office.
MISSION STATEMENT...This is the purpose for community groups!
Community groups exist to help people develop God centered community, mission, and service.
OUR PASSION...This is how community groups seek to fulfill their mission statement!
Plugging people into community groups to help them connect by loving others and contribute by serving God.
OUR CORE VALUES...These are the things important to community groups!
1. God centered Community
As image bearers of God (Genesis 1:27) who exists in a triune community, we were also created to live in community. Although sin separated us from God and one another (Isaiah 59:1-2), in Christ we are given new identity individually and communally. We are adopted into a new family; the church (Ephesians 4). Community groups provide opportunities for one to practice the God centered community they were created to live.
2. God centered Mission
As image bearers of God who sent Jesus on a rescue mission for us (John 17:18), we as Christians have been given the mission of sharing the good news of Jesus to those within our circle of influence (John 17:18). Community groups provide opportunities for one to live out this mission given to them by God the moment they became a Christian.
3. God centered Service
A large aspect of our mission given to us by God is to couple the good news of Jesus with the meeting of needs both in the church community (James 1:27) and the Lake Region community (Mark 12:31). Community groups provide opportunities for one to flesh out this mission by practicing God centered service towards others within their community.
