Wondering whether to jump in to a community group this year? Here are four reasons why we think you should jump onboard.

Or maybe you've been in a community group for years? Don't just go through the motions, remind yourself why you're there.

1. Gospel: You need to get exposed to gospel truth. The gospel is how our life in Christ begins but its also how we grow, which is Paul tells a church of established Christians that the most important thing to their lives is still the gospel (1 Corinthians 15). 
2. Community: God made you to need people, even people really different from you. You need brothers and sisters to help and encourage you. But they also need you. There are people who need to get encouraged and strengthened.
3. Mission: God made us to be on mission, to be about the work of telling others about Jesus and doing works that adorn the gospel (Titus 2). Last year Wilbur’s group did a neighborhood outreach for their block and the whole neighborhood came, our group reached out to a neighbor at the apartment complex. You can be on mission where you are, in that part of the city, linking arms with folks in your community group. 
4. Training: God calls each of us not just to be disciples but to make disciples. This means that not only are you maturing as a disciple, you're helping other people around you mature as disciples and you're multiplying disciples. How do you get trained for that? While we offer teaching opportunities throughout the year there's no substitute for hands-on training. Your journey as a disciple maker starts in your Community Group as you help that group mature and multiply. So talk to your leader, take on some responsibility, lead a discussion, organize a fun night, organize a prayer time, get hands-on training and consider leading a group of your own next semester. 

Those are big-picture reasons but let me share a personal story about how this works out in real life: Last year after a particularly hard day I was wondering whether to show up at my Community Group. I was already running late from a meeting, and tempted to ditch, but I decided to go anyway. That night our group talked about the Bible, prayed for one another, and brainstormed ways to help our community. God used my group to pull me out of myself, to encourage my soul, and to remind me of the great mission I'm on. After the group I spent some time talking one of the guys from the group about some of my struggles that day and he reminded me of the gospel and helped me to see the connections to my life. I left the meeting exhausted from the day but happy in Jesus. 

Will making Community Group a commitment be a stretch some nights? Will it mean giving up a few other things? Will there be times you'd don't feel like showing up? Yes.

But has God give us brothers and sisters who will pray for and encourage us? Has God sent us out to be part of a great mission? Will God use your group to help you grow as a disciple? Yes. 

Let's be a people who love the gospel, love community, love our mission, and love getting trained to make more disciples. 

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If you haven't signed up for a Community Group yet we'll have signup sheets at church this Sunday. Or fill out this short form and we'll send you some information about groups meeting in your area.