Grace Baptist Church

community groups

Our community (small group) ministry is an outgrowth of two deeply held convictions.  First, the Bible is our infallible standard of faith, doctrine, and practice.  Because God is the author of the Bible all our ideas about God and our conduct should be measured, tested, and, where necessary, corrected by the Bible.  Merely hearing God’s word is not enough; we must also be serious about applying God’s word to everyday life.  Secondly, the church is God’s intended context for change.  We believe that change happens best through committed participation in the life of the church where one finds instruction, encouragement, correction, and opportunities to press on toward maturity in Christ.  We encourage all GBC members to be faithfully committed to a community group.

Why Community Groups?

1. Fellowship:  To fellowship means to participate, or to share things we hold in common (Acts 2:42).  The greatest common denominator between us as Christians is our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Life Change:  The goal of the Christian life is an increasing freedom from sin and an increasing resemblance to Jesus Christ.  Not only should community groups be a place of open sharing and sympathetic listening, but they also should be a place where sin is confronted and people are called to change by the power of the gospel.
3. Mutual Care:  The Bible has a lot to say about the way we are to love one another.  Community groups provide a unique context to work out what it means to love one another and obey the multitude of “one another” commands, where every member shows care for one another, and helps each other grow up in grace.
4. Outward Face:  The heartbeat of every community group should be to reach out to the lost with the Father’s compassion and the power of the cross, which promises peace, forgiveness, and hope.
5. Spiritual Gifts:  God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian.  God expects us to use them.  The church is often compared to a football stadium where you find 22 people who desperately need a rest and hundreds of people who desperately need exercise.  Community groups provide a place where spiritual gifts are discovered and exercised within the group itself, within the larger church, and to the world.

How do we work this out at GBC?

Community Groups are primarily based on the geographical location of our members.  Groups meet the first three Wednesdays of each month for a time of singing, sermon application, and prayer. On the fourth Wednesday of each month we gather for congregational prayer at the church.

Here are our groups:

• Brushy Creek Community Group

Leader: Pastor Bob Selph

• Eastside Community Group

Leader: Mark Hatfield

• Hudson Road Community Group

Leader: Pastor Chad Clint

• Northwest Community Group

Leader: Scott Van Steenburgh

• Pelham Road Community Group

Leader: Ray Parker