Eat, Learn, Pray, Help - Part 2

The Connection Groups Model is focused on 4 practices--eat together, learn together, pray together, and help together--based on Acts 2:42-47.  The first practice--eat together--is articulated in the phrase, "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts..."  So what is it about "eating together" that contributes to biblical community?  In a world where technology makes connecting easier than ever, so much "connecting" is nothing more than surface-level interactions the lack heart, emotion, and genuine concern.  That's what makes connecting over a meal so different.  Around the dinner table you experience face-to-face conversation, laughter, emotion, and depth of discussion--all with limited disruptions.  And it's the easiest way to connect meaningfully with others.  While satisfying your physical hunger you satisfy relational emptiness.  

This is why we emphasize over and over a challenge to connect at least once during a Connection Group semester around a meal outside of your regular group meeting.  Group meetings typically have a set agenda.  But when you can spend a couple hours enjoying a meal together without an agenda, relationships deepen, transparency increases, and the stage is set for deeper community.  How?  Because the depth of relationship outside group meetings has a direct bearing on the quality of discussions inside group meetings.  While we use the phrase, "eat together," the truth is it can be any fun activity together where the group gets to know one another in a greater way.  So what  have been your group's best "eat together" activities in the last couple semesters?  Take a moment and post a comment to share ideas that other group hosts can benefit from.

Eat, Learn, Pray, Help - Part 1

Okay, if you're a Connection Group host you've heard us say it a hundred times.  And if you're a group member, there's a good chance you've heard your host talk about.  It's our Connection Group Model that encourages 4 important practices embraced by the early church in Acts 2:42-47:

• Eat Together - "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts..."
• Learn Together - "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching..."
• Pray Together - "They devoted themselves...to prayer."
• Help Together - "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."
  

As a result, the early church experienced true, authentic, life-transforming community.  Think about that--because they took time to eat, learn, pray, and help together, they enjoyed the power of community.  Relationships grew, needs were met, people were cared for, faith grew, and the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.  Sometimes we think of a Connection Group as nothing more than a 2-hour meeting once every couple of weeks to meet some friends and go through a curriculum.  But true community is much more than that.   True community emerges when a small group of people embrace the four practices described in Acts 2.  I'll talk more about each practice in the next few days.  In the mean time, take a moment to comment --which practice is your greatest strength?  Which is your greatest weakness?  How have these 4 practices contributed to a true sense of community in your group?

Welcome!

Christ Church Small Groups

Welcome to Christ Church Small Groups.  Christ Church in Ft. Worth, Texas offers five types of small groups including: 

• New Arrivals Group - Small groups for new comers to Christ Church.
• Connection Groups - Off-campus small groups meeting in homes & workplaces.
  
• 4Word Groups - On-campus small groups organized around generations & topical studies.
• Renewal Groups - On-campus support groups.
• Interest Groups - Off-campus groups organized around common interests.

Christ Church Small Groups is designed to be a place where coaches, leaders, and members can connect, share ideas and testimonies, ask questions, and find relevant tips and training.  And if you're exploring small groups, it's a great place to discover what groups are about and how you can get connected.  So whether you're a coach, leader, member, or explorer, subscribe to the blog and take the journey with us.

Stephen