One of the things I love about Community Groups is that they give us a place to live out what we say we believe. We exist to worship God, love one another, and make disciples of Jesus. And while Sunday mornings are important, an hour and a half on Sunday simply isn’t enough. We need deep, abiding community where we can grow, make disciples, and make Jesus known.
That’s part of what we see in 1 Thessalonians 1. Paul describes a church that was growing in its faith and obedience. They became “imitators” of Paul and the Lord, received the Word, and became an example to other believers. Their faith wasn’t something they kept to themselves. It was becoming visible in the way they lived.
That’s what I want for us at Bridgeway.
I don’t want our Community Groups simply to be places where we gather, eat, and have good conversations. Those things are good, but we want more. We want our groups to be gospel-teaching groups—places where everything we say and do is centered around the gospel and where we are consistently growing in the Spirit together.
And healthy groups don’t just grow inward. They look outward.
The Thessalonians’ faith “went forth everywhere.” They were impacting their neighborhoods and the nations. That raises some simple but important questions for our groups: Do we know our neighbors by name? Are we praying for the nations? Are we learning to share the gospel together?
I also want us to think about multiplication. Our Community Groups are a great place to develop future leaders—not just people who can help lead an existing group, but people who can be sent out to start new groups and participate in God’s mission beyond our church.
We’ve seen this happen already. The Ross Community Group has multiplied into new groups, and those groups are now preparing to multiply again. That’s the kind of fruit we want to see: disciples making disciples, groups multiplying, and the gospel continuing to move from one person to another.
Ultimately, healthy churches are growing and obedient. They are made up of disciples who are on mission to make disciples.
That’s why Community Groups matter. We’re not just trying to get people into groups. We’re trying to become the kind of people who follow Jesus together, help one another grow, and take the gospel with us wherever God sends us.
Two Takeaways
- Community is intentional. We need one another if we are going to grow as disciples. Don’t settle for simply attending church—pursue the kind of deep community where you can know and be known.
- Healthy disciples multiply. The goal isn’t simply to have a great group. The goal is to become disciples who make disciples and groups that help send people on mission.
Questions for Reflection
- Am I actively growing as a disciple of Jesus, and am I helping someone else grow?
- How is my Community Group looking beyond itself to make Jesus known in our neighborhood and among the nations?
Toby DeHay 