One of the most important things about a Life Group is that it provides a place for people to feel a sense of belonging within the church. It's a place to share our lives with one another. It’s a place where we can know others and be known by them. To that end, our goal is that these connections extend beyond the designated meeting times and that people do more things together spontaneously and begin to form relationships that will last a lifetime.

To belong to a community is to be planted in a soil that gives nourishment to our souls, and, as Christians, our community with each other ought to provide spiritual nourishment. In other words, community is the context of growth. It’s in community we are held accountable. It’s in community we receive pastoral care from friends. It’s in community we receive encouragement and inspiration. Because spiritual growth is central to Christian community, this is why we prioritize prayer and Scripture in our meetings times. After all, those are the sources of nourishment that connect us with the very life of Jesus.

In Christian community, the more intimate and vulnerable we become, the more hospitable we ought to become—the more open and welcoming of strangers. This is because when we draw near to one another as Christians, we are also being drawn closer to the heart of Jesus. To that end, it’s important that our Life Groups always be places where we can bring our friends and neighbors, no matter where they are spiritually or how well we think they might fit in. We should always face outward even as we seek to go deeper together. In fact, nothing will draw us closer together than sharing in the risky adventure of following Jesus together outside our zones of comfort.  

A church will never become cross-cultural unless the people that make up that church themselves live cross-culturally. Being cross-cultural applies to age, gender, political persuasion, socio-economic status, race, and life stage. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be with people you can easily connect with and relate to, and groups should be sensitive to this and capitalize on things people have in common. However, we should resist the temptation of only ever being with the kinds of people that are like us and with whom we always feel comfortable.

We believe that our Life Groups are at the frontline of God’s mission. Therefore, Life Groups are workshops for adventures in mission to the city and their surrounding communities. They should be places for collaboration and organizing for mission and service. We should make more space and opportunity in our life together to serve side-by-side in our communities.