discipleship groups

"Discipleship" might sound like a weird, intimidating word, but it simply means trying to be more like Jesus (and by the way, Jesus is a pretty cool dude).

Based on the model of Jesus and his group of 12 disciples, a discipleship group is a place for those who want to experience more of what it's like to be a follower of Jesus Christ. To provide the best environment for this to happen, discipleship groups are limited to a maximum of eight people, broken into men's, women's or married couples groups, and are closed to new members after the first six weeks (all of these are guidelines, not rigid, legalistic rules).

Our goal is to start new discipleship groups three times a year: winter (January/February), spring (March/April), and fall (September). Rather than being randomly placed in a group, people choose who is in their group at a large group event. To be part of a new discipleship group, each person must commit to attend the group for the first six weeks. If the group wants to continue after six weeks, group members commit to attend the group for an additional six months or more.

Weekly discipleship group meetings are comprised of four main things: 1) In-depth Bible study: using Bible study methods and scholarly resources, discipleship groups dig deep into the Bible and discuss how it applies to their lives. 2) Real-life discussion: discipleship groups challenge members to be real about what's going on in their lives so they can encourage each other and hold each other accountable. 3) Prayer: group members share prayer requests and pray for one another each week. 4) Service: group members commit to serve together at least once a quarter.

The next discipleship Bible study and group kickoff begins Tues, Feb 8 at 7:30pm and lasts six weeks (six week commitment is required to attend). To register, email derek@trygrace.org.

For more on Grace's vision for discipleship groups, listen to the Jan 2, 2011 sermon Where We're Headed in 2011 or call Derek at 571.334.0794 or derek@trygrace.org.