One of the priorities at Central is to provide opportunities for friendship at a very direct and personal level. You’ll see that reflected in our mission to connect people with God, with others, and with their purpose in life. Churches individually serve different and equally important roles in the broad scope of Christianity, and while we appreciate what a larger congregation like Central’s can accomplish together at a large scale, we don’t want to miss out on the ways God can move through personal relationships with one another at a smaller scale. Those close relationships give us an opportunity to care for one another in times of need, comfort one another in times of loss, and celebrate with one another in times of great joy! Additionally, they provide points of access for new people in the life of our church, and a comfortable setting for new believers who are still trying to understand faith.

Daniel Threlfall writes at sharefaith.com:

“I used to be skeptical of small groups. I thought it was a bit too faddish, touchy-feely, and created Christian social clubs instead of fostering true discipleship. Maybe some small groups are guilty of these charges. However, on the whole, small groups are a valuable means of helping people in the church.”

Threlfall goes on to list 10 reasons why small groups are important in the life of the church:

Small groups foster close relationships and integral community.
Small groups provide a comfortable introduction for nonbelievers to the Christian faith.
Small groups provide an ideal way to care for the needs of people within the church.
Small groups provide a way for Christians to live out their faith instead of merely hearing more preaching or teaching.
Small groups participate in focused prayer for one another.
Small groups provide a comfortable atmosphere for openness.
Small groups allow for mutual edification among believers.
Small groups encourage better learning.
Small groups provide a source of encouragement and accountability.
Small groups help to cultivate leadership within the church.

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Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting up your own small group. Or maybe it’s actually the opposite…. maybe you haven’t been able to find the right group yourself, but it’s never occurred to you that you could actually LEAD one. You may be the person that becomes a connection point at Central, and provides the close relationship; the introduction for a nonbeliever; the prayerful support for someone in need; the source of encouragement; or the deeper and more personal level of teaching and edification.

You don’t have to commit to anything, but consider just attending the You Can Lead event on Sunday, July 24th at 9am in the Activity Center. Maybe it’s still not for you, but maybe you know someone who could be great as a leader and just needs someone to encourage them to do it. Come see why Central Groups are so important to us, and hear the heart of our pastoral leadership as we pursue God’s purpose in our lives…. together!