LifeShare Groups

It's amazing to see people connect. And I mean really connect. Not just hang out once in awhile and get along pretty well. But rather, reach a level of familiarity and comfortability where they experience a deep, genuine, powerful connection where the Spirit of God works to transform lives as a result of spiritual relationships. It's amazing to see life change take place in a community of believers. And so often, that is exactly the place where it happens.

That's what LifeShare groups seek to do. To get people connected to people. Meeting regularly to fellowship, to pray together, to keep each other accountable, to share life together. And through this, they find themselves being transformed together.

And then, as a group grows deeper in their relationships, their once inward-facing and nurturing faith begins to turn outward. God has worked in us, so now how can we respond by being a tangible expression of deep faith towards others outside of our group? As the group grows - in numbers and in depth and in faith - they begin to share life to others. They bring what God has been doing in them... to those outside of them, and they find themselves working together towards blessing the community. And here, by community, we mean inside the church but also (and very much so) outside the church.

LifeShare groups will meet 3 weeks out of every month. The value behind this is that we must spend time together if we're going to grow together.

LifeShare groups, initially, will be organized geographically, to the best that we can. We want to do what we can to make it easy for people to get to their groups. Imagine only having to drive for a few minutes to get to your LifeShare group, especially after fighting 45 minutes of traffic earlier in the day. It's like Staples... that was easy.

LifeShare groups will accommodate parents with children. We will work to arrange childcare at your LifeShare group location so that, parents, you can come and be nurtured and challenged in your faith along with other adults... and someone will watch your kids during that important time that you spend with your LifeShare group.

Look for LifeShare groups to preview in April and launch in May. Interested in joining one? Pick up the card in the lobby at church, fill it out, and return it to Alvin.

I firmly believe that God uses connecting to transform lives. When we get together with others, and we allow God to use our relationships as a way to encourage us and challenge us in our faith, we begin to connect with those around us. And then we experience life transformation. And then we respond by blessing the community.

God has, through His Son, shared life with us. We, in community, share life with each other. And then we, as a community, share life with those outside of us.