One of the great gifts God gives us in the life of the church is the opportunity to walk alongside one another—to build friendships, encourage one another, pray together, worship together, and grow together in God’s Word.

That is what our Grace Community Groups are designed to help us do.  Our groups will begin meeting on Sunday, September 27, with meeting times and locations varying from group to group. Groups will typically meet on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month.  I want to encourage every person and family at Grace to take a look at the available groups and find one that works well for you.

This year, we are especially excited about what our groups will be studying together. Rather than using an outside curriculum, we have written our own Renewed Together Community Group Study Guide specifically for Grace and for the season God has placed before us. As we pursue renewal together this year, our groups will focus on three passages that are helping shape our life as a church:

Colossians 1:15–20 — Beholding the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ
2 Chronicles 7:14 — Humbly seeking the face of God
Psalm 85:4–7 — Asking God to renew us so that his people may rejoice in him

Over the course of the year, we will behold Christ, seek God’s face, and rejoice in his renewing grace together.

The study is intentionally designed so that Community Groups are not simply another class. They are places where we can share life together around the ordinary means of grace God has given his people: Scripture, worship, prayer, fellowship, and mutual care. We want there to be plenty of room for conversation, laughter, meals, friendships, and the natural life of each group, while also making sure that Christ and his Word remain at the center of our time together.  Everyone who registers for a Community Group will receive a physical copy of our Renewed Together Study Guide for the year, so it is especially important that you sign up for the group you plan to attend. That will help us prepare enough books for everyone and help our group leaders know who to expect.  Whether you have been part of a Community Group for years or have never joined one before, this is a wonderful opportunity to become more deeply connected to the Grace family. Church community is about more than seeing one another on Sunday morning. It is about knowing and being known, carrying one another’s burdens, celebrating God’s grace together, and helping one another follow Jesus. We hope you will make Community Groups a meaningful part of your life at Grace this year. Take a few minutes today to look through the groups and sign up for one that works for you.