Community Groups
“Walking Together in the Gospel of the Kingdom”
“Walking Together in the Gospel of the Kingdom”
In Acts 2, 3,000 people became followers of Jesus. These Christians “…devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) The believers made it their purpose to walk together with other Christians by living out the Gospel, sharing meals and the Lord’s Supper, meeting each others’ needs, and praying to God. As they walked together, more and more people became Christians and joined their fellowship (Acts 2:47). Believers at New City South practice these same things in small groups called Community Groups. The vision for Community Groups is, “Walking Together in the Gospel of the Kingdom”.
To get connected with a Community Group email Pastor Roy Hubbard (rhubbard@ncfstl.org).
Followers of Jesus are on a journey together, because we cannot walk the Christian life on our own. The Bible itself is written to groups of believers, rather than just individual people. Community Groups are a place for believers to intentionally journey together through building friendships, celebration, nurturing one another, receiving care, having conversations, and rest.
Relationships are broken by individualism, tribes and ethnicity, social class, and ultimately sin. Community Groups offer community, intentional relationship, inter-dependence, mutual care and obligation to one another. In a Community Group a believer can say, “These are my people, and we are committed to one another”.
Through Jesus, God has established His reign of justice, mercy, righteousness, forgiveness, reconciliation and love. Christians walk together as citizens of God’s Kingdom. We are bonded together under God’s rule and reign!
Community Groups are about community, but they are Kingdom communities. In Community Groups , we worship and pray to Jesus the King together and nurture one another in the Gospel. We discuss God’s Word, seek to believe His promises, apply His truth to our lives, wrestle with hard questions, and allow the Holy Spirit to shape us. We live out reconciliation across racial, tribal, and social class barriers, since Jesus broke down the barrier of sin to reconcile us to God and each other. Community Groups are about community, but not just community for me. We open the fellowship to newcomers, because Jesus welcomed us when we were strangers. We encourage each other in good deeds and learn to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. We move beyond personal preferences we have for the group in order to pursue the righteousness, peace and joy of God’s kingdom.