SMALL GROUPS AT HOPE

Small Group Wednesday Night Fall Bible Study, click here!

Tuesday Night Small Group at the Millis house in Fishers will begin a new nine week study on the book of Proverbs starting Tuesday, March 30th from 6-8pm (dinner around 6pm).  If you are interested in joining, please contact Melissa at melissamillis@gmail.com or 765.532.8018 for more details.

Tuesday AM Men’s Group Update
The Tuesday AM Men’s Group is currently studying One Month to Live. This week, we will be discussing Chapter 9. All men are invited to attend. The group meets at 7AM in Pastor Tom’s office.

Women's Small Group
The ladies’ small group which has been meeting at Emily Henry’s home on Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM is now meeting at the church. The ladies are beginning a study on the book, Angels, by Billy Graham. Contact Emily if you would like to join or have any questions at 755-3324, ewest_8581@yahoo.com, or via Facebook.

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Small groups would consist of six to twelve people, at the point of a group exceeding maximum capacity (12), the group should divide in half. All small groups will be encouraged to grow numerically. This does not mean that each group has this as its goal, but that each group should function as if there is always an empty seat. The goal is to bring someone to the group who is not a part of the Hope community who needs to know Christ.1 The goal of these groups is fellowship, accountability, and growth in Christ. Furthermore, these small groups should have service as a part of their practical outworking. Each group should make an effort to get out and serve in the community routinely.

Basic Outline for a Small Group:

Small Groups will meet for study/support in:
January-February
April-May
September-October
November-December (optional)

Small groups should try to do one service project or fun night in:
March2
June
July
August

Goals of each small group:

Grow spiritually as an individual

Grow together as a group and support one another

Invite friends who need a small/support group

Keep one another accountable in all areas of life

Engage in service to the community

Divide into new groups (when group reaches 10-12 people)

A Deeper connection for people
Ask people why they attend Hope. The typical answer is: The People. There is a friendliness here; we care about visitors, we care about friends who have been here for a long time. There have undoubtedly been difficult times at Hope over the past few years, and the people who have remained within the community have generally done so because of their connection with other people. Long term relationships of significance have kept people around. Small groups encourage those existing relationships to move to a deeper lever, and allow newer friends to engage in that depth as well.

Support in time of need
This is one of the most significant components of a small group. We can pray for individuals through prayer chains, personally, and during our Sunday service, but it is incredibly important to have a small group who can pray specifically and support tangibly the individuals within our congregation. The small group gives the ultimate platform for that level of care. This doesn’t mean that a congregation doesn’t care outside of the confines of a small group, but it does mean that we can be assured that there is a group of people rallying around all who need support within our community.

Accountability
Accountability for growth and action. Within a small group setting, there ought to be
challenges. If there are challenges, there ought to be accountability to see those challenges realized in daily life—else what is the substance of our faith? We must be growing in knowledge, but also action. These components go hand-in-hand.