Small Groups: Where Church Feels Like Family

Sundays are for gathering. Small groups are for knowing and being known. On Sunday mornings we sing together, hear a message together and catch up in the lobby. It is wonderful, but it is also big, and it is easy to come and go for months without anyone really knowing your story. That is where small groups come in. About eight people meet in a home every week to talk, pray and eat. Around a kitchen table or a living room coffee table, church becomes something closer to family, the kind that brings soup when you are sick and celebrates when you get the new job.

Why small groups matter

The early church met in two ways. They gathered in large crowds at the temple, and they met in homes to share meals, pray and look after one another. We think that rhythm still works today. Big Sundays give us a sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves. Small Tuesdays, or Wednesdays or Thursdays, give us people who know our names and our needs.

Many of us have experienced loneliness, even in a crowded room. Small groups are one of the best answers we know. When you meet with the same people week after week, trust grows. You start to share honest prayer requests instead of polite ones. You notice when someone is missing and text to check in. Over time, the people in your group become the ones you call when life gets hard.

What a typical night looks like

Every group has its own personality, but most evenings follow a similar pattern. Nobody expects you to be a Bible scholar, pray out loud or share anything you are not comfortable sharing.

1. Food and conversation: Groups start with a simple meal or snacks. Some take turns cooking, others order pizza, and a few have perfected the art of the potluck.
2. Catching up: Everyone shares a high and a low from the week.
3. Discussion: The group talks through a short Bible passage or questions from Sunday’s message. Our pastors provide a weekly guide, so no one has to prepare a lesson.
4. Prayer: The group prays for each other’s needs, and often for our church and city too.
5. Hanging out: Nobody rushes home. Some of the best conversations happen while everyone is clearing the dishes.

Most groups meet for about two hours. Several groups also take a few weeks off in the summer and around the holidays, and many plan occasional extras like serving together at the Saturday food pantry, going to a minor league baseball game or hosting a backyard cookout.

Find the right fit

Young adults, parents, men, women, empty-nesters — there is a group for every season. We currently have more than forty groups meeting across the city and in nearby suburbs, on almost every night of the week. Some are mixed groups that welcome anyone, and others are built around a particular stage of life.

A few of our groups

• Young adults: College students and recent graduates meeting in apartments near campus.
• Young families: Parents of little ones, with childcare provided in a separate room.
• Men’s and women’s groups: Early-morning breakfast groups that meet before work.
• Empty-nesters: Couples whose kids have recently moved out and who are figuring out what comes next.
• Neighborhood groups: Mixed groups that meet close to home so neighbors can walk over.
• Support groups: Seasonal groups for grief, divorce recovery and new parents.

Childcare is one of the most common concerns for parents, and our groups get creative. Some hire a sitter together and split the cost, some meet after the kids are in bed, and some simply welcome kids to play in the next room. Group leaders can help you find a setup that works for your family.

Most of our closest friendships started around someone’s kitchen table.

Michael

Michael and his wife have led a group for more than ten years. They have watched members get married, welcome babies, change careers and walk through loss. “The people in our group are family to us,” he says. “We did not plan it. It just happened one Tuesday at a time.”

Try it for three weeks

Give a group three weeks before deciding. Friendships take a little time. The first night can feel awkward, especially if you are new to the church or not much of a talker. That is normal. By the third week, you will know names, you will have shared a few laughs and you will start to see whether the group is a good fit.

If it is not the right fit, that is okay too. Sometimes the schedule does not work, the drive is too long or the group is simply in a different season of life. Just let us know, and we will help you find another one. Nobody will be offended, and we would much rather you keep looking than give up.

Stories from our groups

When Teresa moved to town for a new job, she did not know a single person. She joined a neighborhood group on a whim and nearly skipped the second week. “I am so glad I went back,” she told us. “That group helped me move apartments, brought me dinner when I had surgery and threw me a birthday party. They are my people now.”

For David and Lauren, joining a young families group came at just the right moment. Their twins were six months old, and they were running on very little sleep. Their group set up a meal train, offered to babysit so they could have a date night and, most importantly, reminded them they were not alone.

And for Ruth, a widow in her seventies, a mixed neighborhood group gave her a reason to get out of the house each week after her husband passed away. The younger couples in her group now call her their honorary grandmother, and she is famous for her lemon bars. “I thought I was joining to be encouraged,” she says, “but it turns out they needed me too.” That is the beautiful thing about a good group. Everyone gives, and everyone receives.

How to join

Joining a group is easy. You can browse all of our current groups on our website, filter by day, location and life stage, and send a message directly to the leader. You can also stop by the welcome tent after any Sunday service and talk with someone from our groups team in person. New groups launch every January and September, which are great times to jump in, but you are welcome to join an existing group any time of year.

If you have ever thought about leading a group, we would love to talk with you as well. You do not need to be a teacher or have a big house. You just need to care about people and be willing to open your door. We provide training, a weekly discussion guide and plenty of support.

Big Sundays, small Tuesdays

We believe church is meant to be lived together, not just attended. Sunday mornings will always be a highlight of our week, but the deepest growth often happens in smaller rooms with fewer people and more honest conversation. Wherever you are in life, there is a seat at a table waiting for you. Pull up a chair, grab a plate and stay a while. We think you will be glad you did.