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Life Groups at St. John’s

“A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner.”  —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

At St. John’s, we seek to come alongside one another not only on Sundays when we gather, but throughout the days and weeks of our lives. The heart of community at St. John’s is the Life Group, a group of 3-4 parishioners who commit to praying and sharing together regularly. Through Life Groups, we seek to go deeper into the truth of Christ, seeking the ways that the knowledge and love of God transform us through our presence with one another.

A St. John’s Life Group operates in accordance with the Mission and Means statement below. For more information on Life Groups, or to get involved in a Life Group, email the St. John’s office at stjnewhaven@gmail.com


Mission

Believing that the mission of God is shalom—completeness, soundness, welfare, peace—and because God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit form a community of shalom, we are called to incarnate a community of shalom:

To know and love God

To know and love ourselves

To know and love our brothers and sisters

To know and love our neighbors.


Means

Living out shalom in every aspect of our lives requires going deeper in our relationships with each other. We need a balance of encouragement and challenge in a context of love and faithfulness. One initiative we feel particularly called to in this season is the formation of a network of “Life Groups.”

What do we mean by “Life Groups”?

A Life Group is a group of 3 or 4 people who share honestly and transparently about their lives, encouraging and challenging each other to grow in following Jesus and living out these four dimensions of relationship.

A Life Group is committed to regular meeting, ideally once a week, with a designated leader; is open to being challenged to grow spiritually and personally; is supported by church leadership who offer resources, guidance, and direction; discerns its own specific call, process, and priorities; and is concerned to foster safe and life-giving relationships.

Life Groups operate within our congregation’s commitments to being fully formed in the image of Christ, biblical faithfulness and a generous orthodoxy, engaged worship in the Anglican liturgical tradition, developing each member’s spiritual gifting, witness to the world of God’s grace and mercy, and expressing God’s love through hospitality to all.

Ideally every active member at St. John’s would belong to a Life Group.

“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” -Psalm 85:10

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