Community Groups at Gulf Coast Community Church
Connect, Grow, and Serve in a Group Near You
“The point of being the church is to manifest, to bear witness to—not just with words but in the way we live together—what it means to be united in love in spite of our disagreements, in spite of the suffering that we go through, in spite of the gap between rich and poor, and the other things that separate us.” (Kaven Rowe, Thriving Communities)
Benefits of Joining a Community Group
Ever since humans turned from God in the garden, there has been disunity between people. After Jesus ascends to heaven, the Holy Spirit comes to a group of people from different nations. They all worship Jesus (Acts 2) together, forming the early Church—a community of Jesus’ followers.
Throughout the New Testament, we see God’s people, the church, grow and expand outward as a community, brought together by Jesus, being formed into Christlikeness and commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the gospel, making disciples of Jesus throughout the nations (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).
The book of Revelation reveals the flawless unity of God’s people in worship, with individuals from every nation gathering around God’s throne (Rev 7:9-10). Jesus started the restoration of all that is broken, and now His Spirit carries on this work through His Church. (1st Cor 12:12-26).
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Gospel Formed Community
As we love one another, we will be a faithful gospel witness to those around us, forming a community rooted in God’s love. People need to encounter the church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting we attend or a building we enter.
“To be a community of light from which the light of Christ will emanate, we need to be intentional in our relationships—to love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, embrace the repulsive, include the awkward, accept the weird. It is in contexts such as these that sinners are transformed into disciples who obey everything King Jesus has commanded.” (Chester and Timmis, Total Church)
We are to work out our love for one another among a community of people. As others see our love for one another, we are actively taking part in our co-mission with God. We, as a group of people at Gulf Coast Community Church, strive to live like the family we already are because of what Jesus has done—He has made us a family of sons and daughters who are united in Him! This is not always easy and goes against our culture’s inclination toward individuality, yet it is God’s design for His people, His Church.
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