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Frequently Asked Questions

The following seeks to address some of the most frequently asked questions about FBC’s Life Group Ministry. We hope you find questions and answers helpful. If you have any additional questions, or if you would like to further discuss any of the topics addressed here, please don’t hesitate to contact the FBC Life Group Ministry Team. We would be glad to help wherever we can.

WHY LIFE GROUPS?

In a nutshell, Life Groups are simply basic Christian communities – people who are seeking to do life together. Life Groups are where people come to know God and experience His presence; and where they come to know each other and cultivate community. In Life Groups, people learn what it means to love each other, encourage each other, serve each other, and challenge each other. Life Groups are not only places of belonging, they are places of becoming. They are relational environments where people are free to be real with one another – where a group of people can learn to live, love, and lead like Jesus. We believe the Scriptures clearly teach that Life Groups are biblical, life-changing vehicles for ministry, emphasized by Jesus Himself and embraced by the Early Church.

HOW DO LIFE GROUPS FIT INTO THE MISSION AND VISION OF FBC?

At FBC, we do not believe the church is a building or a program or some kind of spiritual clinic. We believe the church is God’s people. To put it another way, we believe “we” are the church. And as the church, we don’t want to be “organized religion!” We don’t want to live for pious phrases and religious activity. We don’t want to just know where we fit - we want to experience how we fit together in Christ. We want to experience in tangible ways how God can use us together for something far bigger than ourselves. We want to make an eternal difference for Him. We want to be passionate about building relationships and friendships, and sharing our lives together in gospel living. We want to better understand how we can do life together on mission with God, and then do it! And we believe one of the greatest connecting opportunities and catalysts for accomplishing all of this is the Life Group. This is why we want to become more than a church with Life Groups - we want to become a ministry of Life Groups.

HOW ARE LIFE GROUPS DIFFERENT FROM THE WORSHIP SERVICES?

Life Groups are different from large groups (e.g. worship service) in that they are usually more personal, relational, discussion-driven, and application-oriented environments. There are things you can do in Life Groups that you just can’t do in large groups.

WHO LEADS THESE LIFE GROUPS AT FBC?

We believe the Bible clearly teaches that leadership is characterized by ministry and service. The one who is not willing to serve is not ready to lead. In Mark 10:45, Jesus set the standard when He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NIV). Leaders are those who pick up the servant’s towel (John 13:1-17) and model the life, love, and leadership of Jesus with others. Those who lead FBC Life Groups are those who meet specific qualifications and who have been trained to lead by serving and to serve by leading.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USUALLY IN EACH GROUP?

There is no magic number, however, 10-15 people in a group is pretty common. This size of group seems to allow people to feel comfortable in the group, form deep connections within the group, and grow spiritually through the group, without getting lost in a crowd.

WHERE DO THE LIFE GROUPS MEET?

They will meet throughout our community, many of them choosing to meet in homes. We encourage meeting in homes because:

  1. They can facilitate closer relationships since people tend to be more relaxed in a home setting.
  2. They can offer unlimited potential for growth (homes are everywhere).
  3. They can reflect good stewardship since they don’t require us to buy, lease, or rent more space in order to meet together.

HOW OFTEN WILL GROUPS MEET?

Most usually meet weekly throughout fall, winter, and spring. We recommend that groups take a break, or change their pace, for the summer months.

WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN COMING TO LIFE GROUPS?

In order to be flexible to the needs of each individual group and group member, each Life Group will set up their own means for childcare.

WHAT DO THE LIFE GROUPS USE FOR THEIR CURRICULUM?

There are many different kinds of curriculum a Life Group can choose to use and an equal number of ways to present it. We are choosing to use the Bible as our curriculum and Orality, Storying, or Story-telling as our approach to learning and understanding it.

WHAT IS ORALITY, STORYING, OR STORY-TELLING?

Biblical Orality, Storying, or Story-telling is a sequential approach to sharing biblical truth that remains true to Scripture. It is taking a text or passage and telling it in context. It includes a time of dialogue and discovery after telling the story. In the dialogue, the person telling the story uses questions to guide listeners to discover the meaning and significance of the biblical story. Unlike conventional approaches and traditional curriculum (where the leader does all the talking and never really learns where his people are at emotionally, relationally, spiritually), Storying allows the leader to lay the Word of God in front of people and then let it speak for itself.

WHAT IF I ALREADY ATTEND A SUNDAY MORNING CLASS?

That’s fantastic! We don’t want to ignore places where community is already happening within our church body. In addition to your class, if being in a Life Group can help you cultivate even more meaningful relationships and friendships with others, then try it.

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO BE IN A LIFE GROUP RIGHT NOW? DO I HAVE TO ATTEND A LIFE GROUP TO BELONG HERE?

We respect your decision and are thankful to God you are here. And no, you certainly do not have to attend a Life Group to belong here. We do hope, however, you will find ways to connect with others here at FBC.

WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED IN A LIFE GROUP?

God created us for relationships and never intended for any of us to go at it alone. While there are many ways to answer this question, one sage captures it especially well when he writes: “Many very generous Christians find themselves increasingly tired and dispirited not so much because the work is hard or the success slight, but because they feel isolated, unsupported, and left alone…We are able to do many hard things, tolerate many conflicts, overcome many obstacles, and persevere under many pressures, but when we no longer experience ourselves as part of a caring, supporting, praying community, we quickly lose faith. This is because faith in God’s compassionate presence can never be separated from experiencing God’s presence in the community to which we belong.” To put it another way, one of the key reasons you should get involved in a Life Group is because everyone needs meaningful relationships and friendships in their lives, including you. Life Groups offer a safe, comfortable, stress-free place where you can meet new people, make new friends, learn something new, and grow spiritually in a relational environment.

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED IN A LIFE GROUP?

There are several ways you can get involved in a Life Group:

  1. Someone invites you to be a part of their group.
  2. You request to be a part of a Life Group by signing up at the Life Group table during a Sunday service, or by writing your name and request on a Worship Service comment card, or by calling the church office (541-345-0341) or by e-mailing Frank Bonser at frankbatfbceugene [dot] com
  3. By pursuing training to lead a Life Group yourself (i.e., If this is the case, we welcome the opportunity to talk with you. Contact a Life Group Pastor in order to meet together and discuss this possibility.)

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF I SHOULD CONSIDER LEADING A LIFE GROUP?

How would you answer these questions: 1) Does the idea of helping people grow in Jesus excite you? 2) Do you want to use your gifts for God? 3) Do you want to make an eternal investment with your life? 4) Are you willing to be trained and to grow yourself? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then you may have your answer. If it is “yes,” then you also may want to contact an FBC Life Group Ministry Staff Team Member to get more information about becoming a Life Group leader.