GROW · CONNECT · ENGAGE

“In our world full of strangers, estranged from their own past, culture and country, from their neighbors, friends and family, from their deepest self and their God, we witness a painful search for a hospitable place where life can be lived without fear and where community can be found… That is our vocation [as Christians]: to convert the enemy into the guest and to create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.”
– Henri J. Nouwen

WHAT ARE CITY GROUPS?

City Groups are small groups within the church that gather regularly to Grow in Christ, Connect with each other in authentic relationships, and Engage in the mission of making disciples. 

They are the best ways to get connected at City Life: an environment where one can be known and belong. We desire for every person in our church to be in a City Group. They are the primary way we are structured to ensure every single person in our church is cared for.

VALUES OF CITY GROUPS

• Family - “I belong.”

• Vulnerability - “I’m known."

• Hospitality - “I’m welcome.”

• Sacrificial Love - “I’m loved.”

RHYTHMS OF CITY GROUPS

Word and Prayer - (Growing in Christ)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers. – Acts 2:42

• Our typical practice in City Group is to reflect on the sermon that was preached on Sunday morning, seeking to go deeper and apply the truth of God’s Word to our lives.

• Then we take time to pray these truths into our hearts, and to pray for one another.

Fellowship - (Connect with Each Other in Authentic Relationships)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,
and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25

• In Scripture, the word for fellowship is koi-no-nia, and it extends beyond our common understanding of the word (i.e. potluck suppers) to convey the idea of participating in the gospel together. It’s a word that communicates love and unity the way a healthy family lives in loving relationship. That’s what we want our City Groups to be like: healthy families who enjoy one another, share meals together, care for each other, and point each other to Jesus.

Hospitality - (Engaging in the Mission of Making Disciples)

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:7

• Hospitality is about welcoming the outsider in. We want our City Groups to be known for inviting those far from God, searching for answers, and seeking the truth to be welcomed into the fellowship. City Groups are groups on mission to reach neighbors and co-workers with the goodness of Jesus. At City Life, we believe that often someone belongs before he or she believes. Through the welcoming embrace of a City Group, an individual can encounter the goodness of Jesus and be brought to faith.

NEXT STEPS

If you are interested in learning more about City Groups or joining a group, please do one of the following:

• Email: brett@citylifechurch.org

• Fill out the form below