Community Groups
Growth Groups
Community groups play a vital role in helping relationships grow in the life of the church. In community we are known, loved, cared for, encouraged, and challenged to be more like Christ. These groups are sermon-based small groups that focus on applying the weekly message and consist of 3 10-week sessions between the months of September and May.
Growth groups are about helping people grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus through in-depth study and application of the Word of God. These groups are study-based small groups that meet for various lengths of time determined by the study material.
Health Groups
Health groups are about helping people thrive in specific seasons of life. The goal is to build each other up in the love of Christ while personally developing your own relationship with Jesus. These groups are demographic-based small groups designed to meet specific needs.
Serve Groups
Jesus himself said that he did not come to be served but to serve. When we serve, we grow in our faith as we imitate Jesus. Whether it is serving the members of Harvest through weekly ministry teams at church or serving as you reach out to the lost and hurting, there's a serve group that's just right for your gifts and passions.
This is Harvest Life.
If you were to ask me to define a healthy church, I would immediately take you to the great commandment (Matt. 22:37-40) and the great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). These passages help us see why the Church exists:
- Worship. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Mt. 22:37)
- Discipleship. "... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:19)
- Fellowship. "...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Mt. 28:19)
- Ministry. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mt. 22:39)
- Evangelism. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Mt. 28:19)
We see all of these modeled in the life of the early church:
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)
At Harvest, we have reduced these five purposes down to three: Walk with God, Love One Another, and Seek the Lost. Below, you will find three opportunities to help you grow in walking with God, loving one another and seeking the lost. But please don't look at these opportunities in isolation. While each may emphasize a different aspect of growing in the faith, they don't stand by themselves...they work together in the life of a healthy Christian.
- Worship. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Mt. 22:37)
- Discipleship. "... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:19)
- Fellowship. "...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Mt. 28:19)
- Ministry. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mt. 22:39)
- Evangelism. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Mt. 28:19)
We see all of these modeled in the life of the early church:
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)
At Harvest, we have reduced these five purposes down to three: Walk with God, Love One Another, and Seek the Lost. Below, you will find three opportunities to help you grow in walking with God, loving one another and seeking the lost. But please don't look at these opportunities in isolation. While each may emphasize a different aspect of growing in the faith, they don't stand by themselves...they work together in the life of a healthy Christian.