Small Groups

FAQs for small groups:

Vision
What do small Groups do?
What is the purpose of these groups?

SSS Group Info: Ben VanDerLinden	Second Sunday each month.  Restarting Soon Meeting 6-8pm for potluck and discussion.
On The Way Info: Bill Glad398-4494 or Gary Stokes 740-0635	This new small group is open to everyone and will meet Monday nights at 7:00pm.  These meetings will include worship, sharing, and prayer and will be at the Glads’ house.
Beth Moore Study Psalms of Ascent: Wednesdays 7pm @ the Church Office Leader:  Glenna Ganster	This Women's 7-week study explores the major feasts of Israel, including themes of unity, joy, gratitude, redemption, repentance, the power of blessings, facing ridicule, and more.   Please call or email Glenna to reserve a workbook ($16.00) or with any questions or scholarship needs @ (520) 638-8860 Home; (630) 776-1012 Cell; glenna.ganster@gmail.com; church office 740-0635
Men's Breakfasts   9:30am, 2nd Saturday 4th Sunday 12:30 ish Info: Jeremy Carroll 240-9350 or Keith Primm 444-0785	Two Opportunities to connect.  We  meet  the  4th Sunday of the month at 1pm after the service and continue meeting on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 9:30 am as well. Same location: Denny’s Restaurant @ Speedway near Alvernon.
VCC  Youth Group	The Youth meet after Worship and the Announcements every 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month.              Leaders: Ben VanDerLinden 270-2706       and Linda Martino

Small Group Vision

Our vision for Small Groups at Vineyard City Church is for the building of a “community”,
starting here within the church and extending out from here. Small Groups help to promote community and interaction. People gather to experience growth, support and transparency; A sense of family, which. in Christ, we are. Growth occurs as our members discover their gifts and the gifts of others and are encouraged by each other and the Holy Spirit, to begin serving others (the community) in many ways.

Small Groups provide the opportunity for spiritual maturity to take hold; This setting has advantages largely unavailable in a larger congregation. Spiritual intimacy is the reason why. We encourage everyone to enter into this community for Christian friendship, discipleship, help in recovery, connecting newcomers to our church, equipping for ministry

Small groups meet throughout the week in people's homes and other locations offering
relationship, fellowship, spiritual development, practical Bible study and prayer. Our small
groups are a place where people of all ages and stages in life can develop lifelong
friendships.




What do the small groups do?

Some of our small groups are for specific groups of people. The Recovery Group is for
people who are battling with the harmful effects of addictions and other compulsive behaviors
in their own lives. The youth group is for young adults in middle school and high school. The Arts Group is for artists of all sorts. The Moms Group is for mothers with children agee five or younger.

Other small groups are more general in purpose. The Midtown, BETA and Green Valley home groups are open to everyone and combine worship and Bible discussion with a chance to share about what’s going on in your life and pray for each other.



What is the purpose of these groups?

Jesus said that when we put our faith in him (believe in Him and ask Him to be the Lord of
our lives), we are "born again." That means we are born into a new family. Everyone is born into a family, whether that family functions well or not. One big surprise for many of us, when we first asked Jesus to be our Lord, was that a church family came with the deal! Churches can be very frustrating and hurtful, but we all need a church community. A community of faith provides a place to grow (through good and bad experiences), a place to discover and use our gifts, and a place to learn to love other people in real life. We are not designed to follow Jesus alone anymore than a new baby is designed to live without a family. Our Sunday morning service offers a weekly opportunity to gather the whole "family" to worship and study the Bible together. But because there are so many people and the Sunday service is not very interactive, we each also need a small group setting where we can really get to know other people and be known by them. Small groups provide a more casual and intimate place to experience God, practice our gifts, share about our lives, and care for each other. If we are going to be the "body of Christ" on earth with effectiveness, we need to get involved in each other’s lives. In a healthy body, the various parts are connected to each other!

What does it feel like to attend a group?
It can be a little awkward at first, unless you are very outgoing. Therefore, we try to keep the groups casual, honest, and not "churchy." Most groups meet in the homes of folks from our church. You are welcome to attend as many appropriate groups as you want to, so you can see what fits best.

What should I do if I am interested in trying a small group but am not sure how to get
started?
Ask someone. Information on Small Groups is also available in the church bulletin. Pick up a bulletin on Sunday for location and contact information for each group. Or, you can contact us by email or phone at (520) 740-0635 for more information.