Small Groups

Theological Foundations of Small Groups

• The kingdom of God is more about relationships than doctrine or rituals.
• We are created as social beings, meant to live in community.
• Our potential is best realized in a supportive community.
• Small groups challenge the idea that we are islands unto ourselves.
• We are called to share our stories of God in our lives.
• We belong to the priesthood of all believers. We all are called to pastoral ministry.
• We change and are transformed as we live in community, accountable to one another.
• We are all important in the family of God.
• We are created in the image of God whose nature is communal.
• Spiritual gifts are often best discovered and affirmed in small gatherings.

Pastoral Ministry In Small Groups

• Pastoral ministry means caring for the spiritual and physical well being and growth of one another.
• Our pastoral ministry as lay people is more likely to happen in small groups where we learn to know a few people on a more intimate level.
• We are commissioned by God to listen to our sisters and brothers as they share their hurt, their sins, and their struggles. We are also called by God to assure one another of God’s forgiveness, God’s love and God’s presence.
• Small groups can be a place where absolution is experienced, though not pronounced in liturgical language.
• Our rector helps to equip us through word and sacrament for our pastoral ministry.

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