Life Groups at Hope Church
The primary way in which we “love others” is through Life Groups. Life Groups are groups of 5 to 15 people who gather together to learn about God, pray for one another, and encourage one another in their faith. These groups typically meet one evening per week in homes across Central Ohio.
What you can expect in a Life Group
Life Groups are very casual in nature, and they are multi-generational. We believe the church is supposed to be diverse- so instead of having a "Singles" group or a "Parenting" group, we have a Life Group- a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and wisdom from different stages of life.
The primary objective during our time together is relational: to be with Jesus together. Though there will be material that each group will be studying, our small groups are not classroom environments. Instead, they happen in living rooms, kitchens, and backyards. Life Groups happen where life happens!
At Hope Church Life Groups you can expect to meet other people just like yourself: imperfect people following a perfect Savior who gave us His Spirit and His Word to be equipped for wise living and good works. We pray together, laugh together, cry together, challenge each other, and walk with a long obedience in the same direction together.
We know that life creates busyness- so we build in breaks for life groups to take some rest. These breaks usually are Thanksgiving through New Year, a 2-3 week “spring break” near Easter, and a longer “summer break” around June and July. That summer break also allows planning time for our leaders to prep for a new season in fall. But don’t worry about joining a group during a break or whether you stay plugged in- our life groups host meals and special events often during breaks!
What are Life Groups doing?
All our Life Groups try to stick to the same content when we gather, that way you can visit different Life Groups without needing to "catch up." More importantly, we believe this helps us share and encourage the whole church family with the things God teaches us in our Life Groups!
This season, our life groups are practicing sharing Hope Stories and unpacking Jesus' call to follow Him as His disciples. We use Discovery Bible Study Method to have meaningful conversation around scripture.
We build around 4 pillars for gathering: Sharing meals often (weekly or monthly), practicing prayer and communion, sharing our HopeStories (ways God has been at work in every facet of our lives), and abiding with Jesus through His Word. In short, we practice following Jesus (scripture and practice together), being changed by Jesus (prayer and HopeStories), and doing what Jesus did (gathering as community, sharing the "good news" we hear in life groups).
How to get started
The best way to get started in a Life Group is... to visit a Life Group! We promise to host you and love you well no matter what group you start with or when you visit. Our Life Group leaders are some of the best trained and most welcoming people you can meet at Hope Church- and they have a team approach to making sure you find the place and the group that is the best fit for you. Below are all of our groups- check them out and schedule a time to meet the leaders!
Other groups at Hope Church
Life Groups are the community-building ministry at Hope- but they aren't the only groups you can participate with! These other groups listed below all meet for a very specific purpose (like confession and accountability, a special serve project, or a financial literacy course), and sometimes are ongoing and sometimes for only a season.
Got questions?
If you have further questions concerning our Life Groups or anything else about Hope Church, simply click the button below and get in touch with us!