Home Groups
Building a Biblical Community
Living Out the "One Anothers" of Scripture
The New Testament calls us to love, encourage, and bear with one another, commands best lived out in close community. Home groups provide the perfect setting to practice these “one anothers,” such as “love one another” (John 13:34-35) and “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In these gatherings, we share life’s joys and struggles, pray for one another, and study God’s Word together. This structure deepens our devotion to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42) by ensuring we engage thoughtfully with the same biblical truths our elders preach, applying them to our lives. By meeting in homes, we create a space for authenticity and accountability, reflecting the relational nature of the body of Christ as described in Romans 12:4-5, where “each member belongs to all the others.”
Supporting Women in the Biblical Community
We strongly encourage the women of our church to actively participate in home groups, as they offer a biblically grounded opportunity for ministry and fellowship. Scripture affirms women’s role in these ministry settings. For example, Titus 2:3-5 calls older women to “teach what is good” and to “train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure.” Home groups provide a natural environment for women to provide mentorship to younger women, share wisdom, pray, and discuss the elder-provided questions that deepen our collective understanding of Sunday’s sermon, further rooting us in apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42). Women like Priscilla, who alongside her husband Aquila taught Apollos “the way of God more accurately” in a private setting (Acts 18:26). Additionally, the new testament assumes that women will participate in sharing the truth of God’s word and pray in church gatherings as seen in 1 Corinthians 11:5 when Paul details how they should conduct themselves while participating. We celebrate the unique gifts women bring to our home groups, enriching our community as we grow together in Christ.
A Place for Shared Spiritual Growth
The Format: Anchored in Scripture, Guided by Elders
While each home group at Faith Covenant varies in its rhythm—some may emphasize worship, others service or shared meals—every group is united in its commitment to studying Scripture through questions provided by our elders. These questions, based on the previous Sunday’s sermon, guide our discussions and help us dig deeper into the biblical truths preached from the pulpit. This practice also supports continued unity across the different home groups while meeting at different times and places. By reflecting on the same Scriptures together, we grow in understanding and application, ensuring that our home groups are a true extension of our Sunday worship and teaching.
