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ChristCare Groups are gatherings of 3 to 12 persons meeting regularly to develop
close personal bonds with one another and with Jesus Christ.
Note: the frequency of meetings is determined by the group covenant;
groups do not have to meet weekly.
As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another,
forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive.
Above all, clothe yourselves witih love which binds everything together
in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you
were called in the one body. And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one
another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17 NRSV
Circles of Care with Christ at the Center
Christ is
central to ChristCare Groups. ChristCare Group members meet Jesus in
their fellow group members, in the Scriptures, in prayer and worship,
and through their missional service. With Jesus at the center of all
that the group is and does, group members grow as Jesus' disciples,
increasing in faith, joy, and love.
ChristCare
Groups are circles of
care.
ChristCare Group members care for one another with the love of Christ.
As a ChristCare Group member, you never have to go through a tough time
alone, be it a major crisis or just the bumps and bruises of daily
life. Your fellow group members are always there for you.
When
ChristCare Groups meet, they do four kinds of activities:
· Community
building and care;
· Biblical
Equipping;
· Prayer
and worship; and
· Missional
service.
The Holy
Spirit works through these activities to make ChristCare Groups into
“Circles of Care with Christ at the Center.
Four good reasons why ChristCare Groups are necessary for
our congregation to be all God calls us to be...
Reason 1: Christ's Own Example
Much of
Jesus’ most significant ministry took place with the small group he
formed at the beginning of his ministry—-the twelve disciples. In this
intimate setting Jesus shared the truth and wisdom of God, teaching them
about prayer, holy living, faith, hope, and love.
Reason 2: Building Community
In a world
where people often feel isolated, there is a strong need to have a place “where everybody knows your name." In ChristCare Groups, people feel
loved and accepted and can share when they are happy or hurting.
Reason 3: The Renewal of the Church
Whenever
the church has experienced renewal, small groups have played a key
role. Groups help open members to the Spirit's work through prayer and
praise; Bible study; encouragement and support; equipping for ministry
and witness; and service in daily life.
Reason 4: The Growth of the Church
The early
church multiplied by involving people in groups that met regularly for
worship, mutual support, and growth in faith. Today ChristCare Groups
help our church grow by assimilating new members, evangelizing,
preventing inactivity, and increasing attendance at Sunday worship.
The ChristCare Series provides our congregation with...
A Sound Framewor-A Flexible System
For our
ChristCare Group Ministry to work well and last, we need a strong yet
adaptable system. With more than two decades of experience, Stephen
Ministries has designed and refined this system to do just that.
Equipping and Training of Leaders
"Training
the trainer" helps us to ensure successful small group ministry. Key
leaders from the congregatio-called ChristCare Equipper-gain the
know-how and confidence to begin ChristCare Group Ministry and keep it
going. The Equippers will comprehensive manuals and resources from
Stephen Ministries to recruit and train ChristCare Group Leaders and
establish successful ChristCare Groups.
Ongoing Support
Stephen
Ministries will provide ongoing support for Equippers through telephone
consultation, the
ChristCare Equipper's Resource Pages
on the
Stephen Ministries web site, newsletters, special mailings, and a
continuing supply of fresh ideas. They will help our Equippers and
ChristCare Group Leaders keep our ChristCare Group Ministry responsive
to our congregation's changing needs.
Missional service ideas for a
ChristCare Group
Missional
service is part of every ChristCare Group. The type of missional
service is limited only by the group’s creative and imaginative
resources. The following are examples of how some ChristCare groups
are serving.
Prepare
lunches for Habitat for Humanity workers at the work site.
Provide
clothing for an orphanage.
Provide
clothing and/or school supplies for children of needy families.
Serve
as the “welcoming group” for visitors to the church.
Carry
meals on wheels at the Senior Center.
Serve
as church greeters/ushers.
Sit
with care receivers so the caregiver can take a break.
Prayer
groups.
Planning
and serving in a new contemporary worship service for MUMC.
Nursing
home visits.
Helping
homeowners to do minor maintenance and repair on their homes.
Reading
programs.
Mentoring
programs through various types of sports and tutoring services.
Local/foreign
missionary interests.
Common
interest groups to increase community awareness about specific subjects.
Spiritually
hungry women's and men's groups.
Hospitality
group for new members of the community.
McCormick UMC ChristCare Equippers
Rev Bobbie
Taylor
Norma
Cooper
Sally
Updegraff
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