Gospel Communities

ABOUT

Here at The House we see Christ-centred community as being  essential for both the individual and the church as a whole.  Gospel Communities are the primary vehicle for discipleship within the church.  We regard being a disciple of Jesus as not merely being a believer in Jesus, but being a follower of Jesus!  We therefore believe that community is a critical part of sanctification and growth of a believer, and a crucial aspect of our ability to image God.  In light of our Biblical convictions we desire to see every member of the church living out their faith in a Gospel Community.

We gather in Gospel Communities with our brothers and sisters, to have fun and fellowship together, to experience the gospel together, to wrestle over the truths of God’s Word, to pray with each other, to love each other, to love our neighbours by serving this city and to do Christ’s mission in this city together.

WHAT WE DO

Our Gospel Communities meet in homes around the city and are typically made up of 8-14 people.  They meet on an evening during the week to actively live out the ministry of the church and they seek to build into the lives of the group members throughout the week through informal times of fellowship, hospitality, prayer and devotion to scriptures.

We see the truth of the Bible as being the basis of all we do as a church therefore time in our communities will be spent in interactive discussion on the topic of a current sermon series or a book of the Bible.  We desire for the gospel to be actively and intentionally lived out in Christ-centred community.  Therefore we do not seek to only challenge minds, but we also seek to challenge the active workings of our hearts.

We strive for our Gospel Communities to be on mission by serving their communities, loving their neighbours and sharing the amazing truths of the Gospel through the building of relationships with those who don’t know Christ Jesus.  Mission for each Gospel Community will look different as they seek to best serve those around them with the God given gifts and abilities that they have been given.  Our goal is to transform culture through our gospel communities continually growing and multiplying within each community through new people coming to know Christ and wanting to serve Him through his church.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Each group is unique as it reflects the community in which it exists.  However, you can expect a weekly gathering that involves food, conversation, prayer, discussion for applying the Bible to practical living, and service in the neighbourhood.  

Gospel Communities are an environment for building relationships with one another, which strongly emphasises challenging one another to drive God’s Word deeply into our lives.

Gospel Communities are much more than a Bible study, they are community.  A place where we can laugh, cry, work and play together for the glory of Jesus.  This means you could expect BBQ’s and picnics in the summer, working in the garden for an elderly neighbour, helping someone move house, long chats while sipping coffee and hot chocolates,  babysitting for families, birthdays and celebrations and visiting people in the hospital.

WHEN WE DO IT

Currently all Gospel Communities meet on a Thursday evening from 7:30pm around the city.  From time to time, they all meet together at The Basement Coffee House instead of the individual meetings for a time of corporate worship, encouragement in the Gospel and strategic planning for mission.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

If you would like to get involved in one of our Gospel communities feel free to contact Geoff Miller, who oversees the groups.