As a “Jesus Connection” church (The Jesus Connection), we are trying to be faithful to the vision of a congregation that places a very high priority on each participant’s personal spiritual growth.  We want to be a congregation that not only encourages each of us to draw closer to Jesus, but also supports each of us in the process.

An important way that we have encouraged and supported each other in this process is the formation of Spiritual Life Groups.  Each group session meets in someone’s home.  We begin with a period of silence as we focus on God and allow Him to speak to us during a short time of “mind at rest.”  We then listen to a reading of scripture from the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary and interact in group reflection on the scripture passage.  The third segment of each session involves telling our individual spiritual autobiography as we take turns (one each week).  Finally, we then enter a period of discussion together of a chapter in a study book.  Our evening together then ends with a time of prayer.

These groups continue regularly throughout the year, and become an important part of our congregation’s spiritual growth, study, and fellowship.

Each Spiritual Life Group consists of 6-10 people.  We meet once a week for 1˝ hours in a participant’s home.  Childcare is provided when needed.  We meet for sessions lasting seven or eight weeks.  Participants are asked to attend regularly, and read the assigned study book chapter before they come.  At the end of each seven or eight weeks session, the groups are reshuffled and new participants are encouraged to join our groups.  These groups continue regularly throughout the year, and become an important part of our congregation’s spiritual growth, study, and fellowship.

Participants get to know each other in some new and exciting ways, and we also get closer to God.  These groups are a way to be accountable to others as we grow in our Christian faith.  They are also a support system that lovingly helps our spiritual journeys.

If you are worshipping with us at Bread of Life Christian Church, then it is very important for you to participate in one of these groups.  We not only encourage it, we expect it!  It is important that we help you to serve Christ.  To serve Christ means that you cannot sit passively and watch other Christians worship, study, pray, serve, and grow spiritually.  You have to join them.  These groups are important to our congregational and personal prayer life, allow us to explore our spiritual gifts, encourage discernment of our individual calls to ministry, are an opportunity to tell our faith stories, help get more out of Sunday morning worship (including the sermon), and are how we get to truly know each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Whenever new sessions begin, information on scheduling of sessions and study books used is given on the Special Events page.

While Spiritual Life Groups are an important element helping the spiritual growth, study, and fellowship of members, these groups can also be an “entry point” for anyone wishing to know more about the church, even without first attending a Sunday service.  If anyone outside of our current congregation has an interest in participating in one of these groups, you are invited to consider becoming a part of any one of the series of sessions when they are announced here.