Introduction to Groups at TCC
At Terwillegar Community Church, it is our mission to know Jesus, walk with Jesus, and share Jesus. To know Jesus is both an intellectual and experiential process. In the New Testament, the concept of “knowing” extends beyond intellectual comprehension into experiencing what we know in our minds to be true. We can extend this understanding to faith. The word in the New Testament often translated into the English word “faith” is not about an intellectual belief in a person. Rather, the Greek word may better be translated into the English word “trust”. To have faith, in a biblical sense, is to trust our whole lives to the leadership of Jesus.
To walk with Jesus is to be a person of repentance and to seek to obey Jesus’ commandments (John 14:21).
Finally, to share Jesus is to respond to what we call the “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:18-20; to “go and make disciples”. Once again, the Greek word translated into the English word “go” can be better translated as “as you are going.” As each of us carries on through the lives we have been blessed with, we are to make disciples of those we are in contact with.
As we seek to live out this mission as a church, we desire to see “Everyone experiencing and witnessing the transformational work of Jesus in themselves, their communities, and around the world.” This is our vision statement.
In order to help our church community move in the direction of becoming more like Jesus, we desire to help orient individuals around the person of Jesus and adopt the overall lifestyle of Jesus. One of the primary vehicles he used to transform the lives of those around him was that of community. Jesus’ disciples were not only called to walk with Jesus himself, but to walk with one another in relationship.
At TCC, we develop what we call “Community Groups” to make space for those in our church community to form intentional relationships and, like those first disciples, to walk with Jesus in the company of others.
Our heart is for each person who attends TCC to be developing intentional relationships and walking with Jesus in the company of others. Community Groups are pivotal components of that journey! A Community Group is a group of 8-12 individuals (and sometimes an army of associated children) who commit to meet at regular intervals for the purpose of connecting with others, developing relationships, experiencing authentic, Christian community, and diving into the life-changing truths of God’s Word.
These groups are designed not only to allow for relational development with other believers, but to practice the way of Jesus together, to deepen one’s relationship with God, and to provide an opportunity for individuals and/or couples to develop and utilize leadership skills.
A Community Group is meant to be an extension of our local church; a place for people to gather outside of a Sunday worship service to experience authentic community and walk through the highs and lows of life in the company of others. Jesus himself modelled this community and group mindset when he selected his disciples; those he called to follow him. A group of twelve walked with Jesus daily, not just in the company of Jesus but in the company of one another.
These groups should function as a safe environment in which individuals can further study what they take in on a Sunday, dive deeper into biblical and spiritual truths, and actively live out what they are taught, practicing the “One Another” commands of Scripture. Our faith journey is no “do it yourself project” and a Community Group is a fantastic place to make space to become more like Jesus in community with others
At TCC, we acknowledge that we are called to become more like Jesus, every day. We believe this is best done through practicing the way of Jesus and seeking, like the first century disciples, to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, and to do as Jesus did (to borrow the language of John-Mark Comer). One of the primary practices Jesus modelled while on earth was living in community.
Our heart for TCC’s Community Groups is for them to be hospitable places of experience. Meeting in the homes of members of our church community, they should be a place where those involved can experience life with Jesus, life with others, love, healing, joy, hope, peace, accountability, and comfort.
