Community Groups at Community

Our God is a unified community of persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. He has made us for communion with himself and his people. Thanks be to God that, in Jesus Christ, we are outsiders no longer, but have been welcomed into God’s household by grace (Eph. 2:19-20). It is in the context of our new family, that we are redeemed. In Jesus, we belong to one another and are loved by the Father with the same love he has for his Son (John 17:21-23). As we abide in the love of our Lord together, the world will see the beauty of Jesus and the greatness of the Father’s love in him. 

At Community, we gather in community groups in order to intentionally foster this union. In our groups we practice rhythms of gospel-centered dialogue, burden-bearing, and earnest prayer. Furthermore, we make it our aim to foster the kind of culture, or communal character, that reflects the gospel of grace of which we believe. We make our aim “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3). We hope that our community is characterized by the following:

Honor

“Outdo one another in showing honor.” – Romans 12:10

Jesus doesn’t shame us in our sin and weakness, so we make it our aim to honor one another in struggle and need, while boldly boasting in one another’s growth in Christ.

Grace

“Come to me…for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus offers free favor for the undeserving, so we make it our aim to be a community of unmerited gentleness and lavish generosity, resisting relational recoil and judgment.

Honesty

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:8-9

Jesus lives in the light and cleanses all those who walk in it, so we practice courageous honesty about our sin, failure, pain, and desperate need for help from the Lord and one another.

Patience

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones…patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:12-13 

Jesus refuses to give up on us in our stubbornness and fickle-hearted apathy, so we refuse to throw in the towel on our brothers and sisters when they sin against us or walk with burdens that bring us pain and discomfort.

Joy

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.” – Psalm 30:11-12

Jesus satisfies our deepest longings, meets our every need, and inspires awe and adoration as we behold his beauty. We desire to bear witness to our beloved soul-satisfying Christ and display the supernatural joy that only he can give to a world that longs for more.

We currently have over 150 people involved in 15-20 community groups. Groups typically meet in the evening every other week in homes throughout the greater Harrisburg area. Our community groups are central to the life and mission of our church and we hope you consider joining one. We would love to dialogue with you if you have any questions about what are groups are like and if you have hesitation about connecting with fellow believers in this kind of context. 

Please contact our Connections Pastor, David McHale, for more information.