Contact: Rick and Elaine Hemmings

Groups meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during the day or in the evening.  Do feel free to chat to any Group leader or to Rick and Elaine Hemmings, the housegroup coordinators, or to John kirkland.  If you would like to go to a group to see what it is like, please arrange that with a housegroup leader.  We base the groups around locality and try to get a good mix of people.  If you have a friend in a group, why not join them?

For this term's theme and discussion notes click here...
In the Autumn term we will be finishing off 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-16.

For some ideas and resources to use with housegroups click here...

For previous theme's and discussion notes click here...

Next Housegroup Leaders Meeting: Monday 24 November 2008 at 8.00pm.

Listening Skills Course: Session 1 on Sunday 12 October, Session 2 Monday 20 October.

What are housegroups for?

A housegroup is a place where we are

nurtured in:

 - our relationship with God

 - our relationship with others

 - our ministry in the church, at work, and in the community  

 - our sharing of the gospel with friends

equipping us to serve God in our lives where we are today. 

The word nurture has gardening associations: as plants grow and flourish with the help of the nurture gardeners give on top of the rain and sun, so we can grow and flourish through the aid a housegroup can provide beyond what we can do with our own resources.

We meet in small groups to form a close-knit community and provide a great environment where we can help each other grow.

The point where the rubber hits the road for our reading of scripture is where we turn our belief into how we run our lives.  Housegroups focus on this, applying a good understanding of scripture to provide the principles for our decisions, attitudes and behaviour. 

What happens in housegroups?

    Our Bible study is either based on a specific book in the Bible or an issue relevant to us or to society.  Group members can suggest ideas to discuss; we are using feedback from the groups to help define the teaching programme – the programme is designed for you!

    The group is a place where we can share activities and concerns from our lives; people in the groups care for one another.  We can share what we are doing at work, in the church, with our friends or in our work in the community. In this way, group members find support in prayer, advice and practical help.  

    Housegroups can be a springboard for sharing our faith.  The group can help pray for people we are in contact with; also the group together can befriend our friends and provide an opportunity, through a meal for example, at which an outside speaker can come and explain the gospel.   

    The groups are places where we enjoy ourselves and feel at home.  We are small communities who share together and the fun side of fellowship is an important part. We schedule in time for social activities; the groups often do other things together on top of this.

So, in a nutshell, we:                                                                                                                       

• Worship
• Study the Bible
• Apply it to daily life
• Share from our lives
• Pray for the church
• Pray for the world
• Pray for one another
• Enjoy being together

Don’t worry if:

-       you feel that you know very little about the Bible - we are all there to learn.

-       you find the idea of sharing intimidating, you do not have to share anything if   you don’t want to; we also respect confidentiality

-       you don’t know anybody very well – you soon will!

-       you find praying aloud difficult (most people do) – you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

What if I’m too busy?

Whilst the real benefits come with taking part in a group – we recognise that sometimes this is not possible.  If you would like to be associated with a group but cannot get to the meetings we would be happy for you to do this, and we will pray for you and include you as much possible.

Once a month housegroups come together for praise and prayer at

OPEN TO GOD

more...