www.BristolCommunityChurch.org

Homegroups

We have several Homegroups throughout the city and they meet on various evening in the week. All of our Homegroups run based on the principles laid out by Paul in Acts 2:42-47:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number those who were being saved."

The role of Homegroups is to outwork the life and vision of the church, but in a smaller more intimate environment in which closer personal relationships can develop allowing more freedom to share and step out in faith. As these Groups meet on a weekly basis, they provide regular opportunities to explore the teaching from Sundays, ask questions and gain greater understanding and insight into all that God is doing in and through us. Homegroups vary in size and structure but will all be committed to the following basic foundations:

Committed to prayer

It is a wonderful gift from God that we can pray and intercede for one another, thanking God for the times of joy and abundance, and also standing alongside those who are struggling through difficult times. All our groups will regularly spend time praying for one another's family and circumstances, encouraging each other with the word of God, and standing in faith together to see His promises fulfilled. We also pray for neighbours and work colleagues where we can see God is at work in their lives, seeking for opportunities to share the gospel.

Committed to growth

We are committed to seeing our groups grow and then splitting so that increasingly we can become Christ in our community. Of course, one cannot manufacture growth, but built on a foundation of prayer and an attitude of outward looking, we believe God will add to our number those who are being saved. As people are added to the Church and attend our Power for Living foundation course, new members are carefully added to Homegroups to help them to grow and develop new relationships.

Committed to personal development

Whilst we expect each group to develop its own character, a basic set of values can be observed within them all:

- as people we should be full of encouragement, care, openness, trust
- the group should feel secure with one another and allow mistakes
- we love to worship and break bread together regularly
- we want to learn and advance and be led by the Holy Spirit
- our group should be fun and full of variety

These values provide for us a safe environment in which we can develop a closer and stronger relationship with God and each other.

Our ultimate vision is to see the Homegroups as lights throughout the city, proclaiming the love of Jesus and creating the opportunities for people to be saved.

How do I join a Homegroup?

Different groups meet in different parts of the city. If you would like to come along, please approach the individual Homegroup Leaders OR John Maskell.

Click on the homegroup leaders for more information

Paul and Francesca Meager (Bedminster)

Our cell group is a great mix of young and old, families and singles. We meet in Brislington every Thursday evening for two hours. Our priorities are to deepen our relationship with God, and with one another, and to outwork the vision of the church. We do this through seeking God in worship, prayer and sharing the Word of God together. The group provides a safe place to step out in spiritual gifts. We have a meal together once a month, and organise other social events throughout the year.

Mark and Karen Southall (Winterbourne)

We meet in Winterbourne on Thursdays from 8pm and usually finish at 9.30pm. Our group is composed mainly of couples, most of whom have older teenage children.

Neil and Wendy Bright (Yate)

We are a group which meets in Yate every Wednesday at 8pm. We start with a time of worship followed by a time of sharing and Bible study. We are a mixed group of both families and singles with a variety of ages. Everyone in the group is encouraged to lead from time to time.

Richard and Kim Brown (Winterbourne, Frampton Cotterell & Downend)

We meet on Thursday evenings at 8pm and we try to finish by about 9.30pm in order to allow plenty of time for more informal fellowship. We meet at different homes around Winterbourne, Frampton Cotterell and Downend and regularly spend time discussing Sunday teaching and enjoying worship together.

Tim and Liz Leaman (Kingswood)

We have a good balance between younger (20s/30s) and older members. We have a good time testifying where God is working in each of our lives, praying and worshipping as well as unpacking the Sunday message and discovering God's word to our lives. We start at 8pm and aim to bring the more formal part of the evening to a close by 9:30pm.

Dave and Nicky Summerhill (St. George)

This family-orientated group of local people with ages ranging from age 18 to nearly 70, meets in St George on a Wednesday night. This friendly group provides an open atmosphere for people with a heart for worship and prayer, to share what God is doing in their lives and to develop their gifts and talents. We are committed to seeing God's purpose outworked in our lives and throughout the Church as a whole.

Ian and Alison Purnell (Winterbourne)

Our group meets Wednesday evenings at 8.00pm at our home in Winterbourne, however, many group members travel in from different locations. We have a mixture of single men and women, couples and some children. The children in our group range from young babies to teenagers. We encourage all members to participate in the life of the group and share what God has laid on their hearts. We enjoy times of worship, prayer, testimony and looking closer at God's word and current Church teaching. We also arrange times of social fellowship to include our children.