Hillside Community Groups

If you are looking for a community within which to journey deeper than Sunday morning then you are in the right place! You can’t make a plant grow, but you can give it ideal growing conditions and it probably will. Likewise, we can’t make you grow spiritually but we can create the structures to help you do so and you probably will.

Community Groups are one of those structures. They are groups of people, usually no more than eight, who get together regularly to encourage each other to take concrete steps towards growth. We are all called to follow Christ and love our neighbor; it is a lot easier to do so in a small group of trusted friends.

We have quite a few Community Group, some meet during the day and others meet at night. New groups begin twice a year, Spring and Fall, and run for 18 – 24 months. This encourages the meaningful relationships that make these groups so effective. If you think you might like to join a Community Group let us know. We’ll do our best to get you in the right place and growing!

What to Expect

Before talking about what Community Groups are let’s clear up some common misconceptions. Community Groups are not:

Group therapy or support groups
Teacher led classes/lectures
Weekly parties
Meditation groups

Small groups are communities of people who come together to pursue growth in their relationships with God and those around them. Every small group at Hillside has a slightly different shape but most are formed around three main components:

Time for catching up and conversation
Small groups quickly become groups of friends who care about each other. Most groups allow time for talking about the week’s events.

Study and discussion
Most groups work through some form of curriculum on a weekly basis. This might be a book they are reading together, a section of the Bible they are studying, or a study designed for use in a small group context. The goal of this portion of a Community Group meeting is to apply what is being learned to life.

Prayer
Once the group has learned about what is going on and discovered truths that can be applied to those situations, there is usually a time of prayer before the meeting ends. This is a chance to pray for each other and celebrate together.

How to Join a Group

If you are interested in joining a group take some time and answer the following questions for yourself:

What are you looking for in a group? Why?
When could you be part of a group? Daytime or evening? Which days work best?

Once you have worked through those questions email Steve Pridemore or give him a call at the church 415.924.2297 x 105 and he will work with you to help you find the right group. Remember, groups form twice a year around February and September.