Rolling Hills Covenant Church - Rolling Hills Covenant Church

The most important relationship is a personal relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ -- a vertical relationship.

The Bible, our guidebook to daily living, repeatedly confirms the importance of community. Relationships provide us the opportunity to live out our beliefs according to Scripture and be a living testimony of Christ to the world. These horizontal relationships create balance in our lives. The best horizontal relationships are commitments to live with others, to become connected with others in a basic Christian community. Small groups are our best setting to explore and experience both of these types of relationships.

Small Groups Provide:

An opportunity to Study God's Word in community and discuss how it practically applies.

The Bible is God's guidebook to daily living. In the same way we exercise our body for fitness, we need to exercise our minds to better understand the Bible. Studying the Bible in a group significantly improves our retention and promotes a more in-depth understanding. The group discussions sharpen our Bible skills and provides us insights on how to practically apply God's Word in real life situations. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion of the text, and hear others share insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp. The Bible must be applied to your own personal situation; small groups challenge us to do just that.

A safe haven to honestly share our life struggles and better deal with daily stress and pressure.

Every Christian needs a spiritual family. We all need a place where we feel safe to share our feelings with others and allow others to authentically share their feelings with us. We need a family where we are cared for, nurtured, challenged, guided and prayed for; where we can ask straightforward questions and disclose our struggles. Small groups provide excellent support in times of crisis, change, and stress. You'll have a sense of stability and security because you know there are people who genuinely care for you and are committed to supporting you.

An arena to live out the "one another's" in the New Testament.

Every Christian needs a laboratory for life. There are over 50 "one another's" in the Bible: we are challenged in scripture to love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, and stimulate one another to love and to do good deeds. The small group offers a warm family setting where the "one another's" can be lived out. This is especially important for experiencing the full essence of God. A list of New Testament 'one another' and 'each other' verses are listed in the training section of the small group library.

An opportunity to develop leadership skills you never knew you had.

In groups we can share our daily lives, as well as share simple group tasks. Sharing in this way creates a very special bond of fellowship and at the same time offers you the opportunity to grow in God's service. The small group process provides the setting for natural sharing, so no one feels pressured or obligated. Instead, we develop our natural talents for service in a loving and caring environment.

Effective opportunities to share the gospel with family, friends and neighbors.

Time and time again we see people connecting with God and His community because they felt comfortable attending a small group event when invited. Many who feel threatened or find church services unappealing are much more receptive to an invitation to a casual Bible discussion in a home or office setting. In a small group, your unbelieving friends can ask questions and express honest doubts without feeling out of place or foolish. In the understanding small group setting they can take their first steps in connecting with the good news of the gospels in an inviting way.

An avenue for prayer to become more meaningful to you.

We are totally dependent on God and prayer with God; our communicaiton with God through prayer acknowledges our deep need to commune and converse with Him. Small Groups provide you the opportunity to develop your prayer walk by allowing you to take small steps (such as one sentence prayers) without feeling pressured. The more comfortable we become with prayer the more we experience amazing results in our personal relationship with the Lord.

Theological evidence of Biblical emphasis on community:

God seeks community with man (Gen.1:26)
God seeks community with Israel (Deut.6:4)
God himself lives and works in community (John1:1-3)
Christ himself came to provide community and live with us (Matt.1:23)
Jesus called a small group of disciples to live and walk with him (Mark 3:7-10,13-14)
Jesus prayed that we may be one as He and the Father and Holy Spirit are one (John 17:11)
Christ sees our unity and community as our message to the world (John17:21, 23)
God wants people to seek a relationship with Him (Acts 17:24-27)
God wants us to have relationships with others (Genesis 2:18)
God reveals His emotions to us (Ephesians 4:30; Zephaniah 3:17)
God intervenes when we can't communicate (Romans 8:26-27)
God strengthens us for the storms of life (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
God provides wisdom for making good decisions (Proverbs 15:22)
God provides confidentiality and accountability for spiritual health (Proverbs 27:17)
There is strength, reliability and assurance in community (Proverbs 18:24)
God's ordained way to provide infrastructure to assure the workload is shared (Exodus 18:9-22)
Insures that everyone receives care (Acts 6:1)
Provides leadership (Titus 1:5)
Promotes unity in the body of Christ (Eph. 4:1-6, 11-16)
Promotes a sense of belonging to one another (Rm. 7:2-4)
Provides a place to edify, bless, grow, serve and challenge each other through the exercise of each person's spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:12-27)