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Mark Koglmeier, Pastor of Community Life, invites you to join our Community Groups on Sunday morning, and our new neighborhood groups...
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Print our brochure on "Growing in Faith Through Community"
But where do I fit in? - (pdf)
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Complete list of current NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS Updated 12/05/07 (pdf) (divisions based on high school districts)
See official school district boundaries:
Gilbert,
Tempe,
Mesa (pdf),
Chandler
Listen to Randy Frazee, author of The Connecting Church, speaking at Faith Church - explaining the key concepts behind what we are doing. Watch here...
Video optimized for slow connections / Requires Windows Media Player 9 (Download) / To select a different session after play begins, click your browser's BACK button
For videocassettes of Frazee conference, see church office.
- What does it mean to live out real Biblical Community?
- Why are close friendships hard to make and maintain?
- Why are we not very salty?
- Why is life-change so hard?
In todays world of fragmented families, over-scheduled lives, tight budgets and unpredictable disasters, it is still possible to have quality relationships with God and with the people in our lives. Relationships in the church can be so
much better—more intimate and alive.
The answer may seem radical today, but it was a central component of life in the
early church. First-century Christians knew what it meant to live in vital community with one another, relating with a
depth and commitment that made "the body of Christ" a perfect metaphor for the church. What would it take to reclaim that kind of love, joy, support, and dynamic spiritual growth? Come to this workshop and find out!
Listen to:
The Fullness of Christ Through COMMUNITY: God's Plan for His Church on Earth by Mark Koglmeier
with sermon notes - MP3 Audio (5.74mb)
Growing in Christ through Community series:
Be a Survivor series:
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a place for you to live, grow & heal
Growing in Faith Through Community
We were NOT created to live alone. Like pieces of
a puzzle, we were meant to connect to a larger purpose and a larger community. Without those God-intended connections, we feel lonely and lost, and our lives seem to lose their meaning.
Even when Adam was in the Garden of Eden, God said, It is not good for man to be alone. God did not describe His creation as very good until He made another to be with Adam. He then commanded Adam and Eve to multiply, to build from his family a larger, world community in which people could love God and love one another.
When human disobedience interrupted this plan, God didnt give up. He sent His Son to pay the price for our disobedience, and to rebuild relationships with God and with other people.
So how do I fit in?
We see the reality of this plan lived out in the early church:
"So then, those who had received Peters word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." (1 Acts 2:41-47, New American Standard Bible)
Yes, there really were people who came together with a common purpose, devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship. They really worshipped together, ate together, spent time together, and took care of one anothers
needs. Simply, each person fits in as they become a part of a Biblical Community.
How can we experience that sense of community today?
In todays world of fragmented families, overscheduled lives, tight budgets and unpredictable disasters, it is still possible to have quality relationships with God and with the people in our lives. However, it requires intentionality - a commitment to a certain kind of life. And Faith Church of the Valley is in the process of restructuring our teaching and our programs to help our members achieve that quality lifestyle.
It all begins with the commitment to a greater purpose: To know Christ and to make Him known.
After all, if God created us to live in joyous fellowship with Him and others, shouldnt that be our number one priority? And if God really does have the power to change peoples lives, shouldnt we let people know about it?
Knowing Christ...
To know Jesus, and to follow His teachings, we must know what He taught. But to put those teachings
into practice, we need encouragement and accountability. We need friendships with like-minded people
who will pray with us, weep with us, and rejoice with us. As the Preacher of Ecclesiastes put it,
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (2 Ecclesiastes 4:10)
Our discipleship process has four levels of involvement. To fit into the community and for the greatest
spiritual growth and the greatest satisfaction in life,
we need to be involved at all four levels.
The goal for our discipleship process is "to make disciples by fostering meaningful relationships in community
for the purpose of intentional, accountable spiritual growth."
But how can I find the time?
In most churches, we hear one message from the pulpit, learn about something different in Sunday School, do an unrelated Bible study in our small group, and try to find time to do some extra reading on our own. At the same time, were being asked to maintain multiple, disconnected relationships and volunteer in multiple, unrelated ministries.
The more involved we become, the more harried we feel. Our kids go to activities based on their grade level, but they cant seem to find playmates that live nearby. Having dinner together means hitting the drive-through on the way to something else, and the whole family feels like theyre living in Moms taxi.
Even singles and couples without small children find themselves driving great distances to attend a small group or an event. Nobody seems to have time to get together and just hang out. Friendship, and free time, feel like memories from a distant past. No wonder were feeling frazzled!
Finally, a Simpler Way to Love our Neighbor and Serve God
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Our purpose is to know Christ and to make Him known
- To INSPIRE our people to enjoy God through vibrant
worship and Biblical preaching
- To INSTRUCT our people in sound doctrine,
spiritual practices and holy living;
- To INVOLVE our people in Biblical community,
soul-satisfying relationships, and meaningful
ministry
- To INVITE others both locally and globally into a
life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Our leadership has been working hard to help us simplify our schedules. Here are four ways our plan to grow through community will help us deepen our relationship with God, our time together and our opportunities to minister - without
burnout.
The Spiritual Formation Calendar - One theme at a time
Weve identified thirty Core Competencies, consisting of 10 beliefs, 10 practices and 10 virtues that our church will study. The Faith Notes, weekly sermon, Community Group discussion, Neighborhood Group, and individual time with God will all focus on some aspect of that weeks topic - eliminating information overload from trying to remember four unrelated teachings on four unrelated topics. We will be able to go deep, and still have time to actually put what we are learning into practice. The Christian Life Profile - a better way to follow Jesus
Did you ever hear someone say, If you dont know where youre going, youll end up going nowhere? Because we lack focus and goals, too many of us have spent years going nowhere in our walk with God.
The alternative is intentional spiritual growth. The Christian Life Profile is a questionnaire that enables you to choose one to three areas of your life to actively develop each year. Throughout the year, your Neighborhood Group will work together to encourage each member to meet his or her individual goals. With prayerful support and structured accountability, real growth is a real possibility for every believer. Targeted Instruction - Meeting your personal needs for spiritual growth
As our people begin to use the Christian Life Profile to identify core beliefs, practices, and virtues they want to focus on, our leadership will schedule classes in The Institute that will enable us to learn more about the topics we need most.
For example, if youve always wanted to learn more about your identity in Christ or how God wants you to handle
money, you can attend a short-term class and access additional resources. You wont be limited to a single week of teaching on a topic, then left to learn the rest on your own. Geographical Community - A shared place to know and grow
Were restructuring our small group, youth, and student ministries to help everyone spend less time in the car and more time with each other. Neighborhood Groups will be comprised of the people who live closest to you. Community Groups
will be organized by school district, as will childrens Sunday school classes. Well finally get to know those in our church who are our neighbors.
As we rediscover a sense of true neighborhood, Neighborhood Group members will spend time eating together, visiting each others homes, and developing lasting friendships. Because these group members will live within easy walking or driving distance, it will be simpler to minister to one another by working together on home-improvement projects
or taking meals to a new mom. Instead of the usual suburban isolationism, families will experience real Christian community.
Within the context of Neighborhood Groups, it is not only easier to know Jesus - its also easier to make Him known. Jesus told His disciples that people will recognize us as His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). Sharing Christ is most effective when our neighbors get to know us. They notice Christians genuinely loving one another and volunteering together in the area. Sharing the gospel is no longer a matter of witnessing to hostile or indifferent strangers. Instead, its a natural process of inclusion and deepening friendship that leads to conversion and lasting church involvement.
In a Neighborhood Group each person becomes involved as a part of a community to do the work of the Kingdom. Neighborhood Groups fulfill the 7 functions of Biblical Community. Together they form the acronym S.E.R.V.I.C.E.
Spiritual Formationpersonal, intentional growth
Evangelismreaching out to your neighborhood
Recreationfun and relaxation
Volunteerismserving the church
International Missionstaking the gospel to the least reached
Caremeeting each others needs
Extending Compassionloving and serving the poor
How All This Fits Together
For some of us, these ideas are new and scary. They involve re-examining our priorities, modifying our schedules, and opening up our lives to the input of others. No matter how hungry we are for friendship or how desperately we want to get closer to God, were hesitant to commit to change.
For others, this is just a clearer implementation of the ideas we at Faith Church of the Valley have been
developing over the last two decades. Weve wanted a simpler lifestyle, a more natural way to share Christ with our friends, deep communion with God and rich fellowship with His people. Were thrilled to offer a plan for community that enables us to put into practice effective methods of disciplemaking while meeting the deepest spiritual and emotional needs of our families.
Wherever you are on the scale of readiness for change, we at Faith Church of the Valley encourage you to get involved at the level with which you feel comfortable and to grow from there. Be Inspired at the Worship Service, and stay for some fellowship and Instruction at the Community Group. Get involved with a nearby Neighborhood Group, and discover
the old-fashioned joys of geographic community, intimate fellowship, and being a friend in your neighborhood. Deepen your Individual time alone with God. Discover life the way God meant for it to be lived.
Glossary of terms
7 Functions of Biblical Community: Activities that are accomplished by each Neighborhood Group as a community so that we fulfill our Biblical mandate to love God and our neighbor. 30 Core Competencies: Together, these 10 beliefs, 10 practices and 10 virtues, when mastered, form a picture of a mature disciple of Jesus Christ. They are listed on the Faith Notes page. Biblical Community: a healthy group relationship based on biblical principles and characterized by commitment to: a common purpose; a shared set of beliefs, practices and virtues; and a deep respect for the uniqueness
of each other. Christian Life Profile: a self-and peer-administered tool to assess spiritual growth and to assist in setting spiritual goals. Used in a small-group context for maximum transparency and accountability. Community Group: a midsize group consisting of no more than 50 members, meeting once per week each
Sunday morning and organized by a larger geographic area such as an elementary or high school district. May be divided by age into adult, elementary, junior high or high school groups. Faith Notes: an individual Bible study and devotional. Each week the Notes are distributed (and available on this Web site). These are done for personal growth and in preparation for the sermon the following Sunday, and for discussion in the Community Groups. Geographic Community: webs of relationships that are based on where the members live, rather than
affinity (shared interests and age group). Individualism: a way of life that makes the individual supreme or sovereign over everything, leading to
a breakdown of common beliefs and purposes Neighborhood Group: a small group that is committed to Biblical Community, with up to 12 adult members
who live nearby. There are no divisions based on age and whole-family involvement is encouraged. Spiritual formation: personal spiritual growth; a process of renewing the mind in the core beliefs of
the Christian faith through the practice of Biblical disciplines and virtues. Sound doctrine: common beliefs based on the literal, historical interpretation of the Bible Spiritual formation calendar: an annual calendar of essential core beliefs, practices and virtues for
church-wide study, prayer, meditation and implementation The Institute: A teaching ministry that offers courses on the 30 Core Competencies and other studies to
equip the Body for ministry. Virtue: what we need formed in us; expressions of Christ-like character and behavior
Resources for Rediscovering Community in America
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community. Harper Books. - Community that Works: How One Church is Reaching a City One Neighborhood at a Time: An Interview with Randy Frazee. Available online at: http://www.vineyardusa.org/publications/newsletters/cutting_edge/2002_fall/frazee.htm
Donahue, Bill and Russ Robinson. Building a Small Church of Small Groups. Zondervan, 2001. Frazee, Randy. The Connecting Church: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community. Zondervan, 2001. Measuring What Matters. An article about the Christian
Life Profile, from Leadership Journal, Spring 2000. Available
online at http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/churchvitalsigns/articles/le-2000-002-10.58.html
Text author: by Tina Quinn Durham, 2003.
For more information, contact, Mark Koglmeier, Pastor of Community Life at (480) 838-6559 or mark@faithchurchaz.org. Faith Church of the Valley would like to thank Randy Frazee for his permission to freely glean and adapt the ideas he pioneered in his book, The Connecting Church. http://www.pantego.org
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