Life Groups
St. Stephen’s Life Groups are open to all. Life Groups are the intentional and regular gathering of people for the purpose of discipleship, to bring God glory as his image-bearers train to grow in holiness, to care for one another and to participate in God’s mission. This ministry offers fellowship as we form friendships around discussing God’s Word and praying with and for one another. The life of discipleship includes prayer, teaching, modeling, and repenting in personal relationships with one another. As this happens the believer grows in the areas of:
Conviction – our knowledge of God and understanding of the Bible.
Character – our lives are conformed with sound doctrine.
Competency – our ability to speak God’s Word to or pray for others in various situations and contexts.
They are held at various hosts’ homes and are organized based on geography. They meet on the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month. They meet for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, including time for fellowship, Bible discussion, and prayer.
We at St. Stephen Reformed Church believe our Life Group ministry should provide geographically-based community, discipleship, gospel proclamation, teaching from the pulpit exposition, and prayer.
Geographically based
God has placed us to live in specific places; consequently, we are called to serve the people of the area we are located (Jer. 29). It is important for us, then, to participate in God’s mission where we are situated, to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31). We must be good neighbors and participate in God’s mission where he has placed us.
Discipleship
The Christian life involves training believers from belief to maturity. We seek to sharpen one another through our time spent together, embodying godly attributes as we train one another in godliness and doctrine. As we sharpen one another through personal growth from discipleship, conforming more and more to the image of the Son, we better mirror God’s attributes to the world.
Gospel
Life together ultimately points us to our faith in the Triune God, who by the plan of the Father, accomplishes redemption by the Son and applies this redemption through the Holy Spirit. By this redemption, we are reconciled to God. He transforms our lives and we live in obedience to him. We read the Bible through the lens of the gospel.
Curriculum from Pulpit exposition
Prayer
One privilege believers share, thanks to a restored and reconciled relationship with God through Christ, is the privilege of conversing with God in prayer. Prayer is foundational to a disciple’s life. We are even told to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Regular prayer will be a part of life groups, living out our dependency on the Lord.