Metro North Church
 

Small Groups - FOCUS!, our small group ministry, is the key strategy for caring and building friendships. "Everyone cares for somebody and nobody cares for more than ten" exemplifies our commitment to provide care. We believe that true care is best practiced by "every member being a minister," rather than a "professional staff" taking that responsibility. 

- Who We Are Brochure

Metro North Church is small groups. One of the joys of membership in the church is participating in a group with ten to fifteen other church members. We call these groups "FOCUS Groups" because their primary purpose is to help each other walk with God in the situations we face in our daily lives. We ask each other about our challenges and seek to find, through prayer and Bible study, how God is working in us and through us as we face the tests of life. This not only involves prayer and counsel and encouragement, but also helping each other with practical needs­such as meals for a family with a newborn or networking help to find a job­so that we can live as a community which displays the love of Christ. We call our small groups FOCUS because for us it means, Fellowship, Outreach, Care, Using gifts, and Spiritual Growth.

FOCUS Groups...

The Mission of FOCUS Groups

  • F-ellowship

  • O-utreach

  • C-are

  • U-sing Gifts

  • S-piritual Growth

Why FOCUS?

FOCUS Groups are the primary place for pastoral care and discipleship. FOCUS Groups provide a warm and personal setting where deep relationships can form. Isn’t that what the church is all about … intimate relationship with God and with one another? Shepherding, personal oversight and guidance within small groups supplements and reinforces the preaching ministry of our pastor. FOCUS Groups are not just another program or meeting. We see the FOCUS Groups as being the heart of the church. Much of the life and growth of the church body occurs in and through our FOCUS Groups. We are Christians bonding together and maturing in the power of the Gospel and working together to impact a lost world, i.e. to disciple the nations. We see four clear goals from Scripture for small groups: spiritual growth, mutual care, fellowship, and service.

What are FOCUS Groups?

  • FOCUS Groups are comprised of 6-12 adults. They usually meet once a week in a home. FOCUS Groups are where we learn to apply biblical principles to all of life. Those demonstrating the gifts and calling to disciple the flock are either Elders or other qualified leaders.
    More than a bible study, FOCUS Group members actively apply the Word to grow spiritually so we may be more effective in ministering to one another. Most FOCUS Groups develop opportunities to carry the gospel beyond the group in numerous ways into our community.
    Our desire is for FOCUS Groups to multiply rather than grow too large for effective shepherding. Birthing of new FOCUS Groups provides healthy training for the larger church.
  • Relationships are the backbone of our life together here at Metro North Church. Relationship with God, relationships with each other, and relationships with friends and neighbors we are reaching out to in our community. Our FOCUS Groups provide a setting for these relationships to flourish. When we get together, we enjoy times of worship and prayer in the midst of a small group of friends. There are also lively discussions about applying the Bible in practical ways to our every day lives. This allows us to go beyond just hearing a message on Sunday morning or casually reading a good Christian book or article. We take the opportunity to pray for each other, ask questions about what we are studying, share our struggles, and learn from others as we see how others grapple with the joys and demands of living a life of faith. And we have great snacks and plenty of fun, too.
  • We’ve found that in FOCUS Groups, we have a unique opportunity to open up and share our lives in a grace-filled setting. We study, pray, work and play together while benefiting immeasurably from the love and encouragement that God lavishes on us through His Word and in our friendships. We develop relationships for the purpose of maturity, service and outreach. Again our goal is spiritual growth, mutual care, fellowship, and service.

If you are interested in our thoughts behind small groups, we would highly recommend the following resource:  Why Small Groups?  (* if this is your first logon to SG, you will need to create an account for these FREE items).

Check out the FOCUS Group calendar here and register for a group here