What's a Faith Group?
 

It's the church in someone's home! Sometimes they're called pastorates, cell groups, house groups or home groups and lots of churches have them. If you imagine your favourite spot - high up on a mountain, the air is pure, the silence is really refreshing, you love being there. Now imagine having your Christmas lunch there with grannies and small children rushing around a table laden with hot food! It's silly! You don't try and do everything all at once; we need to separate out important things in order to ensure that they get proper time and attention: bungee jumping from bridges, restaurants for romantic candlelit suppers.

On Sunday mornings we celebrate the Eucharist together but there isn't time to hear everyone's story from the week: the people who've touched your life or the sad situations that need prayer from you and those close to you. A Home Church Group is where you can bring these concerns.

We want Home Church Groups at St John's because they'll help us become better Christians, help us understand the bible and pray more effectively, help us talk about our faith more coherently and develop the courage and skills to share all we have received. 

Whose home?
 

Because there are several groups we can't all meet in church. Each group of parishioners will, hopefully, begin to discover in each other Christian brothers and sisters who they can like, trust and support. Each group has a coordinator but they don't need to host the group each week in their home. Please feel free to volunteer your space!

What is Emmaus?
 

Click here: Luke 24: 13-36
 

 This is what being a Christian is like for most of us. We are so caught up in the business of living that we miss the fact that Jesus is alongside us. The content, structure and  ethos of the material you will be following is always about recognising Jesus at work in your life. The principles of these short courses are grounded in scripture and the practise of the New Testament church. They have been put into practise in different parts of the world and are proving effective in evangelism  in many different places.

Living the Gospel
 

The aim of 'Living the Gospel' is to make every small group in the Church a dynamic and effective base for mission and every group member an effective witness for Christ. You will need to commit to the course over the four meetings your group has agreed to have -  and be committed to the passages for study and the exercises in between.

Winning other people to Christ involves an investment of time as individual and as a group. For the course to be worthwhile your group also needs to be prepared to invest 14 to 20 minutes every two or three meetings, after the course finishes, in the whole business of witness and evangelism:

· reflecting on what has been happening;

· holding one another to account;

· praying together for those who do not know Christ; 

· planning and building stepping stones.

Even though it may not be every week, this regular 15 to 20 minute slot needs to become as much a part of your regular house group meeting as worship, Bible study and coffee time if the principle contained here are to be worked out in practice and bear fruit for God's kingdom.

What are we going to do?
 

The four sessions of the course look at: 

· Understanding: Understanding your oikos 

· Prayer: Praying for your oikos 

· Service: Serving your oikos 

· Building stepping stones to faith.

oikos is a Greek word and means 'extended household' or 'network of relationships'. 'Living the Gospel is about helping each other  to communicate Christian faith in our own oikos or relationship network.

When are we meeting? 
 

The sessions are on Wednesday nights: 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of March. There are special services during Holy Week that complete and fulfil all you will be learning about during Lent. 

What will I need?

· A Bible that's not full of old-fashioned, tiny, hard to read print; 

· A Bible that's canonical i.e. preferably includes the Apocrypha but  isn't a Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) bible. 

· A Bible that's for grown-ups (not a shortened version with selected highlights for children). 

· Try the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) which is what we have read in Church on Sunday or the New Jerusalem Bible (Readers Version £8.95). All these can be bought at The Logos Bookshop, Fulham Road (next to the PO Parcels Office.).

 · So basically, that's a bible! 

But I've missed the sign-up sheet! 
 

Don't worry, just contact the Parish Office and we'll put you in touch with a group leader and you can join in next week.
 

Email for more details of individual groups.