We have seen God use smaller groups of people who meet intentionally for the purpose of growth in Christ. Jesus called each and every believer to grow in their faith and "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). When believers intentionally assemble themselves around God's purposes for their lives, they are answering God's calling to discipleship. Growth Groups are designed to provide a space for this to happen. By gathering weekly to discuss the scriptures, share areas of desired growth, and time in prayer, our hope is that each person would be further "transformed into His image" (II Corinthians 3:18).

Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. The format of a Growth Group is not one of a teacher-student, but a roundtable discussion. Members of a Growth Group meet weekly (in person or virtually) for an hour to an hour and a half. At the meeting, you will work through the three rhythms of Growth Group:

• Scripture - Your group will commit to syncing up their daily Bible reading and also journal insights and applications from their reading. At the weekly meeting, you will discuss the passages you read the past week and the ways that God spoke to you through your reading.

• Sharing - Your Growth Group members will commit to sharing in these three areas: 1) What fruit are you seeing from this past week? 2) What has been hard this past week? 3) Where have you seen sin in your life this past week?

• Prayer - At the weekly meeting you will spend time praying for one another. Your scripture discussion and sharing time should inform your prayer time.

Being in a Growth Group requires a desire to grow and a willingness to invest in the lives of others. Since a Growth Group is a higher level of commitment than a Life Group, it also requires a six-month commitment to attend the weekly meeting, complete the Bible reading (1-2 chapters a day) & journaling, a willingness to share openly about your life and struggles, and praying for your group. Not everyone is at a place in their life where they can start, facilitate, or join a Growth Group, and that’s okay. This is for those that have both the desire and capacity to commit to six months of intentional discipleship with a closed group of self-assembled people in order to experience growth and transformation.

• To give yourself fully to the Lord during this time as you anticipate a season of growth in your spiritual walk.

• To invite like-minded peers to the Growth Group, or to accept the invitation of a facilitator

• Meet every week as a Growth Group (60-90 minutes) for 6 months. When unable, you will stay involved by sharing prayer requests.

• Commit to the three weekly rhythms of Scripture, Sharing & Prayer.

• Contribute to a group atmosphere of confidentiality, honesty, and transparency.

• After 6 months see another Growth Group formed out of your group.

Life Groups are a great catalyst to build friendships and community in our church. Our desire for Life Groups is that they would provide a spiritual family for the people that attend Calvary. However, due mainly to the size of the group, Life Groups can have a tougher time digging deeper into the Word as well as getting into some of the personal struggles and areas of needed growth of its members. Since Growth Groups are smaller than the average Life Group, they can have a stronger focus on personal accountability and application of the scriptures. Growth Groups provide an opportunity for accelerated spiritual growth through a more intense commitment level and higher expectation for the weekly meetings over a span of six months. Growth Groups also have the added benefit of being able to meet at any time that works for the group (early morning, lunch break, evening, etc.).

Because the focus of Growth Groups is different from that of a Life Group, we think that both are beneficial to the people of Calvary. Many will choose to do both, but some may not choose to participate in a Life Group in order to give their full attention and time to the Growth Group. Please pray through what God would have you do in this next season.

The beauty of Growth Groups is that they can be formed simply by finding like-minded believers that have the desire and capacity to grow together for an extended season. We plan to provide the structure, format, and resources to lead, but the formation of Growth Groups will be up to the individual facilitators to launch their group and maintain the three rhythms (scripture, sharing, and prayer). We do ask that once your group is formed, please register your group by filling out the Growth Group form found HERE.

If you have questions or need help getting connected with other individuals who want to join a Growth Group, please submit this Growth Group Interest Form and one of our staff members will connect with you.