Emmanuel Church Community Welcomes You

GROW AND BELONG

“We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, but unless we sense that we belong to one another, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow.”.

 “People need to be involved in meaningful and constant community or they will continue on indefinitely in a state of intense loneliness.”  

“The only adjustment to the original design of creation was the addition of human community – man was not made to be alone.”  

Randy Frazee, The Connecting Church.

Experience shows that coming to services is not enough to create the dynamic for people maturing as Christians.  But what should community look like if it is to be effective in enabling us to mature?

Currently at Emmanuel we have many different groups doing many different things - some exist for different purposes - worship leading, social action, leadership.  Others focus on study and prayer.  The aim is that everyone should have a place to belong where they can serve and grow like Christ.  As our vision for 2009 says:

Everyone in the church community has a clear sense of being discipled at Emmanuel.

But this doesn't happen on your own.  So we encourage you to get into a small group, or to form one, or to have a spiritual companion.  As CS Lewis said, "The Church exists for no other purpose but to draw (people) into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.  God became Man for no other purpose.  It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.” 

GROUPS

These groups are currently running at Emmanuel.  If you would like to get involved, or have more information, please contact one of the Church Wardens.

• Tuesday morning study and prayer group
• Wednesday morning study and prayer group
• Skelton based study and prayer group
• Hob Hill based community group
• Jewel Streets based community group
• Alert social action group
• Deep Stuff at the Victoria pub (Discussion group)
• Emerald Street Knitters
• Friday Family Tea
  
• Mother's Union
• Midweek Morning Prayer
• Prayer ministry team
• Leadership team

Final thought: “Consider this: In a culture of individualism, when do non-Christians get to see Christians loving each other in such a way that it compels them to run to Jesus Christ?”