For the pastoral notes this week, I asked Ben Griffith to write about our Home Fellowship Group ministry.
Dear Cornerstone Family,
God made us to live and thrive in community. We have all discovered this to be true in new and fresh ways over the last few months. God made us in his image, which means that we were made for relationship. The need and desire to know and be known in community is not a weakness to be overcome—it’s something God himself stamped onto our identities as image bearers. We were made for fellowship! Fellowship with God, and fellowship with one another.
One of the ways we pursue this calling to live in community here at Cornerstone is through our Home Fellowship Group ministry. Simply put, HFGs are small groups within the church that meet regularly for fellowship, prayer, and discussion. Our aim is for these groups to be environments of grace where lives can intersect, relationships can grow, and gospel community can be lived and practiced together.
If you’re not currently connected to a Home Fellowship Group, now is the perfect time to join! Our hope is to form several new groups that will begin meeting in the spring of next year. Towards that end, we are beginning a sign-up process this week that will extend into November. Starting this Wednesday, you’ll find a link in our mid-week email, on our website, and on our app that will allow you to add your name to a growing list of folks who are already interested in forming new groups. If you are not already a part of a Home Fellowship Group, we would love for you to join one!
Now, you may be asking yourself, “what exactly would I be getting myself into if I join a Home Fellowship Group?” Good question. Typically, groups meet once or twice a month in someone’s home, usually around a meal or coffee. Most groups meet on Sunday afternoons or evenings, though some meet throughout the week. Groups are facilitated by approved leaders, and our “sweet spot” group size is 10 to 15 people, though this can vary.
One final word: our Home Fellowship Groups are as perfect as the people that form them—you won’t find a perfect group, but we believe you will find a community of brothers and sisters who can encourage one another as we stumble towards Heaven together. And that is worth pursuing! We hope that you’ll consider this invitation and join a Home Fellowship Group. If you have any questions, I would love to speak with you.
Ben