A Gospel-Centered Connect Group

Life-changing Connect Group environments are less about how-to's and more about experiencing Christ. They are not focused on building head knowledge but on changing hearts and minds. The community that's created in your group should not only equip your members for service but also expose sin and call people to adore Christ. Christ-centered communities transform lives from the inside out.

The apostle Paul describes a transformational community in Colossae as he gives thanks to God for an explosion of the gospel in their midst. He says:

Paul thanks God for the contagious faith in Christ and love for fellow Christians that springs organically from the gospel. The Colossian church’s ongoing belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ resulted in the fruit of changed lives. They experienced transformation in their community because of the power of the gospel and their continuing captivation with the hope that comes from Christ.

The gospel is not just what non-Christians need to begin a relationship with God. The gospel is also the way individuals and communities grow spiritually. Timothy Keller, author and former pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, writes:

If we desire to see heart transformation in our Connect Groups, we must do something more fundamental than equipping people to share the gospel (though we cannot neglect equipping). We must help them experience the gospel. We need the electrifying grace of the gospel to grip the hearts of people in our Connect Groups because it is the gospel that continuously transforms people.

When experiencing Jesus is the central focus of a Connect Group, people from any spiritual backgrounds can all benefit greatly. If the gospel is the A-Z and not just the A-B-C, then what individual Christians, the Christian community, and those who do not yet have a relationship with God ultimately need is the person of Jesus Christ.

In a Christ-centered community, individual Christians are invited to open up honestly about their lives and see how the Bible applies to their lives. As individuals enter into one another’s lives and the Bible, trust and care will subsequently develop among group members. When group members share in a journey of applying the gospel to their lives, they begin to experience Jesus’ love for one another.

When Jesus becomes more real to your Connect Group members, imagine how they might genuinely talk about Christ to their friends who do not know Him. Imagine that dialogue continuing over time until it becomes natural to invite those friends to their open, Christ-centered Connect Group.

Imagine a person from a fractured family finding a warm spiritual family. Imagine a person who is turned off by self-righteous Christians hearing Christians honestly sharing their struggles. Imagine a person who needs more than one conversation to come to Christ being able to come back each week. This is the environment of a Christ-centered community.

The million-dollar question that we're answering here is this: "Practically, how do you develop this kind of community in your group?"

The purpose of a Connect Group is an extension of the mission of New Hope:

Connect Groups exist to help people experience Christ’s presence and power as a growing community that expresses Christ’s compassion toward each other both inside and outside the group. First and foremost, communities need to experience Jesus Christ together. Experiencing Jesus happens through continuous practice of and belief in the gospel — both seeing our sin problem and marveling at how Jesus paid for our sins.

The structure of Connect Groups does not guarantee that group members will experience Christ. However, when experiencing the wonder of Christ is the focus, Connect Groups can create an environment where this can take place both individually and in relationship with others.

When group members experience Christ in community with others, it becomes natural for them to express His love to one another. And when hearts adore Christ, people are compelled to express His love to those who have not yet experienced it.

1. They are open to people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds.
Because the searching non-Christian and the maturing Christian both have the same ultimate need - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Connect Groups that are ultimately focused on Christ can be nurturing for people at a variety of spiritual stages.

2. The encourage biblical discovery.
The Word of God is the most effective instrument to reveal Christ to us. Connect Groups should provide an environment for discovering God's truth together through open discussion.

3. They thrive on honesty and vulnerability.
Surface-level answered or self-righteous attitudes kill opportunities to see our own helplessness and Christ's worthiness. However, honesty about our need for and hope in Jesus is compelling and leads to compassion and strong relationships.

4. They involve investing in one another and in relationships outside the group.
Great Connect Group leaders invest in their group members. Group members invest in relationships outside the group in the hope of drawing more people into relationship with God.

5. They are committed to multiplying.
Connect Groups never close registration. They are always open to people who are looking to join. It's important to also note that Connect Groups are not an end in themself. It is a foundation from which group members extend God's kingdom within their spheres of influence. When group members invite more people to groups with momentum, those groups multiply. Challenge your group members weekly to be inviting people to join the group with them.

At New Hope, we believe God will use gospel-centered Connect Groups in significant ways. Because non-Christians can come and develop relationships, when they do come to Christ, they stay connected. Connect Groups can easily be a vital part of the process in new Christians coming to faith.

Additionally, people learn to apply the gospel of Christ deeply in their hearts, changing their lives more than focusing on behavior alone ever could. As people apply the gospel to their hearts, they experience more heart-level connection with one another.

Ultimately, as a result of gospel-centered Connect Groups, people feel enriched and inwardly compelled to share the gospel of Jesus because Jesus has become so real to them.