Grace Groups

What is a Grace Group?     A Grace Group is a home fellowship made of 10-16 people who meet weekly to study, to share, and to support one another in their Christian lives.  Each group is lead by a trained leader and host couple.  A normal meeting lasts for an hour and a half, followed by light refreshments.

Why do we have Grace Groups?  Often we may forget what last week's sermon was about, even if we really enjoyed it.  Or we might have questions about the sermon and not know where to go to get answers.  Even more importantly, we may want to really apply the Word to our lives, but may struggle how to begin.  Grace Groups are designed to provide an answer for each of these concerns by providing a warm, casual, and accepting environment to review, discuss, and apply the Word to our lives.

When and where do they meet?  Grace Groups meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights in homes throughout Fort Dodge.

How long do they last?  Each Grace Group session lasts approximately 10 weeks.  At the end of each session, you will have the choice to stay in the same group, try a new group, or even take a break.  Most groups stay together throughout the entire year.  Grace Groups do not meet in the summer months.

What is the required commitment?  Joining a Grace Group requires a 10-week commitment to attend weekly and to do the homework ahead of time.  Obviously, allowances are made for sickness, vacation, work conflicts, and other special events...but not much more.  This commitment is the key to a strong Grace Group.

What will we study?  The studies are based on the previous Sunday's sermon.  Our Grace Groups are built on what we call a "Lab Lecture" model.  If you imagine the Sunday morning sermon as a lecture on Christian living, then the Grace Group is a lab where you get to roll up your sleeves and discuss how Sunday's sermon works out in real life.  Each week there will be a series of questions to study and complete before your meeting.  The homework is included as an insert in Sunday's bulletin.  It will usually take 30-60 minutes to complete this homework.

What about childcare?  Grace Groups are for adults only.  (Exceptions are made for nursing newborns -- up to 6 months!)  We leave it up to each family to work out their own childcare.  Sometimes it works best for families to share a sitter or to swap childcare with another family whose Grace Group meets on a different night.  If you encounter difficulties in working out childcare, we'd love to help find a solution.  Just ask!

How important are Grace Groups?  Here at First Evangelical Free Church of Fort Dodge, we consider Grace Groups to be the hub of our ministry.  They're the place where the real ministry of the church takes place as we encourage, support, and challenge one another.  Our goal each year is to have at least 70% of our adults involved on a weekly basis.