Home Groups

Well…not the most taxing of quizzes, was it? But you may be interested to know just how many of our congregation belong to one of the housegroups which meet either weekly or fortnightly in one another's homes. See the answers at the end of the article.

Housegroups go right back to the early church when believers met together for bible study, prayer and fellowship.

Acts 2:42-47 states clearly "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. … They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

All Saints' housegroups are based on the principle of the four W's:

A member of a house group has a place to grow as a Christian through sharing their faith, receiving ministry, worshiping together and studying scripture with other people who they can get to know much better.

Lots of housegroups organise social events too and can be a great support when we go through difficult times. Witness also involves showing your faith through serving the community in various ways, such as serving the meals at Alpha courses, for example or taking events to the wider community.

Most housegroups have between eight and fifteen members - after that it becomes difficult to fit people in comfortably, unless you have a very large house! But, more importantly, it means that things become less personal and some people won't be able to talk about things as easily.

Usually a session will involve a welcome, where people can share things about their week if they want to and encourage others with the ways in which they've felt God has been with them. Sometimes, this is an opportunity to prove how a burden shared is a burden halved. Then there will be a time of worship, perhaps through singing or listening to worship songs on a CD, or reading prayers and the words of hymns or songs aloud. There will also be a period of Bible Study through reading and discussing a particular passage of scripture or tackling a particular topic through various scripture references or watching a video and discussing the contents. Also, there will be the opportunity for prayer and intercession and it can be amazing how the Holy Spirit works among us at that time. There's always the opportunity to get to know other Christians socially too, over refreshments at some point in the evening.

If you've recently joined All Saints and feel you don't know many people, one of the best things you can do is to join a housegroup and get to know a group of people well. Or maybe if you feel that you could be more involved 'after Sunday', then being a member of a housegroup is a good way to read and discuss more and have a richer and more varied prayer life through a bible-based programme.

If you'd like more information about when and where the various housegroups meet, please contact either of the housegroup co-ordinators.