If you’re part of one, you won’t need to ask – but what if you’ve only seen them listed in the church notices and haven’t ever come along to one? Or maybe you’ve only been once or twice and just found it hard to commit to another evening out (or in, as we are now finding)? Are they suitable for families? How do they work – and what are they all about? Are they just an optional extra added on to ‘church’ for those who feel like coming?
We first started what were then called ‘house groups’ in Hendon Baptist way back in the early 1980s. The idea was to hold a midweek Bible study and give people opportunities to pray together. They were well attended, and it proved to be a very good way of getting to know each other better, as well as learning more about God’s Word. Most groups met at the same time on a Wednesday evening – at the hallowed hour of 8.00pm. And we have been meeting ever since, although the groups have inevitably gone through a great many changes, both in leadership and in makeup. Nevertheless, the basic principles remain – we meet together in each other’s homes for prayer and Bible study once a week. So is that ‘all’ there is to it? No! (and yes)!
Up until the coronavirus pandemic brought the country into lockdown, groups were meeting mostly in homes, but not all on the same evening and at the same time. We have been adapting to people’s needs and some groups meet in the morning and others in the evening on different days. Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for everyone in the church to be able to join what we now call ‘life groups’. Why the change of name? Well, we want these small groups to impact every aspect of our lives as believers in Jesus Christ – although having said that, if you haven’t yet made a commitment to Jesus and are just exploring what Christianity is all about you are more than welcome to join any of the groups and just be yourself, ask questions and get to know people in the church. We would love to have you with us!
At the time of writing, we are still unable to meet in each other’s homes, due to the pandemic, but we have found that online meetings are working wonderfully well. Of course they are not the same as meeting in person, but they are still a wonderful way of being able to keep in touch with each other, to look after and support each other and to come together to spend time with God as part of His family in Hendon Baptist. Many of us will be keeping in touch with family and friends using a wide variety of means, from Facetime to Skype, and life groups are offering an extension of this to allow us to meet up regularly with our Christian family. In the book of Acts, we read that the new-born church met together constantly, and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship – ‘And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved’ (Acts 2:42–7). For the moment, we can’t see each other as we would love to do, but we can take every opportunity to meet ‘virtually’, something that would not have been possible even 20 years ago.
Bible study remains at the core of our time together every week – the groups are currently working through various different courses, including a series on Galatians, looking at the Alpha Course and Scripture Union’s Lyfe Course. As we are meeting online, we usually look at a short film in our own time before we join together and then work through the questions this raises. We then spend time sharing matters for prayer and bring these to God together. These can range from purely personal needs and concerns to prayer for the nation and for the world, and our time is greatly enriched by the coming together of individual concerns that can be shared with people we know well. It’s a rather beautiful tapestry that we bring to our God and present to Him, combining bright and beautiful praise with darker areas of concern or pain. But being able to share these in a small group of friends makes all the difference – and we need to remember what Jesus Himself said, ‘Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them’ (Matt 18:19–20). Even if we are not in the same room, we are still gathered in His name, and that is such an immense privilege – we have Jesus’ own promise that He will be with us, despite the pandemic!
Life groups are not just limited to meeting once a week for Bible study and prayer – they are so much more. A key aim is that we support and look after each other throughout the week – and week by week throughout the year. We keep in touch by sharing prayer needs, scriptures, and worship songs and just by ‘chatting’, and we would love to have every single person in Hendon Baptist Church join up with a life group, leaving no one feeling they are on the outside. Especially while restrictions on meeting in person remain in place (even if they are being gradually eased), why not make this the time that you find out about joining a life group that’s right for you? All you need to do is get in touch with the Pastor or one of the Leadership Team (details on our website). Try it – and see what blessings God will pour out on you as you join with His family in one of these life-enhancing groups!
We asked those who regularly join in with Life Group meetings what the groups mean to them. Here are some of the responses we received.
Buki: Just knowing that I have my Life Group praying for me and having ‘my back’ was enough to face the bleakest day. Thank you all!
Felicia: For me the Life Group is very important in many ways.... To be believers, we should know what we believe and who we believe. Without knowing God’s will, faith is impossible. The Word is the eternal will of God. I love to share with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are the Body of Christ. The Word of God is alive, real, and powerful in my heart ♥️ and life. Our God is an awesome God who reigns with wisdom, power and Love. Have Faith – be filled with the Spirit – and burn for God!
Juliet: Life Group to me is another way to learn more about God’s words. Also it’s encouraging one another to know about God deeply, a huge input to my daily walking with God.
Lanie: The Life Group for me is very important. It is another way for me to grow in my faith and knowledge of God and His word. It is part of my Christian life. Listening to others’ views and what they share is really important too – it encourages me. I really enjoy it – a small group where you can pray and support one another. Since I came and started to attend the Life Group, God is teaching me many things... how to walk with and trust Him in my everyday life, how to pray... God is everything for me and why I live. He is my life.
Scarlet: I enjoy listening to what other people say about God in Life Group. Pam: I am just a guest at your Life Group, but I have enjoyed the studies each week and find they challenge me and encourage me to read my Bible more.
Ralph: I personally get encouraged through Life Group, seeing others who struggle with similar circumstances and questions, and so understanding each other we can pray effectively for each other! This is growth through fellowship in the Lord! Marilyn: What I enjoy about Life Group is the ability to learn more about the ways of God through different means.
April: I praise God for including me in an amazing Life Group where I can connect my thoughts and feelings with others, and where I can honestly share what I feel about things that pertain to my faith. I’ve learnt essential things about our Christian faith, from how to pray to ways to evangelise, to the many aspects of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. I’m sure there will be a lot more to learn that will benefit me as a Christian. God has been telling me that for me to get to know Him and to enjoy more of His presence, it’s necessary to spend more time with Him and to set aside things that shouldn’t be my priorities and instead focus on the most important aspect of my life, which is my relationship with God and how to let him take full control of it. The group is always there to happily pray for me at times when I ask them to. They’ve made me realise where I am right now in my faith and helped me create my future desires as a follower of Jesus. My prayer time and time with God as a whole has greatly improved because of me taking part in the Life Group – thank you!
Ugo: Life Group has brought a sense of belonging to the church for me. There is an intimacy you get with brethren and growth in God’s word that I feel adds to going to church on Sunday and which I may not have gotten if I was not part of a Life Group. It reminds me of the way the early church gathered together – asking questions, challenging, encouraging each other and getting other’s perspectives on God’s word, all of which you can take and apply. I don’t think I would have known those I do in my Life Group on the level I do if I just saw them on Sunday at Church. Scripture tells us not to forsake gathering together with the saints (Hebrews 10:25). Well, during these challenging, unique times the gathering of the saints through Life Groups is even more imperative. Although we no longer meet in person (for the time being), we still feel connected. God is so amazing and creative! It should not be surprising that as we meet remotely He has opened doors that we had probably not thought of as ways for expanding His kingdom, sharing the gospel and making disciples. In our Life Group we have had the honour of inviting and welcoming guests, such as a friend of mine, family members and neighbours. Some of these have attended and would not have been able to meet in person because of where they live, timing, health reasons, or simply because they do not even come to our church. So to me Life Groups are essential to the way we are as a body of believers and should be how we engage with each other and come together in addition to the Sunday gathering. I am grateful for the group God has placed me in.
Indra: I feel and know that God has blessed the Monday Bible study group so much. We are only a group of six, but we have grown very close to each other, appreciate each other and are there for each other when there is a need. Through the Lyfe Course study we have learnt how to pray, how to trust and depend on the Holy Spirit. We have learnt to apply the Bible to benefit our lives. The Life Group is especially important, all the more so now at this time of lockdown, and we look forward to meeting each other and studying the Word of God. I can say there is a lot of love and joy after our studies. This has made us stronger and closer to the Lord. Cynthia: I enjoy the Life Group and it inspires and challenges me to go deeper into my relationship with God, like reading the Word more than I used to, being able to learn and share insights from other believers. This is a way of lifting and building up one another.
Joan: I enjoy the fact that we can share our personal understanding of different studies. This has encouraged me to improve my knowledge of the Bible and also my prayer life. Every week, it gives us an opportunity to share testimonies and struggles we face as Christians.
Perin: I enjoy sharing fellowship with dear Christian friends, most over many years – and the joy of ‘new’ ones, even on Zoom. I’ve learned so much about God’s presence in our lives, especially through the Holy Spirit, learning from each other’s experiences and from God through His precious Word. I’ve especially learned about prayer – how to pray and the changing power of prayer: ‘Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you’ (Jeremiah 29:12). God has been telling me that I need to ensure that I start every day with prayer (see the #Lectio365 app for your phone), and practising ‘breath prayer’ / ‘Jesus prayer’ throughout the day (new to me and a blessing), being still and listening for the Holy Spirit and reading / studying His word (Bible in One Year phone app) on my own as well as in a group. My Life Group has been there for me by praying and loving me, especially in difficult times – throughout the cancer and underlying health problems. Throughout I was upheld in prayer and experienced no fear and peace during that time. And they are there for me by sharing prayer for our children who don’t know Jesus. I find joy in the fellowship and the love of a very special group, bonding us together and including those who have gone to be with the Lord over the years (Diane, Drusie, Jean and Alice). There is joy also in the increasing experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit.