Small Groups

Although we enter into a relationship with God as individuals, we nevertheless enter into something greater than our own individuality: the church-the community of God's people. We will find that, besides being woven into the very fabric of the Christian life, our relationships with other believers are a tremendous means of blessing, both for ourselves and others. God never meant for us to live the Christian life alone. Instead, He gives us the marvelous privilege of walking out our lives in Christ together.

Because the Holy Spirit has joined us together as a community, our relationships are to be marked by this reality. We don't simply attend the same service, or enjoy the same interests-we have been united at the deepest level by the Spirit of God. The New Testament characterizes our relationships with each other by the word fellowship.

One of the primary means of building relationships and cultivating fellowship with each other at Chesapeake Community Church is through our network of small groups-what we call care groups. While we are joined to all believers in the local church, care groups allow us to relate more deeply with a smaller number of people. Care groups are not a passing fad at Chesapeake Community Church; they have been a part of our church since its inception, and they provide an important context for accomplishing a number of essential Biblical priorities.

The purpose of Care Groups:

  1. Application of God's word to our lives. Merely hearing God's word is insufficient; we must apply it to our lives for there to be fruit. Care groups enable us to do this together. We seek to apply the Bible's teaching, review Sunday messages, discuss Christian books, and use a variety of other resources with the intention of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. Pursuit of Biblical Fellowship. Genuine fellowship isn't practical in a large crowd. Care groups provide a place where we can build intimate relationships, care for one another, and help each other grow in our relationship with God.
  3. Ministry to one another. God has made us dependent on each other, and care groups provide a context where we can minister to each other with the gifts that God has given us. Meetings often include times of prayer for one another and opportunities for individuals to exercise spiritual gifts for the edification of others.

The Christian life is not a matter of privatized belief. Jesus described the existence of believers in astonishing terms: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24). As we see in the New Testament, this life is one that is to be shared with others. Just the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of our eternal life in heaven (2 Cor. 1:21-22), so is the life of the church-with all its imperfections-to be a foretaste of our fellowship with the saints in heaven (Heb. 12:22-24). May this amazing privilege be our ongoing experience as we walk out our lives in Christ together.

"By his grace, together we are being changed into the image of Jesus Christ through progressive sanctification. Together we are experiencing mutual care, genuine fellowship, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We no longer just see-we observe. We no longer simply attend-we participate. We no longer selfishly consume-instead we are carrying out God's purpose for our lives as we contribute to the building of the local church."

C.J. Mahaney

Our care groups meet bi-monthly in homes in Harford County and Baltimore County.