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FIRST THINGS FIRST… WHAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP?

Our desire is that every member and attendee of Woodside experiences the joy of an authentic biblical community where they are loved, cared for, and challenged in their relationship with Jesus. We also desire to see our neighborhoods and communities transformed by the love and story of Jesus Christ as our members live out their faith. Neighborhood Groups are our way of accomplishing these two goals through a common commitment to three key values. Together, these values define our Neighborhood Group ministry.

  1. Building relationships (BELONG) Acts 2:42-27; Thessalonians 2:8
  2. Building our faith (GROW) Hebrews 10:24-25
  3. Building a missional community (REACH) Matthew 28:19-20

When these three values converge lives are changed!

And Neighborhood Groups not only change our lives, but also the lives of our neighbors. This is why these groups are so very foundational to Woodside’s summary of God’s mission to help people Belong to Christ, Grow in Christ and Reach the world for Jesus Christ. Joining the story of a Neighborhood Group means joining the story of God and living a life of significance as you follow Jesus. Here’s what this looks like…

WHAT IS A MISSIONAL COMMUNITY?

Not that we’ve mastered any of these values, but most of us immediately understand the importance and meaning of genuine relationships and spiritual growth. The concept of a missional community might be little fuzzier. Here’s what it means…

A missional community is an extended family of people on mission together, seeing the Gospel come to life and incarnated in whatever crack or crevice of society they find themselves in.

- Mike Breen

While there are many different areas of our lives that could be considered cracks and crevices (i.e. work place, niche groups, family, etc.), the one that Woodside has chosen to organize around is where we live. We all have a neighborhood. We all find ourselves in a specific community on a specific street and with a specific address. And we believe God has placed each of us there for a purpose… to incarnate the gospel (that means bring the gospel to life through our lives) in our neighborhood. We see every follower of Jesus as a missionary. Neighborhood Groups are simply teams of missionaries who share a common mission field.

WHAT DOES MISSION LOOK LIKE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP?

Every group is defined by the same three values, but how these values are exemplified is up to the personality of each particular group. Each has their own distinct style and we celebrate that freedom and flexibility. Here are a few examples of how a neighborhood might express these values.

Genuine Relationship (BELONG)

  • Food- Groups eat together. They have BBQ’s, holiday dinners, birthday dinners, Super Bowl parties and take time to build their friendships.
  • Life- Groups choose to walk through life together. That means they share their journeys, trials, victories, struggles and joys. Together, they form a family.

Studying and Learning (GROW)

  • God’s Word- Every group discusses what is called a sermon spinoff. These are discussion guides built around a message preached at Woodside that focus on the Biblical passage and how the message applies to life. Groups connect the truth of God’s Word to their lives and to their neighborhoods.
  • Prayer- Groups spend time praying for one another, their neighbors and that the Holy Spirit would powerfully move in their group and through their group.

Mission (REACH)

  • Service- Groups rake leaves, shovel driveways, prepare meals for families with newborns, visit hospitals, help families move in and greet them when they do. In short, groups are always thinking of ways to serve their neighbors and show them the love of Christ.
  • Reach Events- Groups host and participate in at least 1 Reach event each year. Groups’ host block parties and Monday night football parties, they go Christmas caroling and set up neighborhood gatherings all to deepen friendships with their neighbors in hopes that they’ll have an opportunity to share the gospel and invite others to church.
  • Multiplication- Jesus commanded His church to make disciples, baptize them and teach them in His Word (Matthew 28:19-20). Groups view the church as a resource, but not a crutch. This means that the goal is for those in a neighborhood group to know how to share the gospel of Jesus with others on their own and that they could begin helping a new follower of Jesus to grow in their faith. The church is a tool to help equip them, train them and inspire them to live on mission. And when groups grow as new disciples are made (Matthew 28:19-20), new groups are launched. The facilitators and hosts are expected to develop new leaders who are ready for a new group to launch.

ARE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THE ONLY WAY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION?

The short answer is NO! We invite those who attend our campuses to get involved in 3 fundamental areas of the church.

  1. Worship With Us Each Weekend
  2. Serve In A Ministry
  3. Get Involved In A Neighborhood Group

Our goal is NOT to STOP people from reaching their families, coworkers and friends for Jesus if they don’t live nearby. Neighborhood Groups is not an either/or strategy. This is just our way of allowing the greatest number of Woodside individuals and families to enjoy the incredible benefits of joining a group and joining God on mission.

HOW CAN I JOIN A GROUP?

Click on the ‘get involved’ tab at the top of this page to get started.

Please know that RIGHT NOW we are in the process of building this ministry along with all of our campus pastors and church leadership team. If we do not have a group currently meeting in your neighborhood, we’ll try our best to keep you posted on when we hope to get a group launched near you. If you’d like to help us get a new group off the ground please see our training tab to discover the next training meeting and sign up! Keep in mind that joining a training meeting doesn’t mean that you’ve committed to leading a group. It means that you’re interested in learning more about what leadership involves. You’ll let us know of your final decision after the training.

By the way… there are no prerequisites or qualifications to be involved in a Neighborhood Group. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar or a person who has been in church for years. You only need to attend Woodside and have a desire to learn more about Jesus! If you are new to the church this is the perfect place for you get connected with other individuals and families who attend Woodside. Our groups are safe! You can ask questions, work through your struggles and difficulties and continue on your journey of faith in Jesus right along side other people who love you.

TELL ME SOME OF THE DETAILS

  • Groups begin in the fall of each year and continue through the following summer.
  • Groups meet at least 2 times each month (bi-weekly) and they determine day and time based upon everyone’s schedules.
  • Groups create at least 2 Reach events each year and are invited to join campus and multi-campus Reach events with other Neighborhood Groups
  • Groups are free to take advantage of the summer months and are not forced to take the time off
If you want to read through the entire philosophy and structure of Neighborhood Groups click the resources tab and click on Neighborhood Group DNA.

GET TO KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP COMMUNITY

MissionalGroups.com – This is a blog and forum site developed and written by Steve Zarrilli and Andy Baligian. It’s a place where you can read about missional communities like Neighborhood Groups. You can read about topics like ‘overcoming fears’ and ‘proximity versus affinity based groups’ as well as leave feedback and interact on forums with other individuals from around the country who are doing similar things.
Click the icon and ‘like’ us on Facebook to join our community. Fans of the page share stories and prayer requests, ask questions and collaborate together to encourage and inspire one another to continue the Neighborhood Group journey.
Click on the icon and follow us on Twitter. ‘WoodsideNGroups’ shares quotes, short stories, news and links that will help you stay informed and grow as a leader or member of a Neighborhood Group.

Tools For Moms (Women Only) - Tools for Moms is an exciting 6 week class meant to encourage, equip and cheer on moms as they REACH their neighbors through Neighborhood Groups. It is meant for women who are either considering hosting a Neighborhood Group or for those who are currently hosting a group and want to learn with others how to be more effective. Click Here to e-mail Gina Holm for upcoming dates and with any questions you might have.

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS…

Let us know and we’ll help you out! Always feel free to contact your Campus Pastor with any questions you might have. You can also check out the resources tab for more information and other tools. Here’s our central support team that is always willing to talk about all things Neighborhood Groups!

Steve Zarrilli (Leadership Development Pastor) – Oversees Troy Region / Oversees all Neighborhood Groups

Click Here to e-mail Steve.

Andy Baligian (Preaching and Missional Development Pastor) – Oversees Troy Region / Assists all Neighborhood Groups

Click Here to e-mail Andy.

Sandi Vincent (Leadership Development Administrative Assistant) – Administrates Troy Region / Provides administrative support to all Groups

Click Here to e-mail Sandi.