Connecting to God and to a group of believers is what White River Christian Church is all about! We are committed to helping you grow in your relationship with Christ.
Opportunities to study God's Word through relevant Bible teaching, practical life application, and fellowship are provided throughout the week. We encourage each member to participate in a community of believers to study and grow together. A variety of times, settings, and studies are available to meet your schedule, comfort, and interest.
Following the example of the early church, believers meet regularly in homes for Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and service (Acts 2:42-47). Groups are formed by common experiences or availability, studies are chosen by the group leaders, and fellowship is enjoyed by all. Groups consist of 6-14 people with the primary goals of applying God's Word to our daily lives and deepening Christian relationships through fellowship with other believers. The time spent together in study is NOT a scriptural lecture, but a group Bible study with healthy discussion on how it applies to our lives today.
Many groups include snacks or a meal during their time together. Small groups meet regularly (either weekly or bi-weekely) in homes throughout the community. We'll help you find a group to fit your schedule and meet your needs.
A small group is a gathering of individuals or couples to experience Christian community. The purpose of a small group is to provde fellowship among believers, to study the Bible together and apply it to daily life, to pray together for each other, and to serve together as a group.
Small groups meet throughout the week on various days, times and locations. The group leader and members decide on a regular time to meet. Some groups rotate locations where they meet. There are many groups to choose from based on your personal schedule.
It's easy. Submit our Finding a Small Group form or call the church office at 317.773.2233 to get connected.
Definitely not! The most important thing you need is a desire to serve the members of your group in your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you take this step of faith through prayer, God's Holy Spirit will give you what you need to be an effective Host. White River has several video curriculums available that provide expert teaching to your small group. Your host responsibility is to facilitate the discussion around that teaching using provided resources. As a leader, your responsibility is to provide direction and leadership to the group on an ongoing basis. Training is available for both roles.
First, make childcare a top priority in order to make it happen. If there are people who can't afford childcare, others need to step up to help out. Another thing is to rally together. You might be able to get a sitter to watch the kids in one part of the house while the group meets in another room. If there's a home nearby, one person can watch the kids there while the group meets in another house. You may even try to rotate people out of the group to take care of the children. Don't let childcare be a barrier that keeps someone from connecting with God and your group.
The short answer is yes. We recommend once a week as the ideal frequency for a small group to meet. But, we also acknowledge groups meeting every other week or monthly can still be effective as long as they use other mediums to provide ongoing care, nurturing and leadership development of the group.
We empower and encourage this to happen through group members giving adequate input to where the group needs to go but encourage group leaders to lead this selection process. We have a list of the top curriculum White River suggests on our web site.
Groups meet at the time, place, and day of the week that best ministers to the needs of the group, whether it's 5 am on Fridays for a men's group, Sunday night for a couples group, or Tuesday night for a ladies group. If you are starting a new group, you should choose the time and place that is convenient to you the leader, then people who have similar schedules will be attracted to your group or make necessary adjustments according to their needs.
A typical small group meeting is one and a half to two hours. However, meeting length is unique for each group, depending on the type of group. Leaders and group members should reach an agreement in the process of developing their small group covenant that covers what will be done and how it will be done in the group.
If you would like to form a small group as a certain affinity (like Couples, Singles, Women, Men, Single Parents, etc.) let us know when you fill out the Small Group Leader Registration (see Becoming a Leader). However, in most cases your geographic community will provide a potential group affinity. Be sure to invite your own friends you enjoy hanging out with as a starting place.
People connect in new small groups consisting of 6 to 16 people who provide love, support, friendship, connection and spiritual strength. The format is an informal and comfortable one and a half to two hour gathering at the home of a host for approximately six weeks. Participants are comprised of people from our church, as well as friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers who are invited to join in the adventure. Every small group should include the 4 Core Components of a Small Group: fellowship, Bible study, prayer, and service.
One of the great things about the small group is it fits with every person's schedule. Pick the day and time that works best for you then select the group nearest to you that works. A business and professional group may choose to meet for breakfast or lunch. A busy career couple might choose to meet on Saturday mornings, while a mom with kids in school might prefer a group that meets on a weekday morning.
Every 1st Thursday of the month, Grands and Me will meet in Room 20 at 6:30pm. Please join us in the Discovery Room at 5:30 for Thursday Night Dinner Table. Children's programming is available during our meeting. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Rosie Kelly-Hoistion at rkelleyhoistion@yahoo.com or 317-379-5416.
The mission of Grand and Me is to provide a nurturing, learning, networking and loving place for grandparents raising their grandchildren. Our mission is to notify grandparents they are not alone in raising another generation, whether it be short or long term care.
We strive to provide financial, healthcare and local resources for families by providing guest speakers, fellowship and editorials written by grandparents with similar circumstances.
Our objective is to help families transition into a new lifestyle as they all adjust to a new view of family. Our mission is to share knowledge, provide a listening ear, and share compassion and care.
Helping people connect and stay connected is the responsibliity of a small group leader. Knowing the members of your small group, having accurate contact information, and noting who is present and who is not at your small group meeting are steps you can take to help keep people connected. We need your help in having accurate records. Please update your Small Group Profile after each meeting with accurate attendance and contact information of each group member.
Bring this information with you to our monthly leader training. If you have difficulty contacting someone from your small group, contact Wendy Guenin at the WRCC office.