At Herndon UMC, we believe that God’s love is real, active, and for everyone. Our vision is to live the teachings of Jesus so that everyone may know God’s love and grow in Spirit-filled relationships.
Life Groups emphasize the role of relationships in growing disciples, in serving and sharing God’s love. A Life Group is a Wesleyan class meeting small group, focused on journeying together in discipleship. Members share their answers to a single question. “How’s your spiritual life?” and then see where the Spirit leads. In the past, these groups were essential to the growth of the Methodist movement. In today’s world, church can not just be about Sunday mornings. Life groups add life to our church family by enriching relationships inside and outside of church. Group members watch over one another with love.
[If you want to learn more about Wesleyan class meetings, Jonathan did a sermon on small groups in August 2020, listen on Soundcloud or watch on YouTube.]Life Group gatherings can occur around whatever works for the group–low or no prep required. A group might meet in a home, at a park, for a meal or beverages, or maybe go to or watch a game, show or movie. You can meet at the church or outside of it (preferred), in person or over Zoom.
A life group is about sharing life with others of faith. Ask each other about your spiritual lives. Each week, a question will be posted on the Herndon UMC homepage (herndonumc.org) to help foster discussion in the group. The goal is to keep up regular meetings, weekly (or bi-weekly).
Herndon UMC’s goal is to have everyone be a part of a Life Group.
That’s 100% participation!
Learn more about Life Groups from this August 3 episode of Real Talk.
How do I get connected to a group?
A list of all active Herndon UMC groups and teams is available at https://herndonumc.ccbchurch.com/goto/groups/public, and in the app (Grow >> Open/Public Groups & Teams >> View the list). At the top (mobile) or in the upper right corner, click where it says “Refine By” and then select the box for “Life Group.” This should give you a list of the available life groups and the ability to contact the group leader about joining the group.
How does a Life Group compare to other Herndon UMC groups and teams?
| Life Groups |
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Purpose: growing disciples through Spirit-filled relationships Meets: weekly (preferred) or bi-weekly Size: 6-12 people These groups may form around a common availability (e.g. Tuesday evenings), life stage (e.g. young families) or theme (e.g. football or educators). Familiar Examples: Monday Morning Men*, Lean on Me |
| Fellowship Groups |
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Purpose: expanding church family connections through common interests or experiences Meets: monthly or periodic Size: 15+ Familiar Examples: Youth Group, United Methodist Men, United Women in Faith (UWinF), UWinF circles, Top of the Hill
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| Discipleship Groups |
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Purpose: learning more about our faith and how our faith can transform our world Meets: varies by group and subject matter Size: varies by group and subject matter Familiar Examples: KIDS Club, Confirmation Cohort, Tuesday Bible Studies, Women’s Book Club, Women at the Well, etc.
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* Please note that we are encouraging new life groups to be open to participation from anyone interested in the group (#godsloveisforeveryone), and thus not to be gender limited. Herndon UMC already offers a wide array of activities for men or women.
| Ministry Team |
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Purpose: lead and support church activities Meets: varies, but often monthly Familiar Examples: Community Care Team, Resource Management Team, Missions & Ministries Team, Trustees, Children’s Ministry Team, Wesley Choir, etc.
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| Mission Teams |
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Purpose: serve those in need in our community and around the globe Meets: varies by activity Familiar Examples: Thank God for Tutors, Refugee Support, Costa Rica Mission Trip, National Rebuilding Day, etc. |
The hope is that members of Life Groups will choose to engage in Fellowship and Study Groups and to serve in Ministry and Service Teams together or to use their varied Fellowship, Study, Ministry and Service activities to enrich the faith of their Life Group and of our church family as a whole. A Life Group does not replace the other types of groups and teams.
