Growing in faith through small groups

On Wednesday evening, Peggy Sullivan and Maria Trillos gather with their small group and discuss God's Paternity and Person, the bible study topic for this week. (Photo by Ashley Gallaher/Towson University Student)

On a recent Wednesday evening, Peggy Sullivan walked into her small group home and was surrounded by warm colors and the fresh scent of flowers, as she sat down around a candlelit table and joined in random conversation.

Sullivan has been attending Grace Fellowship Church for 12 years and decided to become a part of a small group when she attended a launch that encouraged people to become more involved in the church.

“I think the church has started to change. It’s started to become more membership oriented and letting us know what our responsibilities are too… Because our church is so big, you really do need to get involved with a small group,” said Sullivan.

Grace Fellowship Church is now offering its congregation the chance to become official members of the church if they meet specific requirements. One of those requirements is to get involved in a small group. Many more people are joining small groups whether to fit the membership requirements or just to belong to a smaller community.

“People need to be held accountable. People want to belong to something bigger than themselves… People need people,” said Donna Lyon, the Ministry Associate for Community Life.

The church is having small group launches to help draw more people in. During church services, people are sharing their experiences of being part of a small group and the difference it makes in their lives.

Basically, the church is reaching out to the congregation in hopes of getting them involved with something that will deepen their faith. The small group brings people closer together in a church that has over 5,000 people attending.

“It’s really important because it’s easy to get lost in the numbers… It’s nice to know that there are people that will pray for you… It’s beyond your family,” Sullivan said.

According to Lyon, the small group is just a small part of the church as a whole, but it is the foundation of the church and offers intimacy with people. When people get more involved and become more knowledgeable, it allows for a much stronger foundation for Grace Fellowship Church.

“To have a small group and a bible study to do, it keeps you focused… I think it’s very important to always keep God in your mind and to do things throughout the week to remind you that you’re not just a Sunday Christian,” said Maria Trillos, a member of a neighborhood small group.

People can get to know others and get more comfortable in their surroundings when such a large church is taken and broken down into smaller groups of people. Several different types of small groups are available: women’s, men’s, youth, recovery, serving and neighborhood.

“It is a small group. You can speak your mind. You’re not afraid to voice your opinions… just the teaching itself, to learn so much from others… It allows you to grow as a Christian,” Trillos said.

Eventually, Grace Fellowship Church hopes that all of its congregation will not only become members but also belong to a small group. As of right now the launches seem to be working well, Lyon said.

As Sullivan sits around the table with her bible open, discussing with the rest of the group God’s Paternity and Person, which is the topic for the week, she hopes in the future she can be involved in a lot more volunteer work.

“The more people that get involved in smaller groups the deeper they’ll go in their faith and in their search. We come in at all different levels. Some of us have been Christians a long time, others of us only a short time,” Sullivan said.

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