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About Home Fellowship Groups

At PEPC we refer to our small groups as Home Fellowship Groups (HFG). Like all small groups, the purpose is to bring people together in community. We believe God created us to live in community with others and that deep discipleship and growth towards Christ-likeness happens in genuine relationships. Sharing life through community is part of our design, but meaningful relationships aren’t always easy to find. Currently we have two launch events per year to start new groups, but we are also regularly adding to existing groups. If you would like to join a group, start a new group, attend a launch event, or need more information about HFGs, please email Will Freyschlag at [email protected].

If you are interested in a Bible Study we encourage you to email our Women’s Ministry at [email protected] or Men’s Ministry at [email protected] about current or upcoming Bible studies.

Events

7 Elements of HFG’s

Home Fellowship Groups resemble some aspects of the early church, especially those found in Acts 2:42-47 and 1st Corinthians 12:1-31. From these passages PEPC has come up with 7 Elements of Home Fellowship Groups that we encourage each group to pursue. These practices occur in the timing and mode that is best for their group, and we trust God that amazing things will happen at our church!

Study

Based on such passages as Acts 2:42 and Hebrews 4:12, Study is devoting ourselves to the apostle’s teachings and the rest of Scripture. It can also include studying other books or topics if that is what is needed for the Home Fellowship during a time.

Fellowship

Based on such passages as Acts 2:42 and Phil 2:1-2, Fellowship is a practical aspect of connecting with others, caring for each other, and living life together. Some examples include: sharing testimonies, asking good questions, laughing together, and crying together.

Break Bread

Eating together as a church is based on such passages as Acts 2:42 and Acts 20:7. Breaking bread together is all through Scripture, from the feasts of the Israelites to the weekly gatherings of the early church, and is an essential part of our lives and communities.

Prayer

Based on such passages as Acts 2:42 and Psalms 66:16-20, prayer is going before our God in praise, in supplication, or in conversation as a group.

Serve

Based on such passages as Acts 2:45 and Mark 10:45, serving is both inward and outward. It means sacrificing our own needs for the needs of those that are a part of the group, in the greater PEPC body and the church at large, and those outside the church who do not yet know Christ as their savior. Some examples include helping out with someone’s mortgage payment, providing meals, cleaning, giving rides, service projects, etc. People in a HFG could serve individually, as a group, or as multiple groups coming together.

Worship

Based on such passages as Acts 2:46 and Psalms 95:1-7, worship is about reverence and celebration of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Worship looks different in a smaller gathering than the large corporate worship of Sunday mornings. Some examples include musical worship, singing, sharing stories, poems, art, hopes, tears, and expressed adoration of various kinds.

Body Ministry

Probably the most misunderstood of all the elements, “body ministry” is based on such passages as 1st Corinthians 12:1-31. The general concept is the practical living out of the call of the church to minister to each other through the gifts that the Spirit has given each of us in the Body of Christ. First steps might include taking a spiritual gifts inventory and helping each person in the group discern his or her gifts and how the can be used for the edification of the group and larger church community.

Frequently Asked Questions

“How do we account for kids at our Home Fellowship?”

We encourage all ages of kids and youth to be involved in the Home Fellowships. We are working with the Children’s Ministry Director and Youth Pastors to help Home Fellowships best minister to and be ministered to by the younger people who are involved. This integration of kids and youth is no longer the norm in churches so it may take a while to get used to, but we believe that the payoff of families worshiping and sharing together is well worth the adjustment.

That being said, we completely understand that this approach may not be the best fit for your Home Fellowship’s needs at the moment. We encourage groups to find ways to minister to their kids and youth in separate ways if they cannot join in the main gathering. This may include rotating a member to be with the kids each week or getting a babysitter, with both options aiming at mini-versions of the 7 Elements.

“What is the best meeting time for Home Fellowships?”

The best meeting time certainly varies for each Home Fellowship, but the factors that should be included in picking the time that best suits your group are: eating together, work and school schedules, and kid bedtimes (if applicable). If meeting as a Home Fellowship is a genuine priority for those in your group, God will help you find a time together as people become flexible and shift other things around to adjust to priorities.

“How often should a Home Fellowship Group meet?”

We are all busy people in this high-paced and competitive society, so we are often asked how frequently a HFG should meet. There’s no right or wrong answer to this, but PEPC believes in the importance of a frequent and consistent Home Fellowship in each of our lives. The reason for this is that to have meaningful connection, growth, and service together, a Home Fellowship needs to spend regular, consistent time together. The pro to meeting every week is that if someone misses a meeting time, it is only one week, not 3 weeks, before they’re back with the group. Meeting weekly also reveals to every person in the group that you all highly value your time together and that you prioritize fellowship, growth in Christ, and serving in mission in your lives. The same can be said, however, for those who are a part of a group that meets every-other-week, or twice each month. The “every-other-week” model generally fits people’s schedules better and it also lends itself to other activities during the meeting time on the “off weeks.”

“Why eat together as a group?”

Breaking Bread is one of the 7 Spiritual Practices that each Home Fellowship strives for (in their own time) and is an important part of what it means to fellowship together as a group. God has designed eating together to be an integral part of what it means to be a human in community. We see this reaching all the way back to the festivals and feasts of the Old Testament, present in Jesus’ ministry (eating with sinners, miracles involving food and drink , and the Last Supper), and also a consistent practice of the early church (Acts 2, communion). There is something to this call to Break Bread as the church and it is a beautiful thing to be involved in on a consistent basis.

“What is the best way to structure our time together as a Home Fellowship?”

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to structuring your time together as a Home Fellowship because each group is made up of different people and has different needs than any other group. That being said, PEPC is striving to have consistency of standards in all of our groups so that we are all on the same page when it comes to purpose, language, and communication within and between all our groups. The balance of keeping these standards in our Home Fellowships but also recognizing and encouraging flexibility in each group is tough to maintain but more than possible if we all recognize and maintain the 7 elements, or 7 Spiritual Practices, for each group. These 7 Spiritual Practices are based on Scripture and beautifully maintain the standards intended for Home Fellowships while at the same time encouraging the flexibility of a group’s particular needs.

“Our Home Fellowship is having a hard time being involved in the Element of Serving, especially serving out, how do we find what mission best fits our group?”

The Spiritual Practice of Serving Out is the one element of Home Fellowships that likely can’t consistently occur during your weekly meetings. But that’s not a bad thing. Helping every individual Christian pursue their call to mission is something that Home Fellowships specialize in. PEPC’s Home Fellowships are encouraged to be involved in mission as a group. Whether this mission is for those who live in the same neighborhood that those in the Home Fellowship live in, is for the social circle the group’s members are involved in together, or another calling that God has made clear for the group. All of the above are some of the main reasons we as a church are pushing for Home Fellowships that are either geographically, socially, or mission ally oriented. With the mission of your group being a part of your DNA from the beginning, this will make Serving Out that much more natural. Mission won’t feel like something you are forced to do, but will be something you naturally want to be a part of with your Home Fellowship. Serving Out might often require meeting on a separate occasion to Serve together, but it could also be accomplished with a specified night where neighbors, coworkers, or friends who don’t yet know the Lord are invited to join in on a “lighter” night.

“Can you explain the Element of Body Ministry and how to implement it in our Home Fellowship?”

The Spiritual Practice of Body Ministry is probably the newest concept for most people involved in a Home Fellowship. The likely reason for this is that in general, the Church in America hasn’t emphasized member involvement when it comes to the practices of our churches. For the most part, all that has been expected of Christians in America is to come to church for an hour and a half on Sundays, count as an attendance number, and give some money to the church fund. At least that is what the common church structure of observational Sunday worship has encouraged. PEPC is changing these expectations at our church. We know that you, as a Christian, as an adopted son or daughter of God, and as a part of the Body of Christ, have gifts to offer our church and the Kingdom that we absolutely need if we are going to be the church that God has called us to. You are an essential part to this thing we call “church” and the Body of Christ and the world needs what you have to offer. PEPC longs to be a church that is living out what God has called us to and to do that we need our full Body to do this. To accomplish all that the Lord has put on our heart in this area we have to make some changes in our structure and priorities, which is where Home Fellowships come in. In addition to all that we’ve mentioned so far about Home Fellowships, these consistent environments will also provide the space and the opportunity for every member of PEPC to explore their gifts, to receive other’s gifts, and the chance to minister to others through the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given each person (Romans 12, 1st Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4). The Spiritual Practice of Body Ministry provides the space and time for every Christian to minister to the Body for the edification of the Body.

“How does the Element of Worship work in a Home Fellowship?”

The majority of Worship at PEPC will happen during our Sunday large gatherings, but some of the finer points of Worship should occur during your weekly Home Fellowship. This is where you can Worship the Lord through stories of His work in your life, personal testimonies, art, poems, and anything else that brings reverence and/or praise to our King. Be creative!