Community

Community Team


Bruce Southerland, Community Team Leader
Jen Lohnes, Groups

“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24

Belonging
You may be asking yourself, “How can I feel like I belong in such a large church?” The answer comes from the Bible and the story of the very first church. The Jerusalem church was very large (5000 families) and her members shared life deeply. Their approach to authentic community?--meet in a large group for inspiration and teaching and meet in smaller groups to “bear one another’s burdens.”

Groups
Manchester Christian Church is a church of Groups. Three times per year we provide opportunities for people in the large Sunday morning gathering to naturally come together in groups. MCC begins new groups with new topics three times a year. In January, May & September, MCC invites all Sunday attendees to join a group that best fits their interests or life stage for a 10-12 week semester. Between semesters, individuals are encouraged to meet with one or two other people to develop closer friendships and discuss their plans for spiritual growth.

Affinity
People naturally relate to others who face similar life challenges. Many of our Groups are “mixed” and open to anyone but there are also other groups that are sensitive to age, sex, marital status, etc. Whether you prefer to mix it up or need to meet with those who are in a similar life stage, there is a group for you.

Membership
At Manchester Christian Church we have attendees and guests, but we also have members. We believe formal membership in a local church is biblical and has practical implications for our church’s effectiveness in developing leaders and fulfilling our mission. At Manchester Christian Church we never ask our members to do more than the Bible clearly teaches. We offer an introductory course called MCC 101 that answers common questions about our beliefs, vision, mission and leadership structure. MCC101 is open to everyone. The opportunity to become a member is offered at the end of the course.

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Click here to check out MCC 101 & our other Life Development opportunities