What happens after 8 weeks?

So what happens at the end of the 8-week series? Well, that’s up to you and the people in your group. I’d be lying if I told you I don’t care. I’m hopeful that the experience will have been so impactful that you will truly see the value of group life and want to continue, either in this group or another. Of course, 8 weeks is not really sufficient time to develop deep communal bonds, but it’s a taste of what can be yours if you commit to allowing the gospel to do what it is intended to do, namely create gospel community. What is gospel community? It’s something every human desires because we were made for it, but it’s radically different than anything the world can offer. When the world sees it, they are both dumbfounded and drawn toward it, like a moth to a flame. It’s what Jesus prayed for before He went to the cross:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:20-23

But the choice is yours. Your commitment is finished at the end of the series. You can take some time off to accommodate the holiday season, simply celebrating with your group rather than diving into another study, or you may decide not to be in group at all. It’s your call. If you do drop out, you may be contacted to see why. This would not be for the purpose of trying to change your mind or to guilt you in any way. Rather, it is to help us understand where we failed you and your group.

The fact is, we believe that the gospel creates community that engages in the spread of the gospel. That’s what being a devoted follower of Christ is all about. This fall, our church family will explore the gospel of grace and its implications for the children of God, those called according to His name. We’re excited for what God will do over those few weeks as we get into the Word and allow the Word to get into us. Our prayer is that this would be an incredible journey for our entire church family as we explore the depths of God’s amazing plan.

If you have any additional questions about Grace Matters or CONNECT groups, please come to the Q&A session that we have scheduled for Sunday, September 13 at 10am in Fellowship Hall.