If you’ve been coming along to Hunter Bible Church for a while, you’ve probably noticed that Growth Groups are pretty important to us.

Growth Groups are groups of 5-20 people who meet during the week to study the Bible, pray and care for each other.  They are lead by Growth Group leaders and co-leaders who prepare the study, lead the study and pray for group members.  They’re fun, accessible and interesting.

Growth Groups are really important at HBC for:

• Christian Maturity - people really grow in their faith together
• The expression of Membership - group members love and care for each other
• Mission - groups provide training, prayer support and even events for evangelism
• Magnification- people pray together and rejoice in God
• Ministry - people practically serve each other and serve together as groups at church

For most people, being part of HBC means being part of a Growth Group. It’s that simple.

Here’s a few answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

How long do the groups run for? All HBC Groups run for a year and then formally wrap up.  At the end of the year some leaders decide to take a break from group leading, some continue for another year, and some trainees will start leading their own group for the first time.  This fresh start each year gives everyone an opportunity to join a new group to support a leader, or join up again with the same leader (and other friends), or join a different group to build new friendships.  Hopefully at HBC we can have a good mix of change and familiarity.

When do groups run? AM/PM groups run with the NSW school term and take breaks during school holidays.  Unichurch groups run with the University term and take breaks during stuvac, exams and holidays.  Some unichurch groups will choose to meet during stuvac and exams if they’re keen.  Breaks during the year are important in helping leaders to refresh themselves for the next term.

What should parents with young kids do about joining a group?  Our goal is to have over 90% of regulars at HBC in a Growth Group.  This can be a challenge when many regulars are parents with young kids.  A great  option is to join a Sunday afternoon group which features an early ‘kids dinner’.  We have two such groups in 2010.  Another option is for fathers to join an evening men’s group and stay-at-home mothers to join a group at Women’s Bible Study on Thursday morning.  You will both study similar material and enjoy the benefits of being in a weekly group.  If neither of these options is possible there are fortnightly groups which parents can join.

Should my boyfriend/girlfriend and I join the same group or different groups? In general, we recommend joining a different group to your boyfriend/girlfriend.  Although it may be appealing to be in the same group there are a number of advantages to being in different groups.  Firstly, if you break up during the year you won’t have created unnecessary conflict and tension within your group.  Secondly, being in different groups can spur each of you to grow individually in your relationship with God before you become spiritually united in marriage.  This process can be a significant help in your preparation for marriage.  Thirdly, being in a different group provides each of you with partners in prayer and accountability who can help you with purity and godliness.   These are some of the reasons why we recommend being in different groups.  If and when you get engaged during the year you might like to say goodbye to one group and join your fiance’s group.

Can people from other churches join HBC Growth Groups? For several reasons, in most cases it’s preferable for people from other churches not to join HBC Growth Groups.  Firstly, at HBC we don’t want to discourage other local churches by having their members join our groups rather than theirs.  Secondly, we think its better for people from other churches to sit under the teaching and authority of their own pastors and leaders.  Thirdly, having people from other churches in HBC groups places our Growth Group leaders in a difficult position - they are called to be responsible for them yet are unable to share this responsibility with other leaders at HBC such as staff, preachers and elders.  If however, someone from another church still wants to join one of our groups, they should speak to Richard or another staff member who can discuss the issue with them and their pastor.

There’s sure to be more questions so I’ll update this page as I come across more FAQs.  Contact Richard Sweatman (Pastor for Maturity) with any questions about Growth Groups at HBC or speak with one of our Growth Group leaders.