Growing together

Since the early days of Christianity, followers of Jesus Christ have met together in small groups to read the Bible, pray for one another and share their lives with one another. At Magdalen Road Church, we see homegroups as a continuation of that tradition.

Why are homegroups so important?

Homegroups exist at Magdalen Road with the goal of seeing one another become more like Jesus. With that as our aim, we read the Bible together, pray together and pursue Christ-like relationships with one another that will strengthen our life as a wider church community.

The Bible tells us that we were created for relationship – relationship with God and relationship with one another. Sin marred both of these relationships. However, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has reconciled believers both to himself and to each other (Ephesians 2:1-22). Thanks to God’s grace, one of the richest blessings Christians enjoy is life in a community of forgiven people who love one another as Christ first loved us.

Homegroups play a vital role in that community. They are small groups of people committed to living life together. They meet throughout the week at various locations and times around Oxford. Like families, they come in many shapes and sizes. But the aim of each one of our homegroups is simple – to see one another become more like Jesus Christ.

Who are homegroups for?

We encourage everyone at Magdalen Road to be part of a homegroup. Homegroups are not collections of perfect people who’ve got life all sorted out. They are groups of forgiven sinners who still make mistakes, who need to grow and who need to hear God’s word applied to them.

Homegroups are places where we can ask questions and ask for prayer – where we can laugh and cry together – where we can carry one another’s burdens – where we can learn together what it means to love God and love our neighbours. For us to develop and enjoy Christlike relationships as a church, we have to start small; for most of us, that means belonging to a homegroup.

What do homegroups do?

Each group is different, but the same three things characterise all our groups:

• Reading the Bible together. To hear God speak to us, we need to listen to his word – and that’s the Bible. Reading the Bible together stands at the heart of homegroups and equips us for life in the real world, so that we can see our God, ourselves and our friends and family through the lens of God’s word.
   
• Praying for one another. The Christian life is not always easy, and each one of us needs God’s grace to help us every day of our lives. In our homegroups, we are committed to praying for one another, thanking God for his good gifts and crying out to him to help us in difficult times.
   
• Developing Christ-like relationships. Homegroups are not just about a weekly meeting – they involve sharing our lives with one another. We want to imitate Christ in our love for one another, pursuing relationships characterised by grace and committed to seeing one another become more like Jesus.

If you’d like to find out more about homegroups or if you want to join one of our existing groups, please complete the form below or email or talk to James Greig our Deacon for Homegroups.