Potluck Groups
Deep, long-term, spiritual friendships all start somewhere. Sitting in rows on Sunday morning, looking at the back of the head in front of us doesn’t help much in this regard. So, twice a month, clusters of friends-in-the-making gather in someone’s home for a leisurely time to eat, talk and begin to become friends. Sometimes it’s a full potluck meal, some of the groups simply bring snacks. As trust grows, we share more deeply who we are, and begin to carry one another in our hearts, praying for our new friends throughout the week.
It is important to us at NRCC to help our people find their ways into the kind of spiritual companionship that strengthens souls. Getting together to eat and talk is a first step on the way.
If you’re interested in being a part of such a group, click here.
Book Clubs/Bible Studies
Intermittently we have book clubs in session at NRCC. These groups read a spiritual book together, share what we’ve learned and how it affects our quest to become men and women strong in the pursuit of God. It is our experience that these times together inevitably evolve from discussing the content of the book to integrating us into one another’s lives. It is our prayer that both the content learned and the relationships formed in these groups strengthen our pursuit of God.
If you’re interested in being part of such a group, click here.
Breathing Groups
Spiritual friendship is deeper than just “hanging out.” Breathing groups recognize this reality and gather in informal groups of two or three friends to intentionally pursue God together. In these groups, we “breathe” together.
1. We breathe in
Each person in a breathing group is pursuing some form of God’s Truth on their own. Some will read scripture, others listen to spiritual music, some will read spiritual books, and others will simply spend time in quiet with God. When we come together in our breathing groups, we talk about what we’re coming to know of our God. In breathing groups, we simply share our experience of God. This affords each in the group the opportunity to “breathe in” the Truth God has shown others. We strengthen one another as we share God’s Truth with one another. We benefit one another with our own experience of God.
2. We breathe out
Breathing groups are safe places. Confidentiality, trust and affection are at the core of their strength. From time to time, all of us struggle in life. We need a safe place to talk about our struggles and failures. Scripture teaches us that when we are able to bring sin to light, it loses it’s power. It is an ancient practice of soul-health to have a safe place to “breathe out” our shortcomings. Confession heals the soul (James 5:16). When we bring our anger, fears, judgment to the light, these negative forces lose their power, and we find the rate at which God heals our souls quickened. Our spiritual friends, listen, hold us before God, and offer us the absolution Jesus has given us to offer (Jn. 20:23). Confession is freedom.
3. We breathe up
Throughout scripture, prayer is likened to breath. We breathe our prayers to our God. In breathing groups, we pray for one another’s concerns, families, friends, and our extended community. As we “breath up” our prayers on behalf of one another, we bind ourselves one to another in a very deep manner. People who have lived in breathing group friendships for any period of time find themselves connected and strengthened by living in the environment in which spiritual growth is best fostered.
If you’re interested in being a part of such a group, click here.
Contemplative Prayer Groups
Contemplative prayer is a powerful tool of connecting us to God and to one another. At NRCC we invite people to form regular groups of prayer based on the ancient prayer practice of lectio divina, (divine reading).
These groups gather, read a passage of scripture three times, inserting 3-4 minutes of contemplative silence before, and between each reading. This takes about twenty minutes. At the end of the third reading, members of the group are invited to comment on the things the Holy Spirit has stirred in them during the quiet and reading, or during the week.
It has been our experience that the time following these minutes of surrender to God’s agenda is rich. The preparatory time afford us a clarity to sense His guidance and direction. Subsequent discussions and prayers are enriching. We talk about the things on our hearts, pray for one another, pray for our congregation, and pray for our world. By making space for God’s Spirit to percolate within us in silence, we are more attuned to His heart, His agenda. We talk about these things, and intersperse prayer in the midst of these conversations.
If you’re interested in being a part of such a group, click here.