Life Groups

Be part of a Life Group!
Life Groups are now forming at the East Campus. Ten groups are currently meeting on the West Campus and now more will form for the East Campus. Be part of this exiciting ministry. There’s food, fellowship, families and devotions. It’s a great way to get to know other members and connect with the Trinity family. Most groups meet once a month but each group can determine whether to meet more frequently or not. For more information or to sign up for a Life Group, email Deb Hartje or call her at 913.745.4591.

The Importance of Small Groups
Some people who claim to be Christians haven't grown spiritually in 30-50 years despite sitting through countless numbers of sermons, and one church leader believes he knows why. During a recent LifeWay podcast, Steve Gladen, small groups pastor at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, CA, says they equate attendance at church with spiritual growth. "They haven't been challenged in a community to grow spiritually. People are finding out that it is all about interfacing with God's Word, being in community. That's why we've got people who have been believers 30, 40, 50 years and they don't ooze an ounce of the fruit of the Spirit."

Gladen said that for the past three years Saddleback has averaged between 114 percent and 140 percent attendance in small groups compared to the number of people who attend the many weekend worship services. (The average church has between 40-60 percent in small group compared to worship attendance.) Rick Howerton from LifeWay's Serendipity said "... as of late there seems to be a renewed emphasis on grouping people into small groups." Gladen said it is a healthy trend, adding that it is impossible for pastors of even small churches of 40 to 60 people to know if church members are growing spiritually. But small groups offer the opportunity for more accountability and connection. "I think God is creating a movement," Howerton said. "It is no longer a program of the church. It is a movement that almost seems unstoppable. People who have never thought about small groups are asking how to get small groups started. I believe they are sensing down in their spirit there is something miraculous when a group of honest, authentic believers are getting together and asking how the Bible speaks into my life and your life and they are embracing small groups in amazing ways."

" One of the beauties of small groups is that whenever a person has a concern about their life … they are surrounded by people who are also looking at the Bible and may know more about the Bible than they do," Howerton said. "So they are drawn into God's Word and say 'Hey, here is the answer to life's questions.' So the Bible becomes not just a proposition for consideration and an understanding of three or four things I didn’t know when I came in here, but people embracing each other in the Word of God."