TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH
 |
Small Groups What is Small Group Ministry? Small Group Ministry is devotion and commitment to a covenant relationship of love, support and accountability between and among the people of God. At Tabernacle we accomplish caring through small groups. Small groups enable us to be as effective as possible in providing a caring environment for our members. Success is in the hands of every member. Every member is responsible for maintaining a connected relationship with a small group of other members. Small Groups give members greater opportunities to know one another. In small clusters, our members learn more than each other's names. A true sense of community exists. Sharing joys, sorrows, recreation, amusement and education in small groups strengthens individual faith and witness and strengthens community relationships. Who can attend? This is open to anyone. You do not have to be a church member to participate in any small group. January Bible Study The pastor will begin the study of the Letter of James on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in the dining room. This study will continue every Wednesday through February 8. Study books will be available for purchase in the Gathering Place and church office beginning January 1 for the cost of $6. James wrote in an extraordinary time in history and to a unique people. Unlike Paul, who wrote primarily to congregations defined by Gentile believers, James wrote to a dispersed and persecuted fellowship of Hebrew Christians who would soon endure even more difficulty in the coming years. James’s letter had a two-fold intent: 1. Encourage these new believers to remain strong in the face of increasing persecution. 2. Equip them to continue in the faith throughout eras of hardship. If the dispersed believers lived exemplary
lives among unfamiliar people in new areas, they could be living witnesses
to the reality of Jesus as the Hebrew Messiah. According to James, the
way of God is accepting the reality of persecution and applying faith
to each and every instance. This “holification” of suffering that had
been modeled by Jesus could indeed provide excellent witness to the reality
of their faith. As James “tells it like it is” he consistently offers
paths to effective living that can only be accessed through a personal
relationship with God |
