Engage Groups

Just as Jesus did his primary discipleship in the context of a small group (the disciples), we see Engage Groups at Ipswich Lutheran Church as one of the primary models of developing our community to know Christ and to make Christ known.

Engage Groups are gospel greenhouses. Engage Groups meet together in order to grow together as followers of Jesus Christ. These groups are the primary vehicle for pastoral care and personal discipleship at Ipswich Lutheran Church. Growth Groups foster community on a deeper level than is possible at a Sunday gathering. Members of Engage Groups pray together, share life together, and allow the word of God to dwell richly amongst them. It may be a bit of an oversimplification, but on Sundays the gospel is proclaimed publicly through careful exposition of Scripture, while in Engage Groups that same gospel message is then applied specifically through prayerful study of Scripture.

Everyone is welcome to join a Engage Group. We urge all our members and guests to be actively and committedly involved in a Engage Group for their own good and for the good of others. Engage Groups meet at various times during the week; many meet in people’s homes scattered across Ipswich’s suburbs. Groups usually meet weekly or fortnightly.

The purpose of an Engage Group (small group) at Ipswich Lutheran Church is for people to:

Grow in relationship with Christ: To provide a place where people can experience God in a real way, developing an understanding of and commitment to the Bible and how it calls us to live.

Connect in Community: To build healthy relationships with one another in the context of community, learning to love, encourage, take risks and be accountable to those in the group.

Serve in Community: To help each individual discover their gifts and use them by serving together as a group on a regular basis.

Share the Good News: To provide a place where every group member learns how to share the Good News with those in need of a message of hope. Group members will pray for and encourage each other as God provides sharing opportunities.