Small groups at Ebenezer Evangelical Church, Bristol, England.

What exactly are ‘small groups’?

They are the 'building blocks' of church life. We aim to follow the example of the first Christians (Acts 2:42-47) who 'devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They met both in public and in the privacy of the home. Their lifestyle was such that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Our small groups operate in different ways, with some placing more emphasis on Bible study and others running in a cell-type format (welcome, worship, word and witness). Most have a balance between devotional and friendship activity during a season of activity, generally meeting weekly. Some meet jointly once a month to focus on some aspect of their mission.

However, in general, each small group is a place

to build Godly relationships

to discuss the Word of God and apply it to everyday life

to explore different ways of worshipping God together

to encourage, pray for and minister to each other

to discover and practice spiritual gifts

to have fun and enjoy the opportunities to socialise with other Christians, and

to provide unchurched friends with a first level of Christian contact (eg. through Winning Ways Vision – see below)

Why join a small group?
It is difficult to relate meaningfully to everyone in a large congregation, therefore it is important that each person has a smaller group of people they can get to know within the church.

As a leadership we are concerned that everyone is known and cared for, and we consider small groups to be the best way to do this.

Small group leaders also have a vital role to play in looking out for the people in their groups, whether or not they are attending church or small group regularly.

Winning Ways Vision
Winning Ways is part of the citywide Celebr@te vision to reach friends and family for Jesus. Winning Ways is about natural, lifestyle evangelism where in our small groups, we support and encourage each other to build relationships with our non-Christian family and friends. It’s about showing the love of Jesus to our family and friends, praying effectively and consistently for them and introducing them to Jesus.

Winning Ways is a 7 session equipping course done in small groups and then the long-term support and encouragement starts.

Ask one of the Ebe leadership team for more details. It’s exciting to see lives changed and people coming to know Jesus.

Visit the Winning Ways Website for more details

How do I join a small group?
If you would like to join a small group, please fill in the contact form or contact the church office on 0117 9791399. You will be informed very soon afterwards of what group to try out and introduce you to the group leader.

Please let us know what type of small group you would like to join. Either 'small group with people from all different walks of life and different ages' or 'peer small group where people are in similar life situations (eg. young professionals, or students, or parents daytime group, etc.)'