We believe that participating in Groups is one of the most effective ways you can grow in your relationship with Christ and with other people. It allows you to grow deeper in the Word, foster unity and authenticity with other believers, and helps us in both becoming disciples and making disciples.

We have all kinds of Groups! Some are men/women-only, some are co-ed, and some are for married couples. Some are centered on stage of life (i.e. Young Adults or Senior Adults). These Groups each look a little different in how they’re made up and what they do with their time, but all have the unified goal of following Christ together in community. When browsing Groups, you can use the filters provided at the top of the page to help you find what exactly you’re looking for.

Groups usually meet weekly, sometimes twice a week. Most meet for 1-2 hours. We want everyone who is a part of Groups to be present and consistent in Group meetings. And, of course, we desire to see Groups going beyond just meeting together, and living in sacrificial community with one another.

While most of our Groups meet weekly, and we would encourage Group members to be consistent in attending Groups, we understand that there are sometimes unique circumstances that make this challenging. We suggest first of all finding a Group on a day/time that you can commit to attending most regularly. Secondly, talk to the Group Leader about your schedule and see what you are able to work out with them.

No. Our Groups are built around making “one-year commitments” (see next question), with the option to recommit to a Group each January.

Here are a few reasons why we make one-year commitments in our Groups and then multiply:

- It’s a great way to practice community with a variety of people and better demonstrate living as the unified body of Christ.

- It opens up more seats for new people who come to our church to get involved.

- It makes the process of multiplying Groups and sending Group Leaders much easier.

- It serves Group members well, by providing a defined amount of time. It also more easily gives people an “off-ramp” from a Group that no longer works for them.

- It serves Group Leaders well, by giving them a healthy “checkpoint” each year to renew their commitment to leading, or permission to step away after a year.

As we approach the end of the year for Groups, your Group Leader will be sharing more about their plans for next year and what it will look like. Some in your Group may sign-up under the same leader, and some may sign-up for a new Leader’s Group. If there is some portion of a Group that continues together after the one-year timeframe, that’s great! Just know, your Group will likely not look the same year after year. We want to encourage making space to welcome new people into community, as well as allowing for growth through new relationships and dynamics. All of that said, you can always continue in friendship with people who you’ve been a part of a Group with!

For the most part, our Groups usually begin around mid-January and end around mid-December. Some of our Groups meet as normal during the summer, while other Groups choose to do some different things during the summer. People are more than welcome to join any open Groups at any point in the year.

While you are not required to be a member of Fountain City Church to join a Group, our Groups are primarily geared towards Fountain City Church members, who have made a commitment to follow Christ together in relationships. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member, visit this link and scroll down to the “Join the Family” section for more info.

We don’t have a rigid rule regarding Group size, but we do think anywhere from 4-12 is ideal in keeping it a “small” Group where everyone can be engaged and grow.

Since our Groups are environments where we build relational trust and intimacy, it may be difficult for your closed Group and your friend to connect well. There may be some alternative options worth considering to offer your friend:

- Invite them to an upcoming Adult Ministries event (Men’s, Women’s, Young Adults, etc.)
- Encourage your friend to take some next steps — first by attending Meet & Greet, then getting plugged into FC 101, etc.
- Invite your friend to sign up for a Group when new Groups launch the following January.

Our Groups have a variety of styles for studying together. Some Groups do a weekly discussion of the sermon. Others will study through the Bible or follow a Bible-based curriculum (i.e. The Gospel Project) together. Other Groups work through other books or video series together. Each of these studies are approved by a Pastor and/or Elder.

Groups are led by members of Fountain City Church. These Leaders have agreed to partake in Group Leader Training, and report to their assigned Coach who supports them throughout the year.

Interested in leading a Group with us? Contact zachbarnhart@fountaincity.church for more information!

We recommend joining one Group to be a part of per year. However, if you can make the commitment to be fully invested in and live out sacrificial community in more than one Group, we do not prohibit it.

Each Group has different childcare needs (ages, number of kids, etc), and considerations (size of home, babysitter access, budget constraints, etc). As such, the best childcare solution is not one-size-fits-all. We try to provide every Leader with strategies around navigating the childcare needs for their Group – as the best solution will differ Group to Group.