join a group

Men’s Discipleship/Meeting

When: Wednesdays, 6:30-8:15 PM.
What: This men-only group enjoys great fellowship and encouragement, and is currently doing a deeper dive and
discussion into the previous Sunday’s sermon.

Women’s Virtual Book Club

When: Various days and times.

What: Going through the book, “Get Out of Your Head,” by Jennie Allen.

There is a Women’s Virtual Book Club, led by Allison Hix. This group is held 4 times a week (Tuesdays 12:30 - 2:00PM and 7:30 - 8:30PM, Fridays 7:00 - 9:00PM, and Saturdays 1:30 - 3:00PM. If you are interested in getting connected to women in the church or in search of women’s discipleship, contact Allison. 

DNA Groups

DNA groups are gender specific groups comprised of 3-5 people with the goal of following the ways of Jesus and teaching others to do the same.  These are most often organically produced groups that meet weekly where you will Discover God, Nurture one another, and hold one another accountable.  

Sunday Bible Study

“Salt & Light”

When: Sundays, 9-10:15AM
What: Fellowship, Encouragement, Bible Study, and Prayer.

This group is for the biblical scholar, the new believer, and everyone in between. We want to help equip you to read God’s Word in a way that trains your mind and transforms your heart. It is a great place to get connected! 

Mom's support group

When: Mondays, 8 PM.
What: Moms need a sanity check-in! This is a very casual time to connecting and encouragement.

Prayer Group

When: Mondays, 7-8:30 PM.
What: We pray for our church, prayer requests from the church, and one another. There is also a time of worship and of course amazing fellowship!

Freedom Bound Group of AA

Freedom Bound Group of Alcoholics Anonymous
When: Tuesdays, 7PM.
What: This is a private Facebook group. To be invited, contact the person below.

Sermon Study: The Lalanes

When: Tuesdays, 7-8:30 PM.
What: This group is hosted by Charlie and Mary Claire LaLane and includes fellowship, prayer, and discussion of the sermon from the previous Sunday.

Women's Wednesday Night study

When: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8:15 PM.
What: This women-only group engages in various studies and includes meaningful fellowship and encouragement.

Missional Community

When: Thursdays, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
What: A Missional Community (MC) commits to doing life together and serving a mission together. MCs meet weekly,
encourage and equip one another, and plan the details of the group’s mission. Group members also covenant to serve
the mission for a determined amount of time (usually in 1-year increments). This MC’s mission is Kingdom Students (6th –12th grade), which is the combined youth group of The Avenue Church and Trinity Lutheran Church. Under the leadership of our youth pastor and MC leaders, we serve and support the youth ministry by assisting on Friday nights, and with other events, and activities. There is a “dating period” before a commitment is required during which time interaction with our students is limited. A background check is also required.

Youth group

When: Fridays, 6:30-9 PM.
What: Every Friday night we host virtual GLOW! The night is structured with incredible fellowship, games, and a short teaching! You don’t want to miss GLOW!

Eleventh element

When: Saturdays, 8:30-10 AM. 
What: The Eleventh Element CrossFit group does two things. First, we gather online for 30 minutes of fellowship and a
biblical teaching to feed our souls. Then for about an hour we have a living room CrossFit workout together. No
equipment necessary!

mops/momsnext

When: Various days and times.
What: We have started doing Virtual Playdates and Virtual Kids Birthday Parties. Contact Allison for more information on joining these!

WHY SMALL

GROUPS EXIST 
Small Groups have one, simple purpose—to bring people together.

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We believe God created us to live in community with others and only then can we experience the full life He intends for us. We believe life change happens in the context of Relationships.
 
Meaningful relationships can be hard to find, and Small Groups exist to make life-changing

relationships  relevant and accessible to you.
 
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12
 

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We believe our church must grow larger and smaller at the same time.
 
We grow larger to reach as many people as possible with the life-giving message of Jesus.

We gather in Small Groups to build community and care for people.

"Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching

and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah."
ACTS 5:42

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Small Groups offer people:

1. A Place to connect
"Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so

that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him."
1 CORINTHIANS 9:22 TLB

 
We were not made to do life alone. God created us for community, and Small Groups

provide a place to connect with others, share life, and grow in faith together.

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2. A Place to protect
"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So

we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters."
1 JOHN 3:16 NLT

 
It is through life together that our problems become smaller, and God uses others to bring support and encouragement to our lives. Small Groups become a place where others don’t just know your name, but care about what is happening in your life and want to support you in your spiritual journey.

2. A Place to GROW
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
PROVERBS 27:17

 
We believe every person is created with God-given potential to make a difference in the world. Small Groups are a place you can grow with others to become more like Jesus and reach the potential God has put inside you.

WHAT A SMALL GROUP LOOKS LIKE

Your Life is Your Group

 
We are implementing a free market approach to Small Groups. This means we want people to gather together based on the things they enjoy and are important to them. Essentially, the things you are already doing in your life are the things that can make up your Small Group!
 
Free market leaders form their group around their gifts or interests.
 
From sports groups to lunch groups, mom groups to student groups, Bible study groups to creative arts groups, our groups are as varied as we are. All groups fall within one of 10 hubs. Men’s, Women’s, Marriage and Family, Home Groups, Students, Rooted, DNA, Redemption/Restore, Outreach, and Prayer

Inside these hubs you can become even more specific if you desire to.

For example:  Recovery, Jeeps, Golf, Coffee lovers, running, bird watching, etc.

Group Structure

Groups meet throughout the year in three semesters. 
WINTER/SPRING 13 WEEKS | SUMMER 6 WEEKS | FALL 13 WEEKS
 
Groups meet weekly during each semester.
 
Groups meet in a variety of places like homes, parks, restaurants, coffee shops and office buildings.
 
New groups start every semester making it easy to build community and enjoy different types of groups.

No matter what your group meets about, each meeting

should be made up of four things:

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1. CASUAL FELLOWSHIP
Laid back time for group members to talk and get to know each other. 

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2. ACTIVITY OR DISCUSSION 
This will vary based on what kind of group you’re leading. It could be an activity like Frisbee or outreach or a discussion about a book or Sunday message. 

3. PRAYER
Ask for prayer requests from group members and pray at the beginning and/or the end of each group meeting.

4. SPIRITUAL COMPONENT
This is what differentiates your Small Group from your neighborhood supper club. Whether it’s through activities or discussion, always find a way to include the Word of God. This can be as simple as sharing something God is teaching you with the group or talking about a verse you read that week.

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