Open Groups

What Are Open Groups?

Open Groups are an integral and strategic part of the function of CityHarvest Church. They figure in all four levels of the Reaching the lost - Growing Church strategy. For this reason, all people who call CityHarvest home are encouraged (not compelled) to participate in an Open Group.

Open Groups are flexible and dynamic. They can consist of as little as two people who meet regularly to seek an intimate relationship with God through His Word, Prayer, Fellowship and Mission.  Unlike Home Groups, Open Groups are not tied to meeting in homes but can meet in work situations, public venues such as coffee shops or anywhere that is congenial for people to meet and deepen their relationship with God and each other. Furthermore, they can be scheduled weekly, fortnightly or some other pattern that suits those meeting together.

It is not necessary to be a Bible scholar or a  “mature” Christian of some standing to lead an Open Group. Any person who has experienced how Open Groups work, can branch off and start a new Open Group if they wish, in fact, it is better for groups to be dynamic, spawning new groups than to become stale and ineffective.

Purpose

Open Groups are all about relationships—developing an intimate relationship with God and meaningful relationships with each other.

Word of God

1. Seek an intimate relationship with God through His Word. To help people hear
   from God through Scripture and apply God's Word to daily living. 

Prayer

1. Seek an intimate relationship with God through Prayer. Often, when God has spoken through His Word, this leads into prayer as the group takes up what God has spoken, either for the individual or the group as a whole. Time is also given to specific prayer needs of the group members, praying for healing, family issues, work related issues, friends, work colleagues and acquaintances. It is also a time for praying for people who need a revelation of Jesus.

Accountability

1. Seek an intimate relationship with God through Accountability. We all can get slack and not follow through on things, so Open Groups can be a means of being accountable. As God speaks to us and we commit ourselves to accomplishing His assignments, Open Groups provide a framework for ensuring we stay on track. This is not a regimented system of checking up on each other, nor a legalistic approach but an environment where we all seek to help one another to go deeper with God.

Interpersonal Relationships

1. Seek an intimate relationship with God through our Interpersonal Relationships. Meeting with other people on a regular basis ensures we don’t live out our Christian experience in isolation. None of us has a perfect understanding of God and in fact we need each other to deepen our relationship with God. Open Groups also provide an excellent support structure and pastoral care framework for group members.

Evangelism

1. Seek to provide a structure for people outside the household of faith to discover an intimate relationship with God.
1. Open Groups are simple in format, so people who are not “churched” can participate and through the reading of scriptures, practical orientated prayer and seeing the Christian life outworked in the lives of the group members, and of course the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, can come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.  Open Groups are ideal opportunities to demonstrate practical Christian living. Group members are encouraged to pray for people who need to discover a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. Many people in our society today would not feel comfortable going to “church”. Open Groups are ideal for such people who want to journey towards knowing God without the foreign and unfamiliar practices of organized “church”. These people can feel comfortable meeting with a group of Christians who meet for the purpose of knowing God and developing meaningful relationships with each other. In actual fact we at CityHarvest believe that the church is the people, so in actual fact when these people meet with believers in Open Groups they are actually meeting with the church.
3. Eventually, people who discover a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of the Introducing God course and Open Groups can be eased into meeting with the larger household of faith that meets for the Sunday celebrations.

Features

Open Groups primary function is outlined under Purpose. However, meetings are not legalistic and sometimes some aspects are put aside while others are introduced. The important issue is that the overall function is achieved over time. Some of the features of groups are:

1. Explore God’s Word and listening to His Voice
2. Prayer
3. Meals (some groups have meals on special occasions while others may have meals each time)
4. Discipleship – people are trained in reading God’s Word, listening to His Voice, Prayer etc.
5. Training Leaders – the format is simple and potential leaders can understudy the group leader. Furthermore, a leadership pyramid type structure is in place so all leaders have someone to whom they can refer.
6. Evangelism – because everyone is simply reading the Bible and saying what God is saying, people who have not had a personal experience can participate and get to know the Bible and the God who wrote it.
7. Family – some groups are family orientated and the children participate in their own ways. Children are trained in the ways of God.
8. Marriage – as couples deepen their relationship with God and make God the centre of their marriages, so too will their relationship be strengthened.
9. Tribe – by Tribe, we at CityHarvest mean the gathering of believers as the Jews would see their tribe of believers.
10. Hospitality/Pastoral Care
11. Practical help – sometimes if a group member is sick or needs practical help, other group members can meet the need.
12. Accountability