Byne Memorial Baptist Church

Discipleship Communities is simply the name that we use to refer to both Sunday School and Sermon-Based Small Groups. In Jesus' last words to His disciples He instructed them to go and make more disciples, we know this as "The Great Commission" (Matthew 20:18-20). At Byne there are two primary vehicles for discipleship to happen, Sunday School and Sermon-Based Growth Groups. In both you will find a group of people who have come together to study God's word, pray with each other, care for one another and share their lives together. Their destination is the same-discipleship, but their community occurs in different settings, thus the name "discipleship communities."

Sunday School classes meet at 10:00on Sunday mornings at the church in various rooms on campus. Sunday School departments are divided by age groups and are made up of one or more Sunday School class(es). Departments typically gather together to share prayer requests, go over announcements and may give a message to the large group as a whole at 10:00. After this time individual classes go to their own areas and begin their Bible study. Sunday School classes also plan regular social events that may be on or off the church campus as a way to help build relationships within the group. Sunday School classes offer you a place to find true community where people know who you are and care about your needs. To find out where a class is meeting simply ask a greeter to take you to the Welcome Center and they will take you to the class from there.

Sermon-Based Growth Groups are groups of 10-12 people who meet weekly in a home to study God's Word, pray together, and share their lives with each other. Each group has a leader and a host. The leader is responsible for directing and guiding the discussion which is based on the previous week's sermon. The host is responsible for providing a place to meet, typically in their own home. A sample time frame for a group would be like this: a 10-15 minute gathering time where people catch up on the week's events, then 15-30 minutes of sharing what is going on in their lives and praying for those issues as a group, followed by about 45 minutes of Bible study and discussion. Each group will coordinate its own socials and service projects throughout the year. It is through the weekly meetings, service projects and socials that members of the group bond and find real relationships that encourage them in their spiritual life. For more information regarding Sermon-Based Growth Groups call the church office at (229) 436-5700.