Small Groups & Mission Activity Teams
In the life of Countess Free Church we have different types of small / mid size groups and teams.
Small Groups
Much like small grou: Intentional Prayer on Our Doorstepsps in other churches (often known as house groups, life groups, cell groups and so on), these meet in people’s houses where members support each other in their life and mission. These include a blokes group, and Rainbow – a daytime group for mothers who support each other.
Mission Activity Teams
Each activity organised by the church has a ‘Mission Activity Team‘, who are the team of people who make it happen – typically with a core of leaders plus other helpers. Whether it is our Parent/Carer with Babies & Toddlers, our Dads n Kidz, or a whole host of other initiatives, each has volunteers who are committed to that particular activity and look out for each other. For a full list of opportunities and teams see our menu_of_mission. The teams are open for people to join (though for some roles a self-disclosure and DBS may be required).
Lifeboats
These are the best place for newcomers to explore faith. Run by one or two individuals, a couple or a family, they invite just a few others (maybe even just one or two) to join with them and explore faith in a simple and accessible way. It doesn’t matter if people have no Bible knowledge whatsoever – these are safe spaces where people can discover, learn things like ‘how to pray’, find out ‘who Jesus is’, and ‘how to start reading the Bible’ for themselves. Each group uses a format that suits those who attend, and goes at their own pace.
IPODs
We encourage members to get together to pray for the area where they live. These are called ‘IPODs‘ – ‘Intentional Prayer on Our Doorsteps’! Keeping it short, simple, and focussed, the idea is to pray with other believers who live nearby for your area. There is no formal structure for these groups – they tend to form for a season and then maybe disband as people’s commitments & availability ebbs and flows.
It just needs a minimum of 2 or 3 who live within 10 mins of each other to find a mutually convenient time & place, and get on and pray. They might get together say every 3 weeks, or it might be a couple of times across a few months … for as long as it works and feels right for those involved.