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Beginnings
The early New Testament church began as a collection of small groups which met in people�s homes; the church did not have large public buildings for worship until 200 years after Jesus' resurrection.
Prof. Eddie Gibbs writes that small groups "mature and equip the existing members in order to face the world and survive in a hostile environment. More specifically small groups are a place where you"
- feel welcome,
- share in the strength and love of other Christians,
- be cared for in times of crises,
- enjoy relating to others like yourself,
- learn, grow and mature in faith with each other,
- enjoy opportunities to socialize with each other, and
- have the opportunity to get more involved, if you are so led.
What the Bible Says
The Bible, in the book of Acts, gives us some more detail of what took place in those home groups:
- Teaching
- Fellowship
- Breaking bread
- Prayer
- Proclaiming the good news
We learn too, how the early believers responded to these groups:
- Glad
- Sincere
- Praised God
- Enjoyed the favour of all people.
What We Do:
Each of our groups will have different accents and foci. Some enjoy singing, others offer decadent teas, some meet in one place, others meet in different homes on a rotational basis. Most groups meet on a Thursday evening there are a couple that meet during the day, with one group getting together on a Monday night. Over the last while groups have journeyed through the following material, inter alia:
- Luke
- Romans
- Philippians
- David
- The sayings of Jesus
- Just Walk Across the Room Series
Some of Our Current Groups:
Monday Evening Group
- Carslwald: Robin Twaddle
Thursday Day Groups
- Randjesfontein: Peggy Jackson
- Centurion: Lu Deetlefs
Thursday Evening Groups
- Rivonia: Gavin & Jenny Orr
- Blue Hills: Theo de Villiers
- Irene/Centurion: Gonnie Leurs
- Vorna Valley: Trevor & Val Corin
- Midstream: Martin Hekman
- Midstream: Pam Louw
- Glen Austin: Derick van Zyl
- Randjesfontein: Basil & Nicola Dickason
If you are interested in joining a home group then please make contact with the church office at midchurch@midchurch.co.za
Chatterbox
Kate Lindsey hosts a group of up to forty women every second week at the Church House. This lively gathering is aptly known as the "Chatterbox Group". These ladies indulge in a few delicacies, sing and pray but above everything else they engage in knitting and crocheting blankets and garments for the under-resourced. Over the last while this group has produced approximately 1150 blankets & 480 jerseys, beanies, teddy bears and mittens.
The groups is facilitated by Kate Lindsey and she may be contacted at kate@tsv.co.za
Senior Men's Group
The Senior Men's Group was started in 2004, by the late Tim Sawyer, who saw a need for a fellowship group for the senior men in the congregation. By agreement, we meet every six to eight weeks and in addition to 'socialising', we arrange interesting talks or visits. John Kerr heads up the group.
Men to Men For Christ
On Friday mornings at 06:15 a group of men meet together around an informal bible study and a brief time of prayer and fellowship at the church offices. For more information contact Christopher Judelsohn on christopher@midchurch.co.za .
