Small Groups
Small groups provide a great way to get to know other people at Central and to grow in your faith. They're not a new idea; John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was organizing believers into small groups or “bands” back in the 1700s. Large gatherings for teaching and congregational worship, complemented by numerous small groups for fellowship, accountability and prayer, probably most closely resemble the structure of the early New Testament church.
At Central, we believe that life change happens best in small groups, where you can really enter into each other's lives and offer fellowship, accountability and encouragement to each other as you walk with God. While feelings of isolation and anonymity are all too common in modern society, we see small groups as an opportunity to provide the kind of authentic community for which people hunger.
Check out the Small-Group Menu below to find one that fits your interests and schedule. Or, contact Jim Jennings, our associate pastor, to explore the possibility of leading a new small group, becoming a leader-in-training, or hosting a small group in your home.
Start
Date/Time: Wednesdays at 7 PM
Location: Central sanctuary
Looking for a small group? The "Start > Becoming a Good Samaritan" small group explores the critical needs facing our world today and helps Christians understand how they can move faith into action!
Leader: Drea Osterbur
Sessions:
June 30: Session #1
"Becoming a Good Samaritan"
July 7: Session #2 "Caring for the
Sick"
July 14: Session #3 "Seeking Justice
& Reconciliation"
July 21 and July 28: (two-week break)
August 4: Session #4 "Honoring the
Poor"
August 11: Session #5 "Tending to God's
Creation"
August 18: Session #6 "Loving the Forsaken"
Crown Financial
Date/Time: Sundays at 9 AM
Location: Central basement
What does the Bible say about debt? about tithing? about material possessions? The Bible has more verses about money and possessions than almost any other topic. This group is designed to be informative and to encourage people to take steps toward financial freedom to be free to follow God's leading in your life. (This is not a financial investment group).
Leaders: Mike and Julie Finney (594-4547)
Fully Devoted
Date/Time: Sundays at 11 AM
Location: Central, classroom by the nursery
Want to get back to the basics of the Christian faith, or have you struggled with what it means to pursue a spiritual life? Using the “Fully Devoted” study material from the Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series from Willow Creek Resources, we will take an 8-week adventure into identifying the practices, experiences and relationships God can use to help you become the person He longs for you to be.
Leader: Sue Fletcher (590-3390)
New Testament Study of the Gospels
Date/Time: Sundays at 6 PM
Location: 51 Charles St., Athens
Do you desire to learn about what the Gospel accounts have to teach us about Jesus? Do you want to discover how these spiritual truths apply to our lives? Do you enjoy heartfelt community? The New Testament study group is committed to these goals. In addition, we are actively engaged in monthly service projects in our community and with other Central-supported mission projects. We have a place for you!
Leaders: Larry and Mary Tracy Jageman (592-2123)
Signing Scripture
Date/Time: Tuesdays at 11 AM
Location: The Gathering Place, 7 North Congress St., Athens
Our goal is to commit Scripture verses to memory using American Sign Language (ASL). While we are building our signing vocabulary and committing Bible verses to memory, we will be building connectedness with each other and praying for each other's needs. Our meetings are short and sweet because some of us are using our lunchtime.
Leader: Betsy Keyes (740-274-1273)
Old Testament
Tuesdays at 7 PM
Location: 19134 South Canaan Road, Guysville
We are going through the Old Testament in the order
in which events occurred. In the fall, the emphasis will be on the books
of Daniel, Ezra or Nehemiah. This group is in progress, but we have room
for you.
Leaders: Michael Braasch (591-1100) and Larry Jageman (662-2808).
Grace Group
Tuesdays at 7 PM
Location: Central
Building off of the first in the series “Fully
Devoted” from the Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series
from Willow Creek Resources, we will take an 8-week look at Grace and
what that means in our daily lives.
Leader: Ryan Botts, email botts (at) math.ohio.edu
Central Prayer Hour
Wednesdays at 5:15 PM
Location: Central sanctuary
A great way to end your work day or start your evening—with
prayer. This group is open to anyone at any time of the year. Our focus
is on prayer and praying for the concerns presented.
Leaders: Barry and Kate Oches (592-1203 or kate_oches (at) hotmail.com).
The Gospel of Mark
Mondays from 7-8:30 PM starting April 5
Location: Basement of Central
After 400 years of Biblical silence, the word of
God comes to us again with the first narrative of the life of Christ.
We will go week by week through the text, waiting on the Holy Spirit to
move our hearts.
Leader: Andrew Costa
TIMES AND LOCATIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED...
Nooma Group
A discussion group designed around a video series by Rob Bell, geared around tackling real-life issues and hard questions of our faith. This group will meet once a week for 22 weeks. We will use the Rob Bell videos to examine our faith and how we live it out each day. Location and time TBA.
Leader: Becky Kurz (614-499-1758 or becky.kurz (at) gmail.com)
Remarkable Women
We want to be about knowing how God sees us, and approach the story of salvation with fresh eyes—maybe because we are women, and certainly because we struggle with many of the same emotional responses to life. Using the book Women of the Bible, we can deepen our understanding of women in the Bible. The cast of characters is long and colorful, including women young and old, married and single. The book offers a concise devotional structure including background cultural information, a portrait of each woman's life, and her legacy. Date/Time TBA (weekday evenings); looking for a host location.
Leaders: Kate Oches and Amy Jennings. For more information, contact Amy at 593-6708 or amerson.g (a) gmail.com.
