Cultivating Community
Small Groups are more than meetings on the calendar. They are places where members of Living Hope learn to live as the family of God.
As a Shepherd, you are not responsible for producing spiritual growth. Your calling is to cultivate an environment where people can know and be known, engage Scripture, care for one another, serve together, and grow toward Christ.
The Five Marks of Healthy Group Life
Healthy biblical community is marked by five shared practices—Engage, Share, Care, Serve, and Multiply. Together, these practices describe the kind of relational and spiritual life we want to see developing within every Small Group.
These Five Marks of Healthy Group Life give Shepherds a picture of what they are cultivating and help them recognize where the group is flourishing and where greater attention may be needed. They are not separate programs or activities, but interconnected expressions of a community learning to follow Jesus together.
Engage the Word — We open Scripture together and allow it to shape our beliefs, relationships, decisions, and life. The Word gives our community its foundation and continually redirects us toward Christ.
Share Life — We move beyond surface-level relationships by learning to know and be known. Healthy community grows as people become increasingly willing to share their stories, struggles, questions, joys, and everyday lives with one another.
Care for One Another — We pray for one another, carry burdens, celebrate joys, and walk together through difficult seasons. Care means noticing people, responding to needs, and refusing to let members quietly walk through life alone.
Serve Together — We use our gifts, time, and resources to meet needs within the group, church, and community. Serving turns our attention outward and gives us opportunities to put love into action together.
Multiply Disciples — We help people grow toward Christ, develop emerging leaders, and turn outward toward those who do not yet know Him. Healthy groups do not simply preserve what they have; they invest in others so that disciples, leaders, and eventually new communities can grow.
These marks are not a checklist for every gathering, nor does every group express them equally in every season. They describe the kind of community we want to see taking shape over time as Shepherds faithfully cultivate the group and trust God to give the growth.
Healthy biblical community does not happen accidentally. Shepherds cultivate it by paying attention not only to what happens when the group gathers, but also to the people, relationships, and leaders developing around them.
Cultivating Group Life: Shepherds keep the Five Marks in view, helping the group grow in engaging the Word, sharing life, caring for one another, serving together, and multiplying disciples. The goal is not to accomplish everything in every meeting, but to cultivate these marks increasingly over time.
Gathering with Purpose: Groups gather in different ways depending on the needs of their people. Through fellowship, study, service, and outreach, Shepherds create intentional opportunities to deepen relationships, engage Scripture, meet practical needs, celebrate what God is doing, and serve or share the gospel together.
Shepherding People Personally: Shepherding extends beyond the weekly gathering. Shepherds know and pray for their people, pursue those who drift, offer care during difficult seasons, encourage spiritual growth, and help members remain meaningfully connected to the broader life of the church.
Developing New Shepherds: Healthy shepherding multiplies. Shepherds identify emerging leaders, share meaningful responsibility, mentor apprentices, and prepare others to care for and guide people well. The goal is not simply to lead a healthy group, but to raise up others who can shepherd faithfully.
Receiving Coaching & Support: Shepherds do not lead alone. Community Coaches provide encouragement, perspective, accountability, and practical support through consistent relationships and a simple Discover → Develop → Dream coaching rhythm.