Beyond Sundays
Next Steps
There's so much more to a church than weekend worship services. Whether it's being part of a group or coming to an event, there's a lot available to you at Hope Simcoe.
Get Connected
Step beyond Sundays and join a community where you can grow
We want our family members to be plugged into the heartbeat of Hope Bible Church – we want to know you and for you to know us! We have a steps process that makes this simple. Why not explore taking your next step today?
- Step 1. Meet
Say Hi After a Service
Want to learn more about Hope Bible Church? Step 1 is your first step! It's an informal meet-and-greet with some of our pastors, where you'll hear about who we are as a church, and ask any questions you may have.
Step 1 takes place after service. Come meet us at the next one!
Step 2. Learn
Attend Step 2 Class
Before you jump in, we want you to have clarity on who we are as a church. The one-session Step 2 class takes a deeper look into what we believe as a Christian community and seeks to equip you to live out the Christian life here at Hope.
Step 3. Belong
Get Involved with the Church
You thrive as a follower of Jesus when you take steps to serve and belong to a community of believers. After all, this is God's design for your life. If you're calling Hope Simcoe your church home, get involved and become part of what God is doing here.
FAQs
Why do we do Small Groups?
At Hope Bible Church Simcoe our focus is on the quality of discipleship. Therefore, our small groups are our primary vehicle for discipleship.
Being in a small group gives you the opportunity:
- to study God's word and apply it to your life with other believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- to be genuinely cared for in times of crisis (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
- to find authentic accountability for your spiritual growth (Proverbs 18:1)
- to build significant relationships with other believers (John 13:35)
What does a small group look like?
A typical small group meeting consists of worship and prayer, Bible study and discussion, mutual accountability (men with men and women with women) and fellowship. The curriculum is the same for all groups and is previously approved by the Elders. Small group meetings are approximately two hours in length and are usually held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
When and where do groups meet?
These groups meet weekly, three to four times per month, in host couples' homes in various locations around Simcoe and the surrounding region. Our hope is to place you in a group on a weeknight that works for you and is in close geographic proximity to where you live.
Do you have groups specific to my age and/or circumstances? i.e. single; single parents; newlyweds etc.
All of our small groups are cross-generational, a balance of male and female, married and singles. We believe this closely resembles the early church in Acts. Our topics of study are aimed at sanctification and growing disciples where we are all on the same journey. The particular struggles indicative of our age groups are opportunities for the body of Christ to come around us to support us and encourage us in our pursuit of Christ-likeness. You can expect to find people within your group to whom you can relate and fellowship with in addition to the weekly meetings.
Do I have to be a member of the church to get into a small group?
Church membership is not required to be a part of a small group, however to apply for church membership, identification with a small group is necessary.
Is there a choice of study topics in small group?
The Elders of the church approve an annual curriculum outline and all groups study this material at the same time throughout the year. We have found this to be the best way, not only to ensure the protection of our doctrine, but also to promote unity in the larger church body. This also facilitates the exceptional times when people are relocated to another group.
Can I bring my child to small group?
We kindly discourage the attendance of children to our groups, not only because of the distraction for the participants but largely because of the distraction for the parents.
How can I apply to lead a small group?
Potential small group leaders are identified by the present leadership in the church because of their humility, faithfulness, availability and teachability. No application is necessary. We believe God will call you to ministry by bringing your giftedness to the attention of others. Once identified you would be invited to leadership training and then spend a reasonable period apprenticing under a small group leader. It frequently takes over a year to train a new small group leader.
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