A Life Group is a group that typically meets weekly (some less often) to connect, study the Scriptures and support one another. Some of them are life-stage specific (i.e. singles, empty-nesters, etc) while others are mixed. They last from 10-12 weeks.

Most Life Groups meet on various nights of the week in homes throughout the Manhattan area. Others meet at the church on Sunday mornings. There are also men's and women's Life Groups that meet at other times of the week. Alpha meets on Tuesday nights. The fall semester runs from September to early December, the winter semester runs from late January to April, and the summer semester runs from June to July.

Groups that meet in homes typically consist of about 8-15 people while our Sunday morning Life Groups, Alpha and the Pastorate are a bit bigger (15-30). The size of men's and women's groups vary in size.

Many of the Life Groups are what we call sermon based groups. For these groups, a study guide is prepared for everyone based on the previous week's Sunday sermon. These studies seek to foster a discussion about how to live out the sermon in everyday life. Some other groups are book-based, topic-based or special interest-based studies. Alpha focuses on "Christianity 101" kinds of topics.

At Faith, we believe that connecting in authentic community with one another is vital for our spiritual lives. Life Groups are the primary way we seek to facilitate this connection. They are the place where much of the life-on-life ministry of the church takes place as we study God's Word and share our lives with one another. Our desire is that 100% of our youth and adults would be involved in a Life Group.

Joining a Life Group requires a commitment to attend each meeting during the semester (of course there are times when a person has to miss) as well as to do any appropriate preparation ahead of time. During the first meeting many of the groups will complete a "covenant" together where a group is able to talk about the goals and details of the group and then agree together on what the group is going for. At the end of each semester you have the choice of recommitting for another semester (if the group is continuing), trying a new group, or taking a break from a group for awhile. We have found that the more seriously you take your commitment to your group the more you will get out of it. So, we strongly encourage all group members to make their groups a high priority in their lives.

Alpha is a unique Life Group in that it is a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It is for the those who are exploring Christianity, for new believers in Jesus, or for those who are looking to be reenergized in their spiritual lives. If you have a friend who is exploring Christianity, we would encourage you to consider inviting him or her to Alpha and then joining him or her in attending.

Childcare is provided for Sunday morning Life Groups, women's morning Life Groups, as well as for Alpha. For all of the other Life Groups childcare is case by case. Check with your Life Group leader for specific information.

Some people pick a Life Group based on a desire to be with people in their same life situation (i.e. young career, married with kids, etc.) while others are drawn to specific topics. Some choose a group based on a time that works well for them. If you have any questions - especially if you are new to Faith EFC - please don't hesitate to call the church office and we will gladly assist you. Keep in mind that it might take a couple of tries before you find a good fit in a Life Group.

Once you have carefully reviewed the list of group options you can either register your interest in joining a specific group on the Connections Card on Sunday mornings or on our website. We would ask that you would indicate your top two choices in case your first choice is already full. If a group you select still has openings, the group leader will contact you about the first meeting. If, however, your choices are full, the Life Group ministry will contact you about other group opportunities. Please contact Brian Anderson (brian@faithmanhattan.org) if you have any questions. He will be glad to answer any questions you might have and assist you in finding the right group for you.

Equipping groups are focused on training in important areas of the Christian life and service. They tend to be of shorter duration than a typical Life Group. Usually, we encourage people to participate in only one Life Group at a time, however, if at all possible, if you sign up for an equipping group, we would also encourage you to join one of the more general Life Groups.