Gospel Communities are the primary way that we live out our values from Monday to Saturday. Heritage Baptist Church is a gospel-centered community of worshippers on mission. To that end, our Gospel Communities are cross-centered, neighborhood-focused, families. We gather together as a citywide body on Sunday mornings, but we live the rest of life together scattered throughout different neighborhoods in Gospel Communities the rest of the week. Simply put, Gospel Communities are an extension of Heritage Baptist Church in your neighborhood from Monday to Saturday.
WHAT DO GOSPEL COMMUNITIES DO?
Gospel Communities serve three main purposes:
Mature disciples. If you’re seeking to grow in your faith and love for the Lord and your understanding of the Bible then you should join a Gospel Community. This is our primary vehicle for regular discipleship.
Make Disciples. If you’re interested in serving in ministry then you should join a Gospel Community. Every GC is a community that exists not for itself, but for its neighborhood. In a Gospel Community, Christians partner together to love people and share the gospel in creative and appropriate ways in the neighborhoods where they live. The long-term vision of each community is that God would use them to lead more people to Christ in their neighborhoods and that new groups would be planted in all areas of the city.
Train leaders. If you’re interested in learning how to teach others about Jesus and one day lead your own community then you should join a Gospel Community. This is an informal training ground for developing new leaders. The formal training of new leaders consists in a quarterly leadership class that meets to learn what a GC is and how it should be led.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Every Gospel Community has a few things in common. They each have recognized and trained leadership; people who are trying to follow Jesus; and a group of people that they’re focused on serving and reaching. When you sign up for more information you will be contacted by a leader who will tell you more about what their particular community does. They will invite you to attend one of their next gatherings.
Sometimes communities gather in homes to share a meal and discuss Sunday’s sermon. Sometimes they meet at a location in someone's home to serve and socialize with neighbors. Even though every community shares some common elements, each community is unique because each community is located in a different neighborhood, led by a different person, and trying to reach a unique demographic.
To be part of a Gospel Community, please fill out this form.