In his final address to the disciples Jesus spoke the following words: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

The Bible teaches that God is one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This means that God is a profoundly communal Being who lives in relational unity.

Out of the overflow of this infinitely deep unity, God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on flesh and demonstrated his love for us by taking on the form of a servant and being obedient to God the Father all the way to death on a cross. He was then raised from death by God the Father so that the sins of all who believe in him would be forgiven forever, allowing them to enter into the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Accordingly, Jesus commanded all who believe in him to love one another in the way that he loved them. In other words, he commanded them to love with a self-sacrificial love. His desire is that through this kind of love we would be one, even as the Father and he are one (John 17:22). His desire is that we would experience the depth of relational unity that is the heart of the Being of God.

This relational vision is central to the gospel, and to everyday life in Christ. It is not a peripheral part of what it means to walk with Christ, and therefore believers must put a premium on “doing life” with one another. This is why the Bible issues commandments such as this: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

One of the implications of this passage is that there must be a structure to our love. We must meet together on a regular basis, and not just on Sunday mornings. Our Lord’s vision of life is much more robust than that because self-sacrificial love is not an occasional activity but a way of life.

And as we enter into that way of life over a long period of time, the Lord has promised that the world will look on and know for sure that we are his disciples. It is the self-sacrificial love of the body for the body that makes the invisible love of Christ visible to the world, and this kind of love is so attractive because it’s so rare.

In his high priestly prayer Jesus said, “As you [God the Father] sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). This means that the heart of Jesus is to send us from an overflow of love, even as the Father sent him out of an overflow of love. Thus, the heart of the mission of the church in the world is to glow with the self-sacrificial love of Christ as we cling to him and lay down our lives for one another.

“Doing life” with one another is not an optional part of walking with Christ but rather is at the center of what it means to be a Christian.

How Community Groups Work

On the basis of this vision for community life, the Elders of Glory of Christ have decided to organize the church into “Community Groups.” These groups share several traits with traditional small groups but also look outside themselves to see to the needs of church members and attenders in their area and to reach out to those who don’t know Jesus Christ.

More specifically, each community group is required to do five things:

1. Each community group must integrate the Word of God into their life together. They are free to decide what to study, but the Word must be central to that study.
2. Each community group must pray with one another for their own needs, the needs of the church, and the cause of the gospel in the world.
3. Each community group must worship in song with one another. We know not everyone likes to sing in small group settings but there is great power and joy in lifting our voices in praise to God and therefore we want to learn to do so.
4. Each community group must reach out and care for the church members and attenders in their geographic area, even if some cannot attend the group. Our desire is not to be a nuisance but to ensure that not one of us is forgotten.
5. Each community group must reach out in some way to those who don’t know Jesus Christ.

Our Community Groups

Currently we have four Community Groups:

• Elk River West: This group meets near the intersection of Highway 10 and Proctor Avenue. It serves the families of west Elk River, east Otsego, Big Lake and beyond and is led by Pastor Charlie & Kim Handren.
• Elk River East: This group meets near the intersection of Highway 169 and 193 Avenue NW. It serves the families of east Elk River, Ramsey, and beyond and is led by Dave & Susan Fergus.
• Zimmerman: This group meets near the intersection of Highway 169 and 245th Avenue NW. It serves the families of Zimmer-man, Princeton, and surrounding areas, and is led by John & Peg Anderson.
• Rogers: This group meets near the intersection of Highway 101 and 141st Avenue N. It serves the families of Rogers, St. Michael, Albertville, Monticello, and Maple Grove and is led by Mike & Cheryl Perry.

For more information see our Community page. If you have any questions about Community Groups, please feel free to contact our Pastor for Community Life, Mike Perry, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .