When do Life Groups meet?
Groups can meet any day and time of the week, usually depending on the best time for all the members.

How often do Life Groups meet?
Life Groups meet weekly or biweekly to eat, talk, study and apply God’s Word, pray, and plan how they will serve together.

What do Life Groups do?
Life Groups experience the Abundant Life together with good friends. Even more than that, Life Groups exist not just for the group members, but to serve in our community. Think of it this way. Life Groups are the church in action!

Where do Life Groups meet?
Groups meet just about everywhere! (If someone asks you where your church is, you can say, “all over town”!) Many groups meet in homes, but groups also meet in offices, parks, restaurants, schools, and at the church building.

I don’t know much about the Bible. Is a Life Group right for me?
Yes! A Life Group is the best place to become more familiar with your Bible as you study and apply God’s Word together as a group. A group meeting does NOT involve rote recitation of Bible facts! Instead, you will be looking into God’s Word together, discussing the implications, and applying it’s lessons to your life.

What do Life Groups study?
Most new groups start with an introductory study of the Book of Acts called “Launch Into Life.” We’ve prepared these materials to help your group get off to a healthy, strong start and to guide you in building a plan for your group’s future together.

Mainly, we want Life Groups to study and apply God's Word--the more direct, the better! Groups study Bible books, topical studies, life-stage topics, and the Message Application Page (MAP), based on the previous week’s sermon message. Each Life Group decides what they want to study to help them grow together in their relationships with God. The Connect Ministry of Northeast is here to help the Group Leader & Core Team decide.

What’s the difference between a “Life Group” and a small group?
Life Groups are one specific type of small group at Northeast. Life Groups are holistic--they connect with one another in community, study and appy God's Word together, pray together, and serve others outside their group. We also have Study Groups, Serving Groups, and Conneciton Groups at Northeast. Each of these groups focus specifically on what their names imply.

How do I find a Life Group?
You can choose a group based on your age, interests, or life stage; by where you live, work, serve, or play. Information is available at the Connect Booth in the Foyer. You can also contact Rosemarie at rosemarie.arsenault@necchurch.org.

Northeast members are starting new Life Groups all the time! Starting a new group is not difficult. The Connect Ministry provides great training, support, and resources. Life Group Leaders are average, ordinary Christians who God uses to do extraordinary things! Click here for information on building and launching your Life Group! Or contact Mike Mack at 212-5241 or mike.mack@necchurch.org for more information.

What about child care?
This may be the most frequently asked question in Life Groups. The main thing to consider is that you have lots of options and it is important to communicate openly as a group about what option works best for you. Things to consider and discuss involve group members’ expectations, ages of kids, temperaments of kids, and layout of meeting places. Options include:

•    Family Group. The group is intergenerational, meaning the kids are involved—at least to some degree—in the meetings. The kids are not looked at as an interruption. They are part of the group!

•    Controlled Chaos. The kids have things to do together with other kids (perhaps some older kids help by playing with the younger ones). Children are allowed to come and go, within reason, during the meeting. Because we’re a group of families, we don’t see our kids as an interruption. It’s just part of life in a Life Group!

•    In-Group Child Care. Someone in the group watches, interacts and plays with, or teaches the kids while the group meets. This might be a parent (perhaps on a rotating basis), a middle school, high school, or college-aged student, or a grandparent.

•    Paid Child Care. The group pays someone (a high school student from church, for instance) to watch the children while the group meets. Treat this person like a part of the group (for instance, make him or her part of the fellowship time) and pay her well!

•    Individual Child Care. Group members provide for their own child care.

•    Meet at Church. This is a last resort. But some groups can meet at the church building (which is not the best place for most groups to meet!) during times when the PromiseTowne Ministry is providing child care. You must pay for this child care, based on PromiseTowne’s rates.

A couple other important notes:
•    Child care issues are part of your Life Group Master Plan (agreement or covenant). Use it to discuss this subject and build a plan for your group.

•    Do not allow child care to be a reason why someone does not come to a Life Group. We have plenty of groups who use different options.

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