God designed us to thrive in community
Moreover, the Bible says Christian maturity happens through relationships within the community of believers (Ephesians 4:14-16). Yet, never has it been more difficult for us to sustain a close-knit community. While livestreaming church services has its benefits, it cannot replace the role of interpersonal relationships with other believers. Even worship services on Sunday mornings typically do not provide the time or setting needed to develop anything more than acquaintances.
INTRODUCING R12
“R12” (short for Romans 12) is an FFC program designed to foster Christian community.
Those who participate in R12 will:
> Strengthen their bonds within our church by deepening friendships,
> Make new friends with those whom they might not otherwise interact, and
> Make our church feel smaller and warmer.
Those who participate in R12 will:
> Strengthen their bonds within our church by deepening friendships,
> Make new friends with those whom they might not otherwise interact, and
> Make our church feel smaller and warmer.
How r12 works
An R12 group consists of six to eight adults—or approximately three or four families—who meet in each household once a month for a simple meal.
SIGN UP FOR R12All you need to do is tell us if you're interested and will commit to an R12 Group for the next four months. We put R12 Groups together randomly every four months.
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PLAN YOUR DATESOnce R12 Groups are announced, your group will decide its own four monthly dates and times that work for everyone (e.g., each R12 Group plans a meeting date in January, February, March and April).
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HOST A MEALEach household takes a turn to host a meal and sets the menu "in the style of the house." The host usually provides the main course, while the other participants chip in to provide the rest of the meal.
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no long-term COMMITMENT
After four months, the R12 Group ends, and you can opt out of being randomly assigned to a new R12 group for the next four months. If you opt out, you always have the option to rejoin R12 in a future four-month cycle.
Why Romans 12?
In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul unfolds what people who are transformed by God’s grace, living in Christian community, looks like. He paints a picture of a gracious, family-like nature to Christian community. It starts with not thinking too highly of yourself, but instead thinking highly of Christ. In other words, Christ gave all of himself to prove our worth, and so we now can have peace knowing that there is nothing more we need to prove about ourselves.
On the other hand, division, factions and quarrels happen in communities where people feel an overriding need to prove themselves. This leads to comparisons, competition, criticism and coveting (see James 4). In Romans 12, Paul says that a renewed mind liberates believers to look away from themselves and focus on others in a radical way to become a community that, among other things:
R12 seeks to foster this kind of humble community that God wants for us—the kind that helps us flourish and grow in maturity as Christians.
On the other hand, division, factions and quarrels happen in communities where people feel an overriding need to prove themselves. This leads to comparisons, competition, criticism and coveting (see James 4). In Romans 12, Paul says that a renewed mind liberates believers to look away from themselves and focus on others in a radical way to become a community that, among other things:
- genuinely loves each other
- delights in honoring one another
- enthusiastically uses their gifts to serve each other
- feels real empathy for others
- gladly opens their homes to outsiders
- seeks to live in harmony with each other
R12 seeks to foster this kind of humble community that God wants for us—the kind that helps us flourish and grow in maturity as Christians.
In this video, Elder Andy Fluet explains the connection between Romans 12, where the Apostle Paul unfolds what living in Christian community should look like for people transformed by God's grace, and how it inspired the idea behind R12 Community Groups.
