Community Life FAQ's


1) What is a Belmont Community Group?
A Belmont Community Group is a group of eight to twelve adults, and possibly their children, that meet on a regular basis to experience community by journeying together, encouraging one another's growth, supporting each other through life's challenges and celebrations, and serving the Lord in a collective purpose through the collaboration of their gifts.

2) How does one build community?
Building and experiencing community simply means opening your heart, maybe even your home, and welcoming others in a spirit of friendship. The bond between Community Group members, and the objectives of the Community Group, occur rather naturally as people come together in Christian love seeking to grow in the Lord.

3) What is the purpose of Community Groups?
Belmont Community Groups exist to insure that every member is edified, equipped, and engaged in outreach in the context of a small, covenant community. Said in other words, the Community group exists to support one's growth in their relationship with God, one's relationships with others in the group, and one's relationships with the lost.

4) What is Belmont's vision for Community groups?
We envision a day when every person at Belmont actively participates in a Community group and enjoys the benefits and blessings of community. Presently, approximately 60% of those who attend Belmont belong to a Community group.

5) What do you actually do in a Community group meeting?
Community groups typically meet on a weekly basis. However, there are different types of groups, and each has its own format. In the traditional Family/ Intergenerational group, the weekly meeting provides a time to build community. Most meetings have four basic parts. The first part of the meeting is the Welcome, a time to greet each other and catch up on the week, usually over munchies of some sort. Next is generally Worship, a brief interlude of singing, praising, and worshipping the Lord. After worship comes the Word portion of community group, which is a time to reflect on the sermon and apply it to your lives. Finally, there is the Works portion of the meeting, a spending time in prayer for the lost, or planning a community group outreach or other special events. The four components, Welcome, Worship, Word, Works, or the 4W's as we call them, serve as a skeleton around which the traditional community group meeting is built.

6) How long is a community group meeting?
Most meetings last 1 ½ to 2 hours. It is not unusual, however, to have to pry people from your house, as they to love to visit after the meeting.

7) When do community groups meet?
There is no appointed time that all community groups gather. The majority of Belmont community groups meet weekly, in the evening. A few meet during the day. It is up to the individual community groups and the availability of their members.

8) Where do they meet?
Most Belmont community groups meet in members' homes, often rotating turns to host on a weekly or monthly basis. Sometimes, though, one house is more suited for the community group. Other times, people choose a public location to meet. This decision, too, is up to each group and its members.

9) What do you do with children?
Belmont desires to see children incorporated into the life of the community group. That may take on various forms. Some community groups share the responsibility among adult members, each taking turns to work with the children. Other community groups pitch in and hire a baby sitter. Often times, the children participate with the meeting. Much depends on the age of the children and how many young people attend your group.

10) Who can come to a community group?
Everyone is welcome. community groups are open to visitors. Feel free to invite your neighbors and coworkers and out-of-town guests.

11) What do I do if I don't connect with the community group I visit?
The same thing you do if you take your car to mechanic and it doesn't get fixed-you find a new mechanic. If you don't connect with one community group, for whatever reason, visit another. Keep visiting until you find a community group that makes you feel at home. We believe God has a place for you to give and to receive. It is important for you to find that place.

12) How do I get invited to a community group?
Don't wait for an invitation. You are always free to invite yourself to any community group you like. If you attend a weekend service, fill out the blue community group Referral card you find in the pew, then place it in the offering plate or drop it at the Welcome Desk in the foyer. In the coming week, someone from our Community Life office will call you with an invitation to visit a community group in your neighborhood. If you'd like to find your own community group, click HERE for a listing of 30 neighborhoods in the Nashville area and the contact information for each community group meeting in those areas.