COME
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  Matthew 4:19

BELONG
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13

GROW
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:14-16

The Come, Belong, Grow model that is being unveiled at GBCC is not so much a new concept as it is a new paradigm and an extension of the church’s longstanding values of:

Revelation (We believe Christianity is a revealed faith, based in revelation, which is God's recorded Word, the Bible. We believe the Bible is the authority upon which all life for both the individual Christian and the church, should be based),

Relevance (We believe it is vital to communicate the message of God’s Word through means and methods that connect with the culture of the day. We believe the methods we use are a vital component in the effective giving of “good news” as stated in the Gospel) and

Relationship (We believe that relationships have a deep impact upon and change people. We believe that the Bible, communicated in a straightforward, practical way, will result in shaping positive relationships between people, both inside and outside the church).

As such, Come, Belong, Grow helps define philosophically the vision and values of GBCC, but there’s also a practical element. “Come, Belong, Grow” will help all of us in the church community envision ways GBCC can meet the very diverse needs of all who come to the church for faith, relationship, and relevance, and do so in a cohesive manner consistent with the church’s vision and values.

“The Come, Belong, Grow model basically represents a pathway or a process of what we want people to experience when they walk through our doors,” explains Joan Johnson, Community Life Director.  To illustrate, “Our hope is that people will be comfortable coming here just as they are, with all their doubts, fears, and struggles (Come), feel loved and accepted and know that they have a place here (Belong), and be challenged to develop their relationship with God and other people in the process (Grow).  Ultimately, we want them to experience the kind of life that God has called us to live.  For that to happen, those of us who call GBCC home are challenged to invite, include, and invest in the lives of people around us.  If that isn’t happening, the Come, Belong, Grow model doesn’t work.  We’re excited about working with our volunteer leaders to help create an atmosphere where this is lived out both individually and corporately as a church family.  One of the ways that we plan to help individuals along in their spiritual journeys is through . . . 

Group Life

The Come, Belong, Grow model has application church-wide but has been shaped primarily through the Community Life Team, which Joan leads.  The Community Life Team was created for the purpose of bringing Children’s Ministries, Student Ministries, and Adult Ministries under one guiding umbrella.

Adult Ministries alone is comprised of several sub-ministries, and the Adult Ministries team has recently restructured these ministry areas to be part of what it’s calling “Group Life,” which includes four general categories.

“We have many different ministries within GBCC and for very good reason,” says Joan.  “One size does not fit all. People live their lives in many different ways, and we are all at different stages of our lives, with different sets of life issues. So, there is a need for many different kinds of activities and ministries to meet those varying interests.  For example, Interest Groups focus around recreation and leisure activities such as volleyball and ballroom dance, the arts (music, drama, etc), or age-specific groups such as Pulse and JOY. Care Groups are for support (DivorceCare, GriefShare and 12 Steps, for example) and help (ushers, greeters, and missions, among others). Discovery Groups are for gaining Biblical knowledge and life skills (Men’s & Women’s Ministry Bible Studies, pre-marital classes, financial instruction, etc.)  Life Groups (formerly Small Groups) usually meet in homes and are in many ways an extension of the first three groups, with a focus on doing life together – caring for one another and discovering Biblical truth in authentic community.   “While each meets a different set of needs, all must work together for a common purpose,” says Joan.  “We’re bringing all of the Adult Ministries under the banner of Group Life and encouraging everyone to be a part of church life through participation in a group.  We like to say that Group Life makes a large church seem small.”