Growth Groups are groups of 8-16 people who meet weekly at various homes and on various evenings in Palm City, Stuart, and Port Saint Lucie.

Growth Groups involve refreshments, fellowship, prayer and interactive discussion based on the previous Sunday’s message. The discussion questions are distributed in each week’s bulletin. The audio sermon, discussion questions and notes are also available on the resources page of the website for those who may have missed the Sunday service.

Growth Group Days And Locations:

Port Saint Lucie Growth Group: This group is led by David and Robin Becker and meets Wednesdays at 7pm in the Sarver’s Port Saint Lucie Home (1031 SW Estaugh Ave, Port Saint Lucie, 34953.)


Palm City Growth Group: This group is led by Bill Trinkle and K.C. Tatje and meets Wednesdays at 7pm in the Trinkle’s Palm City Home (2504 SW Horseshoe Trail, Palm City, 34990, Less Than 5 Minutes From The Church.)



South Stuart Growth Group: This group is led by Ken Tatje and Norm Kalie and meets Thursdays at 7pm in the Tatje’s South Stuart Home (1737 SW Buckskin Trail, Stuart, 34997.)



Growth Group Benefits:


1. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion, and hear others share insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp.


2. In a small group setting you can better participate in God's plan for Christian care and discipleship. The Book of Acts is very clear that God intends for His people to grow and have their needs met through all the members of the church. Small groups provide opportunities for everyone to participate in the disciple-making process.


3. In a small group setting you can better develop meaningful relationships with others who care for you.


4. In a small group setting you will receive prayerful support.


5. In a small group setting you will have the support you need in times of crisis, loss, and life change.


6. In a small group setting you will have a great opportunity to invite unchurched friends, co-workers, and neighbors.




Why We Use A Small Group Format For Our Mid-week Gathering:


We believe that small groups help us fulfill our mission of making growing, healthy disciples in the following ways:


1. Small groups provide a format that helps people to personally assimilate biblical knowledge/truth.


Assimilation means to think though biblical truths and apply them to life, instead of just learning truth.

Don’t confuse the quantity of teaching or the quality of biblical teaching with actual assimilation and application of the truths of the Bible. We can have many, well prepared Bible studies that people attend without actually assimilating much biblical truth.


2. Small groups provide a format or platform in which average people have real opportunities to minister to one another in various ways, including through spiritual gifts and prayer.

Currently it is common for people to believe the “Holy Man” and “Holy Place” myths, in which ministry is primarily done by special gifted people in sacred places.

The New Testament is filled with exhortations for all Christians to minister to “one another.” We are told to exhort one another, help one another, instruct one another, serve one another, carry each other’s burdens, rescue one another from false teachings/beliefs, counsel one another, encourage one another, build up one another, spur one another on in the Christian life, pray for one another, and so forth.


3. Small groups are structured in a way that helps foster deep, intimate Christian relationships/friendships that go far beyond cordial greetings on Sunday mornings.

The Bible says that the whole church is a body in which we care for, know, and help one another. This requires the kind of closeness and transparency that is difficult to achieve in a large gathering format.

Relationships are vital to spiritual growth. If biblical knowledge alone was sufficient, then studying at seminary or studying a book on systematic theology would produce mature Christians.

Fostering Christian relationships must be treated as seriously as fostering biblical knowledge.


4. Successfully discipling people is a long-term process (years.) Small groups provide a format that lessens people’s anonymity and likelihood of leaving the church after a relatively short time.

In other words, we need to close the “back door” of the church in which people come for a time, never connect to other people on a deep level, and then silently disappear without being discipled.


5. Small groups provide a format that naturally leads to “Christian care” for one another instead of relying upon “pastoral care.”

“Christian care” refers to checking on people in regards to attendance, illness, spiritual struggles, etc.

The Bible gives this responsibility to all Christians, not just pastors, staff people, or a few diligent Christians.