WHAT ARE GOSPEL COMMUNITIES?

Gospel Communities Defined: A Gospel Community (GC) is a group followers of Jesus who take responsibility for one another by living as family for the good of our city.

Imagine a space where people gather to celebrate, eat, watch the game, pray, read the Bible, bear one another’s burdens, and serve our city together. In essence, this is what Gospel Communities at Sojourn are all about.

WHY GOSPEL COMMUNITIES?

We’ve found that if we’re going to faithfully live out our values together, Sunday gatherings aren’t enough. Following Jesus, living as family, and being intentional in our city is a 24/7, 365 journey. Gospel Communities are the primary way this happens. They help us live out what we declare on Sunday. In other words, Gospel Communities at Sojourn create a space for people to...

  • Know Jesus

  • Belong to a family

  • Live on purpose

WHAT IS SUCCESS FOR GOSPEL COMMUNITIES?

Success is true authentic disciple making that results in life change. Disciple making occurs with those in the community of believers and also with those who come to faith. We rejoice in the stories of lives transformed, communities impacted, and people growing closer to the Lord.

WEEKLY GOSPEL COMMUNITY RHYTHMS:

We gather as a Community in members' homes to live out our core values. We share meals, celebrate stories, bear one another's burdens, pray for one another, and send one another out into our everyday norms and networks of life. Every GC has a pattern and rhythm they follow but each one is also unique because not every family unit is the same. The rhythms change as the needs and seasons of the GC change; but each GC is expected to create a plan for growing in the gospel, in the context of family, while living on mission. We strive for our GC’s to be low-control and high-accountability. We want to provide tools for each GC to be missionaries in their context, so each group needs the freedom to adjust to the nuances of their community.

Our Gospel Communities at Sojourn typically has three elements of rhythms:

1) UP: Know God—Identity (Gal. 4:4-6).

  • Reconnecting with Father

  • Restoring Identity as Sons and Daughters

  • Hear and Obey

2) IN: Be Known by restoring our relationship with each other—Family of God (Eph. 2:19).

  • Reconnecting us to each other.

  • Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).

  • Hear and Obey as the Family of God.

3) OUT: Make Known by restoring our relationship with our society—World (2 Cor. 5:17-20).

  • God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

  • Reconciling the world “kosmos” meaning all things we lost in the garden when we sinned.

  • Our role as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Yes, we disciple individuals but we also disciple others in the context of community. One of the best ways to disciple in community is through Gospel Communities using the rhythm of Up, In, and Out. These are the rhythms we see Jesus practicing. In his life on earth, he was in communion with the Father, through pray and Scripture (Up, Gospel Identity), he lived life with others in community and invited people into his Family (In, Gospel Hospitality) and he engaged with those outside the family of God in their domains (Out, Gospel Mission). 

As you begin to live out these rhythms together your GC will begin to experience several things. First, you’ll begin to experience the Gospel. Second, you’ll experience real community with a Family that’s beyond just a Bible study. Third, you’ll experience the presence of God as He dwells among you and you serve on Mission.

HOW DO YOU JOIN A GOSPEL COMMUNITY?

The leadership of Sojourn will help you get paired up with a group that is conducive for you. We currently have Gospel Communities in North Portland (meets on Tuesday evenings), Northeast Portland (meets on Wednesday evenings), and our newest one on the Westside (Tigard-meets on Thursday evenings). If you’d like to take next steps in joining a group simply fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon!