Yes! But it might not be your very best first step if you’re brand new. For those newer either to faith or our church, we recommend Essentials as a “start here” environment to get to know some people and get the basics of following Jesus in this community. You can explore our discipleship pathway to consider other recommended steps. Life Groups are not designed for finding lifelong friends, but for bringing us into vulnerable relationships with other people trying to follow Jesus together. They aren’t hard to join and the commitment isn’t long, so they are a good way to meet people. Just know that if all you want is chemistry and easy affinity with peers, that isn’t the ultimate goal of life groups.

Come as you are! You don’t need to be a bible scholar or a pastor. You don’t need to have your personal habits all in order and be free of sin in your life. You don’t need a certain personality type. You don’t need to have a particular financial or marital status. What you need is the resolve to show up—show up consistently, authentically, and humbly. So if you’re newer, can’t find Obadiah in your bible, don’t feel comfortable praying in front of people, are navigating difficult situations in life, or whatever else, come as you are.

Life Groups run on semester cycles, or about 10-12 weeks each fall and spring. Some groups continue to meet over the summer, and stay together semester after semester– it takes time to build trust and see the fruit of sharing a common life. But every semester there are easy on and off ramps. Groups meet weekly in most cases. Group members are invited to contribute in a variety of ways, depending on their comfort level, gifting, availability, etc: bringing food, praying out loud, reading a bible passage, sharing their perspectives, questions, and experiences during discussion, cleaning up after a meal, chipping in for childcare if sharing a babysitter, or other ways of contributing to the group. Most importantly, you’re committing to relating rightly with people and seeking your own and others’ formation through the group.

Start with filling out the interest form HERE. Someone from our staff will follow up promptly to discuss which groups have availability that fits your schedule and desires. Groups typically have onramps for new members in September and January.

Most Life Groups meet weekly for two to two-and-a-half hours. There are onramps to joining and leaving groups each fall and spring, so that each group commitment is about 10 weeks (though most groups meet multiple semesters as the community deepens through the power of staying with one another).

Check out the seasonal options HERE to see other communities, studies, and classes that may be available.

Trained leaders whom the pastoral staff at Cherry Hills have asked to lead. No leader is perfect or has all the necessary gifts and experience. God shows up in our weakness and reminds us of our dependence on Him (2 Cor. 12:9–10). But leading is a responsibility entrusted to people of character and wisdom who see the vision for learning the way of love with others. At the same time, we want Life Groups to be communities where everyone uses their gifts and contributes. There is not one producer among several other consumers of community, but everyone is a co-creator of the community and participant in the common life.