What is Christ Care?
Jesus gathered together 12 ordinary people and modeled a ministry of care. His ministry was one of teaching, healing, forgiving, feeding, restoring, loving, seeking, mending, encouraging, calling, blessing, sending, praying, worshiping, living, believing, dying, rising.

All of these things, the activities of Jesus ministry, are also the ministry activities that Jesus has given to Christians throughout the ages. Today, too, followers of Jesus Christ are commissioned by Him to be in ministry to others.

One of the ways that friends of Linn Presbyterian Church have available to be involved in caring ministry is through the Christ Care Small Group Ministry. Participants in Christ Care small groups, usually 12 or less in number, get together on a regular basis to live out the great command of Jesus, to love one another, and the great commission, to make disciples of all nations. Christ Care Small Group participants are modern day disciples, ordinary people, followers of Jesus Christ.

What do Christ Care Small Groups do? Christ Care groups spend their time in 4 main activity areas.

1. Community building and care. Members and friends have discovered the joy of caring friendships in small groups. Christ Care gatherings are friends getting together usually twice a month for about an hour and a half sharing life experiences, the joys and sorrows of everyday living. Christ Care gatherings are a time for conversation, laughter, tears, and encouragement.
2. Biblical Equipping. Equipping is an interesting word. It means making something fit for the role for which it is designed and intended. Through Biblical Equipping, the Christ Care participant is transformed by the Holy Spirit and made fit for life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
3. Prayer and Worship. The 12 people closest to Jesus asked Him, "Lord teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1). Christ Care small groups encourage and practice prayer as an essential component of Christian life in community with other believers. Christ Care groups worship and praise God through prayer bringing cares and concerns before the living God, who has promised to hear.
4. Mission Service. Christ Care groups reach out to people outside of the group providing care, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Christ Care groups respond to the love shown by Jesus, the undeserved kindness demonstrated by the sacrifice of his own life for the life of the world. Christ Care groups give participants the opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ to others.

Christ Care small groups are places where spiritual growth occurs. All activities of Christ Care groups are Christ-centered. Biblical Equipping is a comfortable way to study God’s Word among friends and to discuss what it means for us today! Application of Biblical truths to everyday life makes Bible study come alive!