Welcome! We are so glad you are exploring our connect groups at Harmony Baptist. Our hope is to create biblical disciples in relational environments. We would love to help nurture your relationship with God by engaging with others around God’s Word.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2.46-47
A connect group at Harmony Baptist is a gathering of people who seek to help each other become more like Christ. They do this by sharing God’s Word and opening their lives to one another. Groups typically meet once a week in homes, coffee shops, and restaurants all over the Waynesville, St. Robert, and Fort Leonard Wood area. Some of our groups also meet on our campus.
Please take a look at the list below to find a group that interests you.
4:00 pm Sunday – Youth Group
This group targets 6th -12th grade students. They meet at the Harmony Baptist Church campus in an area that caters specifically to their needs. Youth group consists of a time of fellowship followed by a practical study that will equip your teen to deal with the challenges associated with growing up in today’s turbulent world.
(POC is Erik Rees)
6:00 pm Tuesday – Connect Group
This group is designed for adults. They meet at the HBC campus. The evening includes a potluck meal, authentic Christian fellowship, and a study that will challenge you to grow deeper in your faith.
(POC is Kurt Zortman)
9:30 am Sunday Morning- Connect Group 1
This connect group is designed for adults and meets before our worship gathering on Sunday mornings. Traditionally, this time is defined as Sunday school, but we view our Sunday morning teaching time as another opportunity to connect. This group typically follows curriculum from LifeWay.
(POC Glenn Coffelt)
9:30 am Sunday Morning- Connect Group 2
This connect group is designed for adults and meets before our worship gathering on Sunday mornings. This group is more typical of a connect group that meets in the evening time as the participants share a meal together and then dive into God’s Word.
(POC Clint Conner)
Life Transformation Groups (LTGs)- Various
Our LTG ministry is designed to help the believer become closer to Christ through authentic accountability. These are groups divided by gender tackling the deep issues of what it means to walk with the Lord. The shape and method of each group is different, but the mission is the same: lead believers into a closer walk with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of the members of the group. If you are interested in becoming part of an LTG, contact our men’s ministry leader, Levi Pauley, or our women’s ministry leader, Jen Pauley.
(POC Levi Pauley or Jen Pauley)
(If you would like to learn more about our small groups please visit the welcome center on Sunday mornings or call the church.)
Connect Group Values
There are four elements essential to a healthy connect group:
Community
We were made to have a relationship with God and with others in the hopes of becoming more like Christ (Colossians 3.12-17). While we can’t be deeply connected to everyone, we can be deeply connected to some. When we are open to share, pray, and care for one another, our relationships deepen and we help each other grow (Hebrews 10.24).
Growth
God calls every follower of Jesus to mature in their faith (Ephesians 4.1-3), and we believe this growth happens best when small groups of believers gather and connect with one another to grow in Christlikeness. When people invest in your life and you invest in theirs, growth happens (Ephesians 4.16). Connect groups are designed to help you grow closer to Christ while also growing closer to the rest of the body.
Disciplines
In our quest to grow in Christlikeness, there are certain disciplines (practices) that can help us. Disciplines such as prayer, the study of Scripture, confession, service, and many others can serve as a springboard forward in our spiritual maturity. However, these disciplines are best modeled in community where they can take deeper root in our personal lives. Connect groups are the fertile ground where these disciplines can begin to take root in an environment of compassionate nurturing and authentic accountability.
Compassion
We believe the church is called to serve the poor, the forgotten, and the dispossessed (Isaiah 1.17; Matthew 25.31-46). When connect groups act in compassionate ways in their local communities and around the world, they become expressions of the love of God. These hands extended in compassion toward others are an outflow of community and growth in Christ.
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