Fostering Community & Formation at the Mission
Community is a vital part of our discipleship journey together, and our Mission Communities are a key way that we build community at the Mission Cincinnati. Because people are in very different stages of life, we have different kinds of communities to encourage relationships and spiritual growth. The groups roughly fall into the following categories:
Pathways Cohorts - our newcomers/membership cohorts. If you are new, find out more here.
Community Groups - intergenerational groups of men, women, and children who gather for food and prayer. on a monthly basis.
Fellowship Groups - monthly social groups for spending time with each other.
Small Groups - weekly groups of men and women that come together for food, prayer, and discussion of Scripture and Theology.
Bible Studies - weekly groups for men and women to dive more deeply into books of the Bible
Formation Groups - groups of men and women wanting to explore a specific aspect of discipleship & spiritual formation.
Prayer Groups - groups of men and women who gather simply to pray together
We also offer up classes, half-day retreats, and other discipleship & spiritual formation opportunities throughout the year.
Fall 2024 Mission Communities
Monthly Groups - Beginning in September
Cincinnati Community Group – Monthly 3rd Monday, 6:00 PM, Finneytown (Shared meal and prayer. Intergenerational group where men, women, and children are welcome. Led by the Friedkins.)
NKY Community Group – 2nd Saturday, 9:30 AM, Lakeside Park (Shared meal and prayer. Intergenerational group where men, women, and children are welcome. Group may gather on other occasions, as well. Led by the Hills.)
Men’s Fellowship Group – Monthly 2nd Friday, 7:30 PM, location varies (Laid-back social gatherings for men. Led by Lance Weisser and David Nguyen.)
Mom’s Fellowship Group – Monthly 3rd Saturday of the month, 8-10 PM, Bridgetown (Laid-back social gatherings for young moms. Led by Emily Yokajty)
Weekly Groups - Beginning in October and Running Until Thanksgiving
Norwood/Hyde Park Small Group - Tuesdays 7 PM ((Prayer & Discussion on the Current Sermon Series “Storyverse”. Open to men and women. Will Explore Andy Crouch’s Culture-Making”. Led by the Gardners and Loves.)
Mt. Auburn Small Group – Thursday evenings 6:30 PM (Prayer & Discussion on the Current Sermon Series “Storyverse”. Open to men and women. Will Explore Andy Crouch’s Culture-Making”. Led by Albert Gufstafson.)
Women’s Bible Study – Sundays 11:30 AM after worship, Prayer Room (A Study on Hebrews for women in the church. Led by Alisa Snow and Erin Smith. Feel free to bring lunch.)
Men’s Bible Study – Wednesdays 7:30 PM, Church Lounge. (A Bible Study for men in the church. Led by Chris Tatum.)
Morning Prayer Group – TBD Based on People’s Availabilities (A time for men and women to pray the daily office together and intercede for one another. Led by Albert Gufstafson.)
If you are interested in joining one of our mission communities, register below or reach out directly to one of our leaders or to Rev. Kristen at kristen@missioncincinnati.org. Someone will get back to you.
Periodic Groups - Meeting at Different Intervals
Soul Symphony - Saturday, Nov 2, 9-12:30 PM (A morning of community around art, music, story, and the gospel. We’ll enjoy a few lectures and artistic offerings from Housemoot/The Rabbit Room along with a meal and creative and contemplative practices. Led by Jamie Noyd.)
(Note: While most of the groups are continually open, occasionally a group may close if it reaches room capacity, etc.)
Mission Communities
Newcomer Pathways Groups - Meeting Weekly Starting in September
Heartbeat/Anglican 101 - Sundays after church, 9 weeks starting September 22nd, Boardroom (A group for newcomers/those interested in seeking out membership at the church which explores the Mission’s Rule of Life (Belong, Grow, Serve, Go) and the Anglican Tradition.)
Storied - Thursdays starting August 29th, Loveland, 6:30-8:30 PM (A group for those who have already gone through Heartbeat and Anglican 101 where we meet for dinner in a home and discuss the overall Story of the Bible and the Anglican catechism.)
FAQS
Can I attend a Mission Community if I am not a member or regular attender of the Mission?
Absolutely! If you have friends at the Mission and would like to spend more time engaging Scripture and prayer in community, you are certainly welcome to be part of a mission community.
Can I be a part of a Pathways Cohort AND another Mission Community?
If you are new to the Mission, the best place to get connected into the life of the Mission is to join a Pathways Cohort. That said, if Pathways has started for the season and you have missed enrolling, you can certainly join another mission community. Also, if you have bandwidth, you can be part of both a Pathways cohort and one or more mission communities. That said, we recommend you make your Pathways cohort your priority for this season so that you can build into the community found there and get the most out of Pathways.
How long do Mission Communities run?
Some groups, like our fellowship and community groups meet monthly throughout the year. Other groups like our small groups, Bible studies, and prayer groups meet for about 8-10 weeks during our Connect Seasons (Oct-Nov, Feb-May).
Do Mission Communities require commitment?
Yes and no. While you can come to some of the groups sporadically (like men’s, mom’s, and community groups), other groups like the small groups, formation groups, and Bible studies do require a level of commitment in order to grow deeper in community and to engage the content of group sufficiently.
Do Mission Communities require any preparation?
Some groups do and some groups don’t. Generally the community and fellowship small groups do not. Some of the Bible Studies do, and occasionally the small groups do when we engage sermons. If you are in a group that engages the sermons, you can find our sermons here (scroll to the at the bottom of the page to fine the sermon link) and some questions to consider here.