FAQs

We have 3 types of groups at Rush Creek: Care Groups, D-Groups, and Small Groups

Care Group help people find freedom. All of our Care Groups operate from a prescribed curriculum around a felt need and varies in length. At Rush Creek we provide Divorce Care, Divorce Care for Kids, Shiloh, Embrace Grace, Grief Share, and Re:Generation.

D-Groups are focused on raising up and sending out forerunners. Each group is led by a leader, follows a curriculum plan, and works towards multiplying within 1-2 years.

Small Groups are a group of people committed to following Christ in biblical community.

At Rush Creek we provide our small groups a curriculum catalog to help guide their curriculum choices. Our curriculum catalog includes Bible-based options, Bible-only options, and suggested group activities and experiences.

Our care groups use content owned by third party organizations which is licensed. This license prohibits Rush Creek from altering the content.

A person may join a Rush Creek group at anytime during the year (although during the summer groups typically practice a relaxed meeting schedule). On Sundays, at every Rush Creek campus, Groups pastors or a volunteer is stationed at a Groups table in the lobby to answer questions about groups and help connect group seekers. Additionally, at least twice per year all Rush Creek campuses will provide a corporate way to join a group but each campus at Rush Creek may provide a different method to join a group. For example, one campus might offer opportunities to meet leaders on a Sunday morning while another campus might provide a connection event in the evening with food and worship. A person can also join a group at any time by emailing the Groups Team at groups@rushcreek.org.

Groups at Rush Creek are open to guests at any time. However, there may be instances where groups can no longer allow guests due to size, in which case they would be in the process of birthing a new group. Another reason a group may be closed to guests would be due to the nature of the group during that particular season. For example, if a group member recently experienced a medical emergency or sudden death of a loved one then that group might close for a season until the emergency subsides.

Each group at Rush Creek is full of people who are at different places on their spiritual journey. We gather as groups on a regular basis because we believe that we can go further faster in our spiritual journey if we’re together rather than on our own. Everyone has a voice in a Rush Creek group. None of us are there yet, but together we’re on our way.

Typically most groups remain together for 18-24 months. While some groups meet for longer periods, we have found this timeframe to be the average.

At Rush Creek the size of the group depends on the group. Some groups can experience healthy biblical community with up to 20 people while others seem to thrive with a little as 3 people. The size of the group is not the focus, but how healthy is biblical community within the group.

We strongly encourage groups to meet once per week. Meeting once per week allows relationships to be cultivated which builds community and allows accountability for spiritual progress to be maximized. However, the group must decide what consistent meeting schedule is best for them.

Many groups at Rush Creek do meet throughout the summer. However guests should expect the format to be more relaxed than during the school year. In addition, there are some groups that do not meet at all during the summer due to vacation schedules. It’s always best to check with the group leader prior to visiting the group.

We would love to discuss your interest in group leadership! Simply let us know which campus you attend along with your contact information via email at groups@rushcreek.org and your campus Groups Pastor will contact you within a week.

As a group, you can decide how to approach this. However, it does need to be the group’s responsibility to agree on their child care arrangements. The church does provide childcare for small groups on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. You can rsvp your child for your next small group meeting here.

There are numerous options for service on Sundays. A couple of options are:

Serve. Find a ministry to get involved in such as students, children, pre-school, worship team, greeters, ushers, parking lot, media etc.

As a group, you may want to make this a time of ministry and service. Such as two times a month your group might serve as ushers or greeters. To facilitate this process please contact your campus Connections Pastor.

Click here to view a list of groups that are available at Rush Creek. While they are diverse, they all seek to provide an environment to become more like Jesus in the context of community. Please note that it may be the case that not every type of group is available at all times.

We feel that groups develop genuine relationships in the atmosphere of the home or some other environment outside of the church walls.

We want people to feel welcome in a group no matter the level of understanding a person may have of God or the Bible. It is our desire that your experience in a group would enhance your understanding of both.

You may be involved as much or as little as desired. Our hope, over time, is that you will feel comfortable joining in discussions and sharing your experiences.

We give small group leaders a lot of flexibility in how they lead their meetings; however we ask our leaders to incorporate these elements regularly; eating together, casual conversation, Bible study, and prayer.

We recommend that meetings last no longer than 2 ½ hours. However the average group meeting lasts 90-120 minutes.