Small Group FAQ
What is a small group?
A small group is a gathering of people (typically 5-12 people) who meet together regularly for fellowship and discipleship. Some of our groups are typical Bible studies or book study groups. Others are focused on outreach and missions. Our interest-based groups create environments for people to do life together within the context of shared activities—fantasy baseball, sports, arts, etc. All of our groups exist to help people connect to God and connect to others.
Where do I start?
We encourage every NCCer to begin their journey with Alpha.
What is the Discipleship Map?
The Discipleship Map lists our core discipleship experiences. These are the groups, retreats, and classes that we believe every NCCer should participate in at some point during their time at NCC. It is built around four dimensions of discipleship that we see in Acts 2:41-47: Seeker (the spiritual dimension), Learner (the intellectual dimension), Influencer (the relational dimension), and Investor (the stewardship dimension).
We encourage every NCCer to begin with Alpha. Next is the outpost island Journey, an 8-week small group that introduces the four dimensions of discipleship.
From there, you are invited to explore the other islands. Each island contains a “port city” as a recommended starting point, but you can visit any spot on the map whenever you want. It is not linear, does not have an endpoint, and is flexible to meet your individual needs.
What is Be One, Make One, For One?
That's our vision for small groups at NCC.
- Be One: a disciple.
- Make One: a disciple.
- For One: Christ and his glory.
Check out this article on Zone Gathering to learn more.
Why do your groups meet in semesters?
Between the large number of students and the typical flow of Congressional activity, DC tends to operate on a semester-like system. In order to harness the natural momentum created by the ebbs and flows of DC life, we experimented running all of our small groups on a semester system. We found that implementing a semester system is helpful for a number of reasons. One, semester-based groups allow easy entry and exit points; you don’t have to commit to a group for the rest of your life! Two, NCCers are able to move more easily from one group to another as their spiritual needs and interests change. Three, it encourages more involvement by allowing people to experiment with leading a group for a short period of time.
Our semesters are scheduled as follows:
- Spring: February–April
- Summer: June–July
- Fall: September–December
How can I get more information about a group?
Is there a listing of the available groups?
Each semester, we publish a Discipleship Atlas that lists all of the small group and ministry opportunities for that semester. You can download the Discipleship Atlas (PDF, 2.1MB) or pick up a copy at the Connection Centers at our weekend services.
How do I join a group?
There are 3 ways to join a group:
- Complete the subscription card in the magazine and drop it into the offering bucket at a weekend service
- Use the group contact information in the magazine to connect with the small group leader directly, or
- Just show up at the group!
How can I become a small group leader?
Jesus' command to "go make disciples" it a mandate for all believers, and we believe that every NCCer is a potential small group leader. We encourage NCCers to find ways to use their gifts, passions, and interests as vehicles to build disciple-making relationships. The process for becoming an NCC small group leader is as follows:
- Attend Leadership 101 (register by emailing .)
- Complete a small group leader application.
- Sign the NCC Leadership Covenant.
- Complete an interview with a zone leader.