… as Christ’s Disciples
… the context in which we most naturally
grow and express our faith as believers
in Jesus Christ.
… a loving, biblically-grounded community
of faith is a safe nest for the nurture
and development of young Christians and
emerging leaders.
…
…
…
…
…
a multi-national congregation.
a multi-cultural congregation.
a multi-generational congregation.
a scattered church geographically.
a local church with a high mobility
and transience.
 People come and go frequently.
 People stay for just a short time.
 We
have to work harder at building
community.
 We must be more intentional.
 The payoff is that… when we overcome
these challenges…, it will be very clear
that God is our God!
 We
easily become isolated.
 We may become lonely.
 We can become fearful.
 We may become easy targets for temptation.
 Our perspective may lack balance and
become dangerously skewed.
“Alone I have seen many wonderful things,
none of which are true!”
- African proverb
 We
can become suspicious.
 We need to have others speak into our lives…
to be challenged
 about the way we think.
 about the way we live.
 about the way we work.
 From time to time we need to hear warnings,
corrections and rebukes.
 Often, when we gather as groups, the Lord
speaks truth to us that we all need to hear.
“There are certain people… who enable
us to be as we have never been before.”
- Edward Farrell
 Who coaches you?
 Who stretches your mind?
 Who listens to and encourages your dreams?
 Who will protect you?
 Who are those who share your tears?
 Who rebukes you?
 Who plays with you?
 Who is it that seeks after God with you?
What does God’s Word say
about why we should choose to
live life together?
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father, just
as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe that you have
sent me. I have given them the glory that you
gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I
in them and you in me—so that they may be
brought to complete unity. Then the world will
know that you sent me and have loved them even
as you have loved me.”
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father, just
as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe that you have
sent me. I have given them the glory that you
gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I
in them and you in me—so that they may be
brought to complete unity. Then the world will
know that you sent me and have loved them
even as you have loved me.” - John 17:20-23
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you must love one another. By
this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.”
- John 13:34-35
How many times does He need to tell us?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.”
– John 13: 34-35
Three times?
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the
continuing debt to love one another, for whoever
loves others has fulfilled the law.
- Romans 13: 8
Four times?
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying
the truth so that you have sincere love for each
other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
- 1 Peter 1:22
Would five be sufficient?
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic,
love one another, be compassionate and
humble.”
- 1 Peter 3:8
Or perhaps six?
“And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new
command but one we have had from the
beginning. I ask that we love one another.”
- 2 John 1:5
Would seven be enough!
Just to be sure we get the
message that we need to love
one another, in one short book,
First John, the Lord delivers the
message five more times!
“For this is the message you heard from the
beginning: We should love one another.” - 1 John
3:11
“And this is his command: to believe in the name of
his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as
he commanded us.” - 1 John 3:23
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love
comes from God. Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God.” - 1 John 4:7
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought
to love one another.” - 1 John 4:11
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one
another, God lives in us and his love is made
complete in us.” - 1 John 4:12
“And let us consider how we may spur one another
on toward love and good deeds, not giving up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but encouraging one another—and all the
more as you see the Day approaching.”
- Hebrews 10:24-25
“Two are better than one, because they have a good
return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other
up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help
them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“The authorities’ greatest mistake was to
keep us together, for together our
determination was reinforced. We
supported each other and gained strength
from each other.”
- Nelson Mandela
There are multiple opportunities to do life
together as Danube International Church.
 to worship together
Sunday morning service (10:30-12:00AM)
 Danube PM here on Saturday evenings
monthly
 As families during devotions
 In small groups

 to pray together
At the platform on Sundays before the
service begins
 DIC Elder prayer on Mondays at noon at
CRU-Budaőrs
 At the Gibson’s in Tőrőkbalint each
Wednesday evening at 7:00
 As friends, couples and families
 In small groups

 to serve together
On worship teams
 On Elder and Deacon Boards
 Among Senior citizens in Diósd regularly
 At the orphanage in Velence at Christmas
time
 During missions & outreach opportunities
 As small groups

 to grow together
Adult Sunday School
 Children’s Sunday School
 DIC Youth group
 As families
 In small groups

 to share life together over a meal
DIC African Fellowship
 DIC Body Life events
 DIC Youth group
 As families
 In small groups

Small groups provide an
excellent opportunity for each
of us to enjoy community.
In small groups, we seize the moment…
 to share life with one another
 to reflect the love of Christ for one another
 to develop relationships of trust in
environments of grace
 to express and develop skills and spiritual
gifts
 to have on-going exposure to the truth of
God’s Word
 to pray for one another
As you leave the auditorium today, you’ll
receive a list of the current and upcoming
small group opportunities offered
through Danube International Church and
those who attend our fellowship.
If one of these opportunities doesn’t fit
you, make a suggestion or start a group.
Get in touch with Todd Hiltibran,
our elder responsible for body life,
or Helen Vaughan, our small groups
coordinator, for further information
or if you have any questions. You
can find their contact information
in the church bulletin each week.
 The Lord intends for us to do life together as
Christ’s disciples, in fact He demands it.
 We grow best when we’re rubbing shoulders and
living life-on-life with others.
 We need to have others speak into our lives… to
be challenged about the way we think, live and
work. We need to hear warnings, corrections and
rebukes from time to time.
 “There are certain people… who enable us to be
as we have never been before.”