Pastoral Care
A Sense of Belonging
Finding You Place in the Body

Regardless of the size of the church, the average person only knows about sixty-seven people in a church regardless of the size. Out of that number there may be no one with whom you really become friends. But the truth is, we all need people.
We don’t build friendships by looking at the back of someone’s head on Sunday morning. It happens through getting to know people, talking with them and sharing our own ideas. Since the beginning, God has used small groups as a way to bond people together.
A small group within a large group is the Biblical pattern. The nation of Israel was divided into twelve tribes. Those twelve tribes were divided into groups of thousands hundreds, fifties and tens. That’s right! The entire nation was organized around groups of ten.
When the New Testament church was born they followed the same plan. "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, NIV.
"Impact of Huntsville was born out of people receiving ministry in my home. It grew to nearly 100 people in my living room. Small groups have always been an essential part of the plan God gave me. I believe we will only grow as our Impact Group ministry grows."                         
- Jim Richards, Senior Pastor.

Don’t you get sick of going to so many church meetings and still not living your dreams?
At one point I had to ask myself, "Why are we having three services each week? Is it really helping the people? Is it accomplishing our ministry objectives? Is it strengthening the families?" The answer to all of these questions was a resounding, NO!
Twentieth century Christians are worn out with meetings. Let me ask, if you heard a good, challenging sermon on Sunday morning, do you have it working in your life by Sunday night ready to go hear another sermon. NO!
That’s the problem with the church in America. We are all information and no power. The frustration of most Christians is that they cannot get what they know to work. The answer is not to learn more. The answer is to find ways to grow in what we do know. Paul said it this way, "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." 1 Corinthians 4:20.
Our Impact Groups take you to the next level. They help you go to the place where the Word you hear starts to work in your life. At Impact of Huntsville, growing in the Word is not just learning more. It is growing in the power to live the Word.

Pastoral Care
Most of our Pastoral care happens in our Impact Groups. It is impossible for one person to provide meaningful pastoral care for a large group of people. Even Jesus only attempted to pastor twelve people. Because we exist to serve and equip people, we have developed a system that causes you to always feel the personal touch.
Most of the problems we face can be resolved through prayer, personal encouragement or sometimes just friendship. Through our Impact Groups you always have someone who is ready to help you in your time of need.

A Sense of Belonging
In this age of isolationism, people want to have the security that only comes from a sense of belonging. We all want friends. We all want to develop safe, stable relationships. The Impact Groups provide the best opportunity to get to know people. Through these groups you grow in your relationship to the church as a whole.
Every Impact Group follows a set of communication "rules" which makes it a safe place to share, ask questions and learn to communicate. Of all the skills that are lacking in our society, communication is at the top. Developing self-expression has been a consistent experience for those who attend groups regularly.

Finding Your Place in the Body
Churches don’t grow because of superstar pastors. Studies show that 70-90% of people in churches today are there because of the personal influence of a friend or relative. The early church didn’t grow because of the ministry of the apostles; it grew because of the ministry of the people that heard the message of the apostles.
People know and trust you. You will touch more lives than any pastor will. Most people may never even meet a pastor. But they see you everyday. They see how you live your life. They are willing to hear what you have to say. Unfortunately, most Christians never learn to minister to others.
In your Impact Group you will have the opportunity to minister to others. When you desire to do so, you will be able to pray for people. You can develop your personal gifts and calling. You can grow in your confidence to minister to others in the group and at work. Just think of it, a safe place to learn how to help others.
The Impact Group is also a great place to bring people who don’t want to attend church. It gets them introduced to the Gospel on a very personal, non-threatening level.

Selecting a Group you Enjoy
The Group that is right for you is the one you enjoy. Visit different groups and find the one that is most comfortable for you. Like any new experience it will take a little time to get to know people. But it will be worth the investment.