Nurture Groups
- Do you know which Nurture Group you are a part of?
- Do you know that Nurture Groups still function at Hillside?
- Do you know that every member should be part of a Nurture Group?
- Do you know why we have Nurture Groups?
- Do you know the last time you participated in a Nurture Group function?
If the answer to any of these questions is “NO”, then read on to find out more about Hillside’s Nurture Groups.
Nurture Groups were formed at Hillside over 20 years ago. Originally people were assigned based on area or proximity to each other and the groups were designed to be very inclusive, having singles, couples and families. These groups were formed so that church members could meet in smaller groups and get to know and support each other on a more personal basis. There were five groups initially but as our congregation changed, the groups were reduced to four. As the congregation changed, the Nurture groups also changed, so that one group, Nurture Group B had most of the families with children. (Of course, all the children are grown ups now.)
Currently the four groups are A, B, D and E. If you see one of these letters in parentheses behind a name in the directory, that is an indication of the nurture group to which that member belongs. All members are part of a nurture group (or should be) but how much, how little, or whether or not they participate in activities at all is strictly voluntary.
The Congregational Care Ministry is responsible for “organizing, maintaining, and evaluating the Nurture Group program.” This newsletter article is part of our effort in communicating information about this special program. Hopefully, now some of your questions will have been answered and some “no’s” have now been changed to “yes”. Look and listen for more information about nurture groups in the future and when you are asked to participate, please say, “YES”.
