… … as Christ’s Disciplesas Christ’s Disciples

… … the the contextcontext in which we in which we most most naturally grownaturally grow and express our and express our faith as believers in Jesus Christ. faith as believers in Jesus Christ.

… … a loving, biblically-grounded a loving, biblically-grounded community of faith is community of faith is a safe nest a safe nest for for the nurture and development of the nurture and development of young Christians and emerging young Christians and emerging leaders. leaders.

… a multi-national congregation.a multi-national congregation.

… … a multi-cultural congregation.a multi-cultural congregation.

… … a multi-generational congregation.a multi-generational congregation.

… … a scattered church geographically.a scattered church geographically.

… … a local church with a high mobility a local church with a high mobility and transience. and transience.

People come and go frequently.

People stay for just a short time.

We have to work harder at building We have to work harder at building community.community.

We must be more intentional.We must be more intentional. The payoff is thatThe payoff is that… when we … when we

overcome these challenges…,overcome these challenges…, it it will be very clear that God is our will be very clear that God is our God!God!

We easily become isolated.We easily become isolated. We may become lonely.We may become lonely. We can become fearful.We can become fearful. We may become easy targets for We may become easy targets for

temptation.temptation. Our perspective may lack balance and Our perspective may lack balance and

become dangerously skewed. become dangerously skewed.

“Alone I have seen many wonderful things, none of which are true!”

- African proverb

We can become suspicious.We can become suspicious. We need to have others speak into our We need to have others speak into our

lives… to be challenged lives… to be challenged about the way we think. about the way we think. about the way we live. about the way we live. about the way we work. about the way we work.

From time to time we need to hear From time to time we need to hear warnings, corrections and rebukes.warnings, corrections and rebukes.

Often, when we gather as groups, the Often, when we gather as groups, the Lord speaks truth to us that we all need Lord speaks truth to us that we all need to hear.to hear.

““There are certain There are certain people… who enable people… who enable us to be as we have us to be as we have never been before.” never been before.”

- Edward Farrell

Who coaches you? Who coaches you? Who stretches your mind?Who stretches your mind? Who listens to and encourages your Who listens to and encourages your

dreams?dreams? Who will protect you?Who will protect you? Who are those who share your tears?Who are those who share your tears? Who rebukes you?Who rebukes you? Who plays with you? Who plays with you? Who is it that seeks after God with Who is it that seeks after God with

you?you?

What does God’s What does God’s Word say about Word say about whywhy we should we should

choose to live life choose to live life together?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: 8Four 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 1:22Would 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 1:5Would 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 The authorities’ greatest mistake was to keep us mistake was to keep us together, for together our together, for together our determination was determination was reinforced. We supported reinforced. We supported each other and gained each other and gained strength from each strength from each other.”other.”

- Nelson Mandela

There are multiple opportunities to do life together as Danube International Church.

to worship togetherto worship togetherSunday morning service (10:30-

12:00AM)Danube PM here on Saturday

evenings monthlyAs families during devotions In small groups

to pray togetherto pray togetherAt the platform on Sundays before

the service beginsDIC Elder prayer on Mondays at

noon at CRU-BudaőrsAt the Gibson’s in Tőrőkbalint each

Wednesday evening at 7:00As friends, couples and families In small groups

to serve togetherto serve togetherOn worship teamsOn Elder and Deacon BoardsAmong Senior citizens in Diósd

regularlyAt the orphanage in Velence at

Christmas timeDuring missions & outreach

opportunitiesAs small groups

to grow togetherto grow togetherAdult Sunday School Children’s Sunday SchoolDIC Youth groupAs familiesIn small groups

to share life together over a to share life together over a mealmealDIC African FellowshipDIC Body Life eventsDIC Youth groupAs families In small groups

Small groups Small groups provide an provide an excellent excellent

opportunity for opportunity for each of us to each of us to

enjoy community. enjoy community.

In small groups, we seize the moment…to share life with one anotherto share life with one anotherto reflect the love of Christ for one to reflect the love of Christ for one

anotheranotherto develop relationships of trust in to develop relationships of trust in

environments of graceenvironments of graceto express and develop skills and spiritual to express and develop skills and spiritual

giftsgiftsto have on-going exposure to the truth of to have on-going exposure to the truth of

God’s WordGod’s Wordto pray for one another 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.”