A shared way of life
Building Holy Community
This is not a page you agree to once. It is a culture we help build together — week by week, name by name, in every home across Northwest Ohio.
This is not a list of rules. It is a shared commitment to becoming the kind of Christian community the first believers experienced and that the Church has always longed for.
A LIT Group flourishes when every member helps create a culture of faith, trust, encouragement, and genuine friendship. By joining a LIT Group, I freely commit to helping build that kind of community.
- I.
I will honor my commitment.
My presence matters because every person matters. I will make every reasonable effort to attend each Gathering, arrive on time, remain through its conclusion, and communicate with my host whenever I must be absent. We all understand emergencies. Commitment simply says, “You matter.”
- II.
I will help make this a place of trust.
Trust is one of the greatest gifts we can offer one another. Personal stories, struggles, victories, and prayer intentions shared within our Gathering remain within our Gathering unless someone specifically asks otherwise. Without trust, authentic community cannot grow.
- III.
I will listen with humility and speak with charity.
I will seek first to understand. I will not interrupt. I will encourage quieter voices. I will disagree respectfully when needed. Every person deserves to feel heard, respected, and loved.
- IV.
I will build others up.
Life is not always easy. This Gathering should always be a place where hope is stronger than discouragement. I will be honest about my struggles while helping create an atmosphere of gratitude, encouragement, faith, and confidence that God is always at work.
- V.
I will honor those who are not present.
When speaking about my spouse, children, family members, coworkers, neighbors, parish, or friends, I will ask myself: “If they were sitting beside me, would I be comfortable saying this?” Discretion is an expression of love.
- VI.
I will care for my brothers and sisters beyond this hour.
A LIT Group is more than a weekly meeting. I will pray for the members of my Gathering throughout the week, remain attentive to their joys and struggles, and look for opportunities to encourage, support, and serve them. We truly belong to one another.
- VII.
I will help keep Jesus Christ at the center.
We gather because we believe God is alive and present among us. I will come expecting Him to speak through Scripture, through prayer, and through one another. When appropriate, I will gladly pray with and for others, trusting the Holy Spirit to deepen our friendships and transform our lives.
Our hope is not simply to gather for a season together.
Our hope is to become the kind of Christian community the early Church modeled — where people truly belonged to one another in Jesus Christ.
