Small Groups

BPC's congregation is relatively large - more than 750 active members and growing - but we are also small, thanks to the intimate experience found in what we call "Mustard Seed Groups" - or in BPC shorthand, "MSGs."

These small groups, consisting of six to twelve members, meet three to four times per month for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, starting in September and continuing for six months to a year. Each group, led by a trained leader, becomes a space for sharing life experiences, caring for each other during life's ups and downs, and growing in faith and in Christian spirituality. Also, every group plans its own unique mission project.

Though the groups vary in their membership and focus - there are men's groups, women's groups, mixed gender groups, working mother groups, and even "Artist's Way" groups - all MSGs strive to provide:

• mutual care, encouragement and fellowship
• a place to develop authentic, enduring relationships · prayer and worship in an intimate setting
• Bible study relating Christian principles to everyday life
• service opportunities

Several MSGs meet following the Wednesday Bible Study (for men and women) and Women's Bible Study on Thursdays, drawing on the Bible Study topics for their focus. (Men's MSGs meet Wednesdays from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m., following the 7:00 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study; Women's MSGs meet Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., following the 10:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study).

A short-term Mustard Seed Group program, with only a six-week commitment, is offered for the Lenten season. Lenten Mustard Seed Groups provide a perfect opportunity to try out the MSG experience. Sign-ups generally begin about two weeks prior to Ash Wednesday.

Sign-ups for long-term MSGs takes place each year in September. New groups form at this time, and there are many openings and time slots available.

For more information on Mustard Seed Groups, please call the Church Office at 310-826-5656.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

Matthew 13:31-32

"Building the element of trust in the Mustard Seed process is neither simple nor does it happen overnight. But it works. I'm living proof. I'm a changed person."

BPC Member Bill Thacker

• Fellowship
• Education/Spiritual Growth
• Small Groups
• Family Ministries