Fellowship Band
Fellowship bands are small groups of three or four close friends who meet regularly for spiritual conversation. Band meetings help us become more committed followers of Jesus, who grow in his likeness from the inside out. They encourage us to keep in step with his Spirit, as whole-life disciples and everyday missionaries.
Jesus' Band
The concept of Fellowship Bands comes from how Jesus developed close friendships with Peter, James, and John. He allowed them to see his intimate relationship with the Father (Mt 17) and confided in them in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26). We believe Jesus not only wanted to journey with close friends, but needed intimate friendships to carry him through his earthly ministry.
Journeying Together
If Jesus needed friends to journey through life then so do we! A mentor of mine likes to say, "If you get singled out, you get picked off." We were created to be in relationship with one another and with God (Gen 1). We need friends to journey with us through both the highs and lows of life. We need friends who know us deeply, strengths and weaknesses, and still love us. Fellowship Bands provide the space to cultivate deep friendships.
Keeping our eyes on Jesus
We live in a world that seeks our attention and loyalty. We are constantly tempted to settle for lesser things in life. Band meetings provide a space for us to not only share how our journey with Jesus is going, but for our friends to help us keep our eyes on Him (Heb 12:2). Ultimately, this helps us abide more deeply with Jesus in all areas of life.
Living with purpose
Fellowship Bands help us see what Dallas Willard called, "a God bathed world." Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is at work all around us. Bands equip us to see our everyday life as a mission field and an opportunity to join Jesus day-by-day and moment-by-moment. This allows us to live with purpose, as we join the Spirit in redeeming our broken and fallen world.
Check out this video from the Inspire Movement. If you're interested in
learning more about Fellowship Bands and the Inspire Movement click HERE.