FAQ
We believe that investing in and being supported by a spiritual community is essential. At RWC, small groups have been one of the main ways we’ve created a community here in the city. Every family group is different, but each one strives to be a place of fellowship, discipleship, and biblical teaching.
This fall, we are also offering a modified version of Alpha. While new believers and those exploring faith are more than welcome and encouraged to attend family groups, Alpha is specifically designed to explore faith and answer questions more relevant to new believers.
Family groups (“FG”) are smaller group meetings during the week that run from Fall 2023 to Spring 2024.
FGs consist of ~10 set members, who meet in locations throughout the city to fellowship and study the bible together. In addition to FG meetings, many church events are organized around your FGs. Every year it varies, but being a part of a FG is essential to experiencing greater community at RWC.
While every year changes slightly depending on location and leader availability, most FGs meet on Thursday or Friday nights either in Manhattan or Long Island City. Again, every year is a little different and more day/location options could open up.
FGs follow a 3 weeks on, 1 week off cadence. The “on” weeks for the fall are as follows:
| Week of 9/11 | Week of 10/9 | Week of 10/30 | Week of 11/27 |
| Week of 9/18 | Week of 10/16 | Week of 11/6 | Week of 12/4 |
| Week of 9/25 | Week of 11/13 | Week of 12/11 |
Members are expected to attend as many Family Groups as they can reasonably go to. The value in FG depends on consistency and growing relationships with the group and we ask that members try and go to as many FGs as they can attend.
FGs are coed.
Every family group starts with dinner together. We believe that a special type of fellowship happens when people eat together and every FG starts with time for that shared meal.
Afterwards, the group engages in discussion that revolves around either a bible passage or specific family group material. If eating dinner together is the physical nourishment, diving into the bible as a group is the spiritual nourishment. Most groups finish the discussion time with a time of prayer.
Depending on how much time is left, there might be an additional time of informal fellowship after the discussion.
FGs are also encouraged to hangout outside of set meetings times. Most commonly, FGs have lunch together after Sunday service; but we encourage groups to meetup in whatever ways work for the group as a whole.