We believe that the two greatest commandments (love God and love your neighbor) are inseparably linked. For the Scripture says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) The commandment to love God and love your neighbor are tied together. For the Scripture also says, If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”(1 John 4:20) The most visible way to evaluate our love for God is through our clear commitment to love others. The church is God’s design for our interacting with other Christians in love (Eph. 4:15). We recognize that caring for one another in this way will require a significant commitment on the part of our members.

We believe that the new commandment Jesus made has implications for our relationships with one another. For Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34). Jesus takes the old commandment to love one another and makes it new by stating that we are to love as Jesus loved us. No longer is it satisfactory to love your neighbor as you love yourself, now we are to love them as Jesus loved us. We believe that this new commandment is to be lived out in our relationships with others. We believe that Jesus Christ is the model for how we are to love sacrificially. For the Scripture says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:16-17). Love is sacrificial. Jesus made this sacrifice joyfully (Heb. 12:2). We must develop relationships where we know and understand the needs of others in such a way that we can willingly sacrifice our desires for their needs – just the way that Jesus did for us.

We believe that this kind of sacrificial love grows best in smaller group settings. For the Scripture says^ “…continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47). The New Testament Church met first at the temple, and then they went from house to house (smaller groups). As God added to their number they grew larger and smaller at the same time! Our Sunday morning worship services may not provide the best venue to care for one another in this way—the gathering is large and diverse. So we offer various opportunities to grow in our love for one another in other settings.

• In various geographical locations throughout the community our small groups meet during the week (see next page for a location nearest you). These groups meet for the purpose of fellowship, teaching, prayer and outreach.
• In age-graded groupings our adult fellowships meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:45. There is a time for sharing needs and prayer requests with others in a similar life cycle; followed by gifted teachers who instruct each of the groups through our core curriculum of the biblical teaching, biblical doctrine, and biblical living issues.
• In our youth ministries, smaller groups are also encouraged: For students of all ages these opportunities take place during the 9:30 class hour on Sunday mornings. For students ages 2-12 there is our Kids Klub program 7:00-8:15PM on Wednesday nights. Junior High and Senior High students gather in the loft on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30. Small groups for Junior/Senior High School students occur on Sunday evenings (6:00-7:15) with divisions by grade and gender.

We believe that we have a mutual obligation to one another in the Body of Christ. For the Scripture says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Rom. 12:10). The phrase one another is used repeatedly in the New Testament. It captures the idea of our care and love for others in the Body of Christ. Fellowship Bible Church is committed to providing opportunities for these kinds of relationships to develop, and we actively encourage the kind of one-anothering that the New Testament reveals.

We believe that our love for one another will constrain us to pursue a brother or sister who is willfully sinning. For the Scripture says, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). We believe that the church discipline/restoration process (Matt. 18:15-20) is vital for the church family. We encourage our members to care for each another in this way—urgently pursuing those who are willfully choosing sin, avoiding gossip at all cost, and eager to forgive when repentance is realized.