DNA Groups
Why DNA?
At Oikos, we want to experience church as a family around the table. Groups, then, are our primary expression of church life. Our mission and values take shape in groups. We seek deeply transformed lives of discipleship to Jesus that are Spirit-led, focused on identity, lived as a family, and engaged in ministry. All of this happens together in groups.
What is DNA?
DNA Groups are opt-in, gender-specific groups of 3-5 adults who meet at least once a month for spiritual friendship. They're closed groups organized within Oikos Groups for those who have the desire and capacity to participate. These environments are designed to provide DNA: discipleship, nurture, and accountability.
Discipleship
Discipleship is following Jesus together. Jesus' call is, "Follow me." A disciple seeks to be with Jesus and to do what he did in order to become like him. In DNA Groups, no one is disciplining the others; Jesus is disciplining all of us. We aim for mutuality, not hierarchy. In DNA Groups, we seek to practice discipleship to Jesus through a rhythm of life based on the GRACES.
Nurture
To nurture is to care for and encourage the growth or development of something. It carries the unique combination of feeding and cherishing. Nurturing brings to mind a gardener who delights and pains. Nurture recognizes, as Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). In DNA Groups, we aim to nurture through a culture of honor, active listening, and speaking messages of gratitude and grace.
Accountability
Accountability is accepting responsibility for yourself. It is giving an account for something, a statement of what or why something is. Jesus often said that when he returned, he would "settle accounts" (Matthew 12:36, 18:23, 25:19). Accountability is the gift of helping one another prepare for the Great Day when we'll all answer for what we have done and not done. In DNA Groups, we do this with shared check-in questions. We allow one another to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. We respond in prayer, honor, and mercy. We follow up on God's moments and prayer requests.
