Our Group Finder Directory categorizes groups into six main areas:

Rooted
Bible & Faith
Care & Support
Life Stage
Shared Interest
Serving

Some groups fall into multiple categories!

Rooted is a 10-week discipleship experience where you’ll learn foundational Christian beliefs, read stories from the global church, and practice spiritual rhythms for daily life that will carry well beyond the set experience. If you want to lead a group in the future, you must go through Rooted. It’s a great place to start!

This may be what you typically think of as a group focus: studying God’s Word and growing in your relationship with Jesus. This group exists to learn together and may focus on a deep dive into one of the Rooted Rhythms or a book of the Bible.

Care & Support groups are composed of members facing a difficult season or desire to grow in the midst of a specific challenging circumstance. These groups focus on supporting each other in healing and finding the peace and comfort that community, helpful content, and Jesus brings.

These groups have a common thread that is found in a certain stage of life—think parents of little kids, retirees, singles, young adults, etc. These groups look at how to grow together in their shared life stage.

Do you love doing something and want to find others to do it with, while also incorporating spiritual practices? These groups focus on an interest, like sports and hobbies, while also participating in one or more of the Rooted Rhythms.

Our serving groups are an opportunity to unleash the passion, gifts, and energy of our congregation to serve throughout Chicagoland! These groups are united by a common desire to serve others and can serve with one of our established local partners fighting poverty and injustice, or they can be started because a leader saw a need in their own neighborhood and was inspired to start a group.

Groups at Willow meet weekly for 10 consecutive weeks, in three ‘terms’ per year (Winter/Spring, Summer, and Fall). We have found that meeting weekly gives a group the momentum it needs to build connection, learn and grow, and make an impact together. We have found that the term end is a helpful time for each participant to reflect on what God has done or shown over the course of the last 10 weeks in order to identify and take the right next step in their faith. We also believe in healthy rhythms of rest, and terms provide an opportunity for the leader to find that important rest and rejuvenation.