CommunityLife is an opportunity to gather regularly in a small group for three purposes: personal spiritual growth, to care for one another and to serve others with others in the context of a small group.  A typical CommunityLife group meets regularly to study God’s Word, share life together and pray. In the process, life-changing relationships are formed. This community provides encouragement for its members through the ups and downs of life.

• The first and best way is to search for an existing group near you that fits your schedule and visit the group.  Check out our groups here.
• Ask a friend if they're part of an existing CommunityLife group.
• Watch for opportunities to participate in an On-Ramp ministry.  Periodically new groups start as classes on Sunday mornings or during Community Dinner nights or as a follow on from the Alpha Course.
• If you can't find a group that fits, let Pastor Peter know at 860.649.2855 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  New groups form regularly.

Each CommunityLife group decides how many people will be in that particular group.  To foster a healthy small group environment, we recommend that groups include no more than 12 people. Some groups are larger and many groups are smaller.

Each CommunityLife group decides how often they are going to meet.  Many of the groups at Trinity meet on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.

Each group follows their own version of a similar, simple schedule. Typically, people arrive and have a time of visiting with one another, sometimes enjoying a snack and beverages. There’s time to share life, study and time for prayer. Sometimes groups get together for special events like a Christmas party or summer cookout or to serve others in some way.

Usually CommunityLife groups gather in a host home. Some groups always meet in the same place, other groups rotate around to different homes. There are a few groups who find it easier to meet at Trinity. Geographically, CommunityLife groups meet throughout the greater Manchester area.  You can check out a map of our group locations here.

No.  Each CommunityLife group chooses what they study. There may be occasions during the year when we invite groups to join together in church-wide studies, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

By definition CommunityLife groups are what we call "open chair" groups.  This means simply that if there is room in a group, a new person is welcome.  Our For Women Only groups, on the other hand, often close after an open enrollment period.  When a Recovery or Support Group closes, it is closed for the duration of the study.

Another obvious difference is that the purposes of a CommunityLife Group are broader than a Recovery or Support group that is very much focused on life change in an area of common struggle among its members. Support and Recovery groups do not emphasize service to others in the same way that CommuniyLife groups do.

We are taking steps to identify, equip & support new leaders to lead new CommunityLife groups. Wherever possible we want to connect existing Trinity ministries to CommunityLife.  For example…Alpha, Community Dinner Night, Sunday Spiritual Life Classes.  Finally we intentionally want to foster an “Atmosphere of Invitation” that communicates a sincere welcome to newcomers to all of our Community Life groups.

We're just at the beginning of launching CommunityLife at Trinity.  The count of groups is about 20.

There are three levels of leadership within our CommunityLife ministry. Trinity has a Pastor or Adult Ministries (Peter Tullson) who serves with our CommunityLife Cluster to oversee the whole ministry. The CommunityLife Cluster helps in the vision, planning, and implementation of all aspects of our CommunityLife ministry. The CommunityLife Cluster members includes Barbara Pope (860.875.2081), co-chair serving on the Ministry Support Team and Robynn Shannon (860.291.0452), co-chair serving on the Ministry Direction Team. There are usually opportunities for at-large members of the CommunityLife Cluster.  CommunityLife Leaders lead their groups. As we get more groups there will be a need for more coaches to support our CommunityLife Leaders.

No. CommunityLife group leaders have responsibility to lead their group. Hosts have the responsibility of hosting the group in their home. We encourage these roles to be independent of each other. We want individuals to share responsibility for the group. It's best if one person or couple doesn't carry all the weight in a group.

Absolutely.  CommunityLife Leaders play a key role in the health and relevance of our  groups and are an essential way that people receive spiritual nurture and care. We certainly are looking for Christian individuals who have a heart for people. CommunityLife group leaders don’t have to be great Bible teachers although they should be committed to being shaped and stretched by God's Word.  For more about the criteria and commitments of CommunityLife Leaders you can look here.

The normal and natural way for a person to become a CommunityLife Leader is to serve as an apprentice leader in an existing CommunityLife Group.  A complementary route to becoming a leader is to participate in a small group specifically for the development of potential leaders.  We call this a Turbo Group.  First, check out the criteria and commitments of leaders here.  If this sounds like you, one option is to get involved in an existing group where you can get some experience leading as an apprentice.  You can also check here for the next Turbo Group.