discipleship to Jesus is
better when we're together.

Sermon group resources

Sermon Discussion
Notes & Questions

Lead a Sermon Group

groups open to all 

Pray for Israel

Camarillo Starbucks Bible Study

Outsiders Bible Study at Panera Bread at the Collection in Oxnard 

Specialty groups 

Young Marrieds

Young Adults (ages 18-24)

Young Professional Women

Care groups 

Senior Care Ministry 

Join Our Meals Ministry

Grief Share Support Group

Embrace Grace - Support Group for Single, Pregnant Women 

men's groups 

EpicLife men's Discipleship

Retired Men's Fellowship Group

Saturday Morning Men's Group

Frequently asked questions

What do you mean by "small group?

Church can feel really big on Sunday mornings. We believe it's important to be part of something smaller so that we can help support each other in our spiritual growth. When we look closely at the life of Jesus, we can see that even he was part of a "small group"-- he had twelve of his closest friends to do life with! Our hope is that every person who calls Calvary Chapel of Oxnard "home" is plugged into a small group of adults who gather and discuss both real life and practical faith.

WHERE WILL GROUPS MEET?

Ideally, your group would meet in a home, whether the home of the group leader or a co-leader's home similar to the early church in the book of Acts, when followers of Christ met in homes for "house church". However, if this isn't ideal, we will do our best to arrange a classroom for you to meet in at the church. You might also meet off-site somewhere else, like at Starbucks or Chick-fil-A! Whatever works for you! 

WHO LEADS THESE GROUPS?

At this time, we've opened up the application process for potential Group Leaders. Maybe God is calling you to lead a group during this time? If you want to explore this further, check out the Group Leader page, and fill out the application. Once it's submitted, someone on our Groups Team will be contacting you soon to get to know you and prayerfully see if your group is a good fit for our Groups Ministry this particular season.

groups seasons

Do I have to commit to 8-weeks in order to be part of a group? 
We believe consistency is key in building relationships with others, and so we encourage you to set aside time each week to be part of something we believe would be of great benefit to you and our church. However, we know that these are truly uncertain times, so we want you to have freedom to decide what length of time works best for you.

Instead of meeting every week for 8 weeks, can we meet every other week or once a month? 
This would be up to the Group Leader and Groups Team to decide. Again, consistency is important when it comes to getting to know one another and being able to encourage each other regularly. Every group will meet at least 8 times over the span of 4 months.

Can I join a group after the session has already begun? 
It depends on the nature of the Group. Some groups might only thrive if a certain level of confidentiality can be guaranteed, such as prayer support or accountability groups. Other groups would be easier to join mid-session.

What kinds of groups will be available? 

We would love to see a variety of Groups that would be the right fit of each person at CCO:
Women's Groups, Men's Groups, Married Couples' Groups, Various Stages of Life Groups, etc.

Sermon Discussion Groups 
Attend service, jot down some notes, and we will send you a list of discussion questions to help you facilitate conversation in your group! This is one of our favorite methods for small group because it encourages individuals to go deeper in their understanding of God's Word and allows us to learn from each other's different perspectives on the same Bible teaching.
This type of group can easily be joined by new people as well as can be specific to certain age/life-season groups, should the group leader wish.

Bible Study
Choose a book of the Bible to go through together! One or two leaders may co-teach together as the group meets regularly to discuss and share what they've learned during the week. There are a variety of ways to do this: pick up a study guide from our bookstore, go through Pastor Lance's teaching archives of each book of the Bible on our websiteor just open up your Bible and study on your own!

Book Study
Have you recently read a particular Christian book that you found encouraging and want to share it with others? Maybe inviting a few people to read through it with you and then discussing it is your kind of small group! (Note: all book study materials must be approved by our CCO Groups Team prior to starting).

Hobby/Affinity 
It's a wonderful thing to connect with other believers who share similar interests and hobbies! We would love to see groups enjoy some fun times together while encouraging each other through prayer and maybe even a short devotion from God's Word.
Some groups we've seen in the past:
- photograpy
-classic literature book club
-golf
-art journaling

Support Groups
Life is a journey filled with twists and turns. Thankfully, we have each other and don't have to go it alone. In fact, scripture encourages us to support each other and carry one another's burdens.
This style of group can either be open to others visiting for the first time, or the group leader can decide to make it a "closed" group in order to protect members' privacy as they share delicate life details.
As a Group Leader, we're here to support you as you help support others.

Some support groups we've seen in the past:
- Praying for Prodigals group
- Single and spiritual single moms
- Men's Accountability Group
- Chronic Pain/Illness support group
- Foster/Adoptive parents