Behind the Ministry: Community Groups

Kevin Ro has been attending Metro for 15 years and has served as Metro Church's Director of Community Groups for 4 years. He is passionate about community because he has seen firsthand the incredible power of God working through it to shape faith, expose sin, and help foster a deeper love for Christ. In his free time, he enjoys using his virtual reality headset in hopes to take his health more seriously these days. (“My wife thinks it's funny to watch me flailing around in the virtual world.”)

We asked Kevin a few questions to gain some perspective on the purpose and characteristics of community groups at Metro, which take place every Wednesday and Thursday night throughout Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey.

Q: What made you personally come to Metro? What made you stay?

A: “I was part of the original team of people who were praying with [Pastor] Donny as he discerned whether he was being called to plant a church in Philadelphia. Fast forward a year later, and all of us had left (or started transitioning out of) our previous churches, gripped by the gospel vision for our beautiful underdog city that had first captured his heart. Time and again over the last 15 years, I’ve been the recipient of grace upon undeserved grace from my brothers and sisters here at Metro – you couldn’t pay me to trade this church for another.”

Q: If you could describe community group in a metaphor, what would it be?

A: “I’d describe our community group experience as a fireplace where you can experience both light (Word-based truth, honest reflection, and gracious correction) and warmth (a rare type of hospitality, presence and care in difficult seasons, and true rest for burdened hearts).”

Q: What is your favorite memory of community group?

A: “This is so random, but the first thing that came to mind was when I was hosting a group at my home years ago. This one guy responded to an icebreaker question about hidden talents by declaring that he could fit himself into the ottoman in my living room (and, against all odds, proceeding to do so by contorting and folding himself in a way that I had never before seen a human body do). We were crying with how hard we were laughing – you kind of just had to be there – and in that moment, the tension and awkwardness of the new group melted away, the precursor of a wonderful season together to come.”

Q: If a friend were hesitant about checking out a community group, what would you tell them?

A: “I’d tell them that I totally understand – entering a new community can definitely feel intimidating or awkward. And honestly, gospel community CAN be messy at times – that’s unavoidable when you have broken people doing life with other broken people. But that’s also kind of the point: no one’s showing up because they’ve got it all together but because there’s an ever-deepening trust that the gospel “levels the playing field,” no matter your ethnicity, stage of life, or background, enabling us to honestly bring our brokenness into the light of God’s truth and experiencing the warmth of his grace and presence together. So if you’re on the fence, I’d love to invite you to pull up a seat at one of our fireplaces – we’ve always got room for one more.”