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Fall Discipleship
by: Darin Travis, Associate Pastor for Discipleship
We have many things to look forward to in the life of the church this fall. One thing to be excited about is the return of our Sunday school classes which resume August 13. I talk to so many in our church who long to have a growing relationship with Christ, long to know his Word better and long for deep connections within the church. Our Sunday school classes offer a perfect opportunity for all three objectives to be accomplished. Scripture tell us to “not be conformed to this world, but renew our minds” (Romans 12:2). Our teachers would love to help you do just that. Each of these returning classes would love to welcome you: Barry Phillips’ CrossRoads class, the rotation of teachers in the Tom & Jerry class, Ryan Dickerson’s Kingdom Builders class or the Journeys class led by Kyle Beall, Jeff Swarner and Shawn Wilson. For the young adults, we have The Bridge with Jade and Katherine Tomeny. In every class, you’ll find seminary-level depth taught by teachers who are loving and eager to help you get grafted in!
And, in the words of a 1980’s game show host, “But, that’s not all!” This fall we launch The Well, a brand-new class taught by Scott Graham. One of Scott’s outstanding qualities is his passion for helping Christians grow in spiritual formation. Join him in the Library for a new study on spiritual gifts. You’ll learn about the Holy Spirit and how he empowers every believer with gifts to edify and bless. Explore how God has gifted you, how you can be a part of blessing Christ’s body and make some great friends in the process!
Small Group Update
As you plan your fall calendar, don’t forget to leave room for small groups! We will follow along with Gerrit’s sermon series on Ephesians. Group discussion questions will be available starting Sunday, September 10. If you are interested in joining a group or leading a new one, connect with Kelly Wood (kelly@fpcbr.org).
Right Now Media
Do you know that our church pays for a subscription for all congregants of FPC to Right Now Media? Not sure what Right Now Media is and why we’d make this subscription complimentary to you? At First Presbyterian, we believe that God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. To do so, Scripture tells us to renew our minds and think about things that are pleasing to the Lord. Right Now Media is an online platform of countless videos and resources to help equip you in your journey to follow Christ. Looking for a good Bible study on a particular book of the Bible? Looking for an engaging and educational kids series for your little ones? Do you want practical Christian teaching on a topic like battling anxiety or forgiving those that have harmed you? Right Now Media has a treasure trove of content waiting for you to discover. Many have compared the entertainment section to a Christian version of Netflix, or the teaching section to an online seminary experience. Visit our church website to create your account and enjoy all that Right Now Media has to offer. We trust it will benefit you greatly in your effort to be a disciple of Christ and disciple others.
will continue our beloved tradition! Just like previous years, Gerrit has written a wonderful Lenten guide; this year it is entitled In Christ Alone Discovering Where You Truly Live and will help us discover the beauty and wonder of our position in Christ. What will be different this year is the actual structure of our groups. Rather than larger groups formed by people signing up in the Reception Room after a service, this year we are hoping for smaller, more intimate groups primarily formed by friends gathering friends together. We are trusting God for 20-40 groups of 5-10 people each to meet in COVID friendly ways. Many of the groups will meet outside with social distancing in place, some will meet inside yet spread out and some will be online via Zoom. Each leader will decide what will be best for their group. 
Financial Peace University: Dave Ramsey’s wildly popular content on financial stewardship will be offered this fall at First Pres. When I was invited to attend this class 14 years ago, I arrogantly thought, “I’m pretty good with managing my money already; I don’t know if I’ll get that much out of this.” Boy was I wrong! This class radically shaped my use of money in such a good way. I’m thrilled we have leaders who are eager to teach and host this class for our church. There is a cost of $109 for materials but scholarships are available for anyone who might need assistance.
Transforming Communities: Sacred Rhythms: We offered a Sunday school class on this material in July but everyone wanted more! In our hectic and splintered world, the practice of having solitude, silence and space to examine one’s inner world can seem like an unattainable goal. This in-depth group will help you on your journey of learning the sacred rhythms of life for inner spiritual vitality. We will consider topics such as Work and Rest Through Establishing a Sabbath, Intimacy with God Through Prayer, Creating Space for God through Solitude, and Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God through Discernment.
The Smart StepFamily: When love blends two families together, it can provide so many wonderful relationships, but it can also be a challenging journey of adjustment. Strong stepfamilies can wonderfully heal previous hurts and provide a strong foundation for children to flourish in life. This group will use the newly revised book by Ron Deal called The Smart StepFamily. It combines instruction and encouragement that affirms both husbands and wives and their intent to build strong families by looking at seven fundamental steps to blended family success. Whether married or soon-to-be married, you’ll discover how to communicate effectively and solve the everyday puzzles of stepfamily relationships.
Apostles’ Creed In-Depth: Do you ever leave Sunday mornings thinking, “What Gerrit just shared was so good, but I want more!” As Gerrit is powerfully preaching through the Apostles’ Creed in worship, several of our small groups will dig deeper into the meat of the Creed via a small group format. These groups hope to help the Sunday morning content solidify even more in our hearts and provide a place of warm fellowship. These groups will discuss the previous week’s sermon as well as connect over additional Biblical material to provide even more teaching/context.
In our hectic and splintered world, the practice of having solitude, silence and space to examine one’s inner world can seem like an unattainable goal. This in-depth class will help you on your journey of learning the sacred rhythms of life for inner spiritual vitality. We will consider topics such as Work and Rest Through Establishing a Sabbath, Intimacy with God Through Prayer, Creating Space for God Through Solitude, and Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God Through Discernment. Come join Whitney Alexander, Judy McGimsey and Hans Othmer as they lead us in the formation of transforming communities. Room 202 of the Education Building.
John’s Gospel is an evangelistic and apologetic masterpiece that was written so that “you may believe.” Chapters 13-17 depict Jesus’ transition from focusing on his public ministry in the world to a powerful interaction between Jesus and his most intimate followers. Join us each Sunday as we delve into the significance of these chapters happening during Passover, the magnificent promise of the coming Holy Spirit, the beauty of abiding in Christ the Vine and the intimate conversation of God the Son speaking with God the Father in chapter 17. This class will be taught by Jamy Comeaux, Braden McIntosh and Blake Fowler. Room 220 of the Sanctuary Building.
