The Chosen

• Join us for some great food, fellowship, building relationships, and building up our faith together. Each week, we will view the highly acclaimed series, The Chosen, about the life of Jesus. After the viewing, we will dig deeper with our Bibles open. Even if you have seen it before, come and soak it in with friends so that we can discuss and apply what we are learning about Jesus and what it means to truly follow him. Bring a friend, neighbor, or family member to be a part of it. View the trailer here or learn more about it here.

Unit 1: 9/29/21 – 10/20/21

• Practical: Gospel Fluency – This class will focus on what it means to view the world through the lens of the gospel. We want to become believers who know the gospel so deeply that it shines through us and impacts the way we live every day. It is one thing to know about the gospel; it is another to be fluent in it. This class will be based on the book Gospel Fluency by Jeff Vanderstelt, and we will look at some short videos covering concepts from the book. We hope this class can help us develop a rock-solid understanding of the gospel and how it impacts our view of the world. Led by Brian Ellis. This class will also be available during the Sunday School hour.
• Foundational: Messy Journey Theology – This class will provide practical and foundational truths around sanctification, holiness, and becoming like Jesus. We will learn and discuss how the gospel applies to all of life and empowers us for making real progress with love, joy, and faith for the messy journey of our lives. Led by Pastor Tim.

Unit 2: 11/3/21 – 11/17/21

• Practical: Making Disciples (led by Brian Ellis) – Our call to make disciples is part of our core identity as Christians. In this unit, we will look at making disciples in the church, the home, and in our community. This class will also be available during the Sunday School hour. Update for last two sessions: Making Disciples will finish the final session led by Emily Clayton and will focus on outreach. The 2nd week Brian Ellis will lead a session on Conflict, Cynicism, and the Gospel. In a world filled with division and outrage Christians are uniquely positioned for hope, unity, and to be peacemakers all rooted in the good news of the gospel.
• Foundational: God's Word for the Journey (led by James Karsten) – George Barna has done a recent study which shows that only 6 percent of self-identified American Christians have a biblical world view. In this environment there are many voices which seek to devalue, distort, and even destroy a biblical foundation for faith and discipleship. For the next three weeks we will explore both the need for “sola scriptura” as well as the dangers that come when it is abandoned. Update for last two sessions: Biblical Hospitality: We will examine Scripture to learn God’s heart as it relates to hospitality and mission. We will consider how our hearts can reflect God’s heart and what hospitality can look like for every one of us. Led by Pastor Tim.

Unit 3: 12/1/21 – 12/15/21

• Practical: Gospel Hospitality (led by Brian Ellis) – In a world filled with division and outrage Christians are uniquely positioned for hope, unity, and to be peacemakers all rooted in the good news of the gospel.
• Foundational: Conflict, Cynicism, and the Gospel (led by Pastor Tim) – We will examine Scripture to learn God’s heart as it relates to hospitality and mission. We will consider how our hearts can reflect God’s heart and what hospitality can look like for every one of us.

Unit 4: January 12-26, 2022

• Practical: Organic Discipleship (led by Pastor Tim) – Join us as we dive deeper into Organic Discipleship, and explore how each of us can spur one another on in faith through everyday living. Will stretch through the next few units as we make our way through the Organic Discipleship series.
• Foundational: Keeping the Sabbath (led by Brian Ellis) – Is the Sabbath still relevant in a fast-paced culture that values productivity and achievement? This 3-week unit will look at what the Sabbath was created to be, and why we need to embrace God's plan for rest and rhythms in our everyday lives.

Unit 5: February 9-23, 2022

• Practical: Organic Discipleship (led by Pastor Tim) – Join us as we dive deeper into Organic Discipleship, and explore how each of us can spur one another on in faith through everyday living.
• Foundational: Fostering the Fruit of the Spirit (led by Brian Ellis) – In this 3-week class, we will look at love, peace, and gentleness. As Christians, we strive to have the Fruit of the Spirit pour out of our hearts. In a world marked by conflict, Christians must lead the way in responding to others with love.

Unit 6: March 9-23, 2022

March 9:

• Practical: Organic Disciples (led by Pastor Tim) – A followup to Organic Disciples, emphasizing the importance of hospitality.
• Foundational: Vices and Virtues (led by Brian Ellis) – We will look at what vices are, how they are different that sin, and how they can impact our faith.

March 16:

• Hospitality: A Practical Application (led by Pastor Tim and Emillie Clayton) – Come tonight to understand what Biblical hospitality looks like, discuss why we don’t practice it, and imagine what we can do to get started.

March 23:

• Practical: Sermon and Bible Work for Real Change (led by Pastor Tim) – We will study Matthew 26:47-56 and through our work together, we will learn how to study and apply the Bible and how to listen to sermons as I share a few essentials for preparing a sermon. This will be the text that I preach on for this coming Sunday with the title of “Put Down Your Sword.” We will think about the questions that we should ask when we study. What does the text say about God, his kingdom, about us, and about God’s provision for us through Jesus? You are encouraged to study this text (and context) beforehand and come with some of your own questions. Bring your Bibles and it should be a great night of learning together.
• Foundational: Vices and Virtues (led by Brian Ellis) – We will talk through how envy and sloth shape our hearts.

March 30:

• Join us this week at Focal Point for night of fellowship featuring board games and pizza. It will be a great opportunity to connect with others, meet new people, and have some fun. We will have a variety of games so we should have something for everyone. Please let us know if you are planning on being there so we can have enough food and games for everyone.

Our Wednesday night gatherings are changing. Focal Point has developed out of our conviction that our obedience and active love for God and others begins with knowing God as he reveals himself in the gospel and his Word. When we lean on programs such as small groups, book studies, and worship attendance, they often come up short for biblical learning that is retained and transformative for life and godliness. Focal Point has been developed for deep learning that is transformative and equips us to become disciples who make disciples.

One big change will be that our learning times will be intergenerational, relational, and conversational so that we increase a sense of belonging for our youth (6th grade and up) and grow together. When we shift toward deep learning in this way, we free up other ministry efforts to focus more on relationships and discipleship.

Intergenerational Ministry Fosters Spiritual Formation

Throughout scripture, faith is an intergenerational reality. The young and old learn from and care for each other. They challenge one another to release their assumptions, think differently, and to practice compassion. Even today, thousands of years later, we read the scriptures told and retold by our spiritual ancestors. It turns out that Bible reading itself is intergenerational.

In God’s family, there is no hierarchy of power. Consequently, no matter one’s age, we are all teachers and learners. We are co-creators with the Divine and with one another. God calls us to guide one another in love and humility, holding fast to the love of God as our rule.

How much deeper is a faith that is rooted in the experience of those who have lived before and in the experience of one’s own life? And how much value is in the life and developing ideals of a culture that has grown up after your own identity and perspective has hardened some?

We each bear God’s image. So, of course, we discover our connection to the Divine as we encounter one another. It’s as though we plant seeds in each other’s hearts and minds that give way to growth, beauty and even more seeds we can then plant in the world.

From illustratedministry.com

We will begin each evening together in the gym sharing a meal before classes begin. There will typically be 2 classes running simultaneously throughout the year. One will focus on practical Christian living, and one will focus on foundational Christian truths and beliefs that are important to our understanding of faith. Each class will only be 3-4 weeks and will emphasize that our learning should lead to life change, not just knowledge for the sake of knowledge. After each 3-4 week “unit” we will use the next week for Family Night. KidLife Club will not have a separate meeting on those nights as we focus on keeping families together. For those not able to attend Wednesday nights, one of the classes will also be taught the following Sunday during the Sunday School hour.