Life is a journey. We travel that journey with God and in community with each other. A deep and strong faith seldom happens overnight. Every day is a day to learn and grow. We find that prayer, Bible study, and conversation with others are great tools to deepen faith. We have several ongoing growth opportunities and some short-term ones too.
Sunday School
The Sunday School program has classes for all ages. Preschool to 6th grade has traditional Sunday School classes. There are about 40 children in this program. The 2014-15 program is focusing on a “LEGO” theme, Learning Everything God Offers. Our Pre-K through Grade 6 classes use the Witness curriculum & LEGOs to “Learn Everything God Offers.” Students are building a LEGO brick cross by adding a faith trait brick each week. A lesson sheet is sent home after class to reinforce the Sunday school lessons & help families continue Christian education at home. The students participate in various activities with our LEGO theme throughout the year, examples include a LEGO replica of the ELCA logo & Noah’s ark animals.
Past themes included:
2013-2014: “iFaith”. Students used their own sunday school “iPad” in class and added a faith trait App each week.
2012-2013: “Catch the Wave” Students learned about water, why it is important to us and how it appears in the Bible.
2011-2012: “Superheroes for God” Students underwent superhero training learning to use the super powers God has given us.
2010-2011: “Connect 4 Faith” Students learned how to connect 1.Themselves 2.God 3.Church 4.Community
2009-2010: “Magic Bible Treehouse” Students traveled into different books in the Bible
For 7th and 8th graders we have Confirmation Classes. These classes instruct youth in scripture and the faith of the Church. Confirmation is a stepping stone from childhood membership to adult membership.
At the end of the two-year confirmation program the youth may participate in the rite of Confirmation. In this rite they make public profession of their faith and accept the promises their parents made for them if they were baptized as infants. High School age youth gather at a local coffee shop for study and conversation. This group picks its own materials for study. An Adult Sunday School class also meets during the Sunday School time. This group usually studies the Bible readings that will be used in worship that Sunday. Sometimes however, this group will look at current events through the eyes of faith or study a church social statement.
Bible Studies
Three Bible studies meet every week:
- The Men’s Breakfast meets Wednesday mornings starting at 8:30. They spend about a half hour eating and in conversation and then spend a half hour in Bible study.
- The Brown Bag Lunch Bible Study meets on Thursdays at noon. As the name suggests, everyone brings their lunch and then turns to Bible study. This group picks a book of the Bible and studies it carefully. Over the years this group has covered over half the books of the Bible.
- The Women’s Bible study meets on Thursdays at 1:00. This group usually focuses on topics in the Bible or studies the life of a specific biblical person.
Grow Groups
Grow Groups are short term small groups that meet in people’s houses to study a particular book or topic. New groups are formed each spring and fall. This is a great way to get your feet wet without having to make a major commitment.