Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Growth

At First Christian Church, we aim to engage the spirit without disconnecting the mind. Beyond worship, we offer many opportunities for spiritual growth.

Sunday School Spiritual Growth Groups
Christian Women's Fellowship Ecumenical Book Group
Common Daily Bible Reading

News and Upcoming Events

Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study
Through the summer, our Sunday morning study will be a review of the previous week's selections from our Common Daily Bible Reading, including the weekly Psalm. Join us each Sunday at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday School

Sunday Morning Study ~ Our Sunday Morning Study is for all people junior high school and older. We gather each Sunday at 9:30 am in the Fellowship Hall for discussion of the Bible and other aspects of our faith. The topics change seasonally.

Children's Class ~ During the Sunday School hour, children are invited to learn about Bible stories, do crafts and play under the guidance of Tristan Frintner, our nursery attendant.

Pre-School Class ~ During the worship service, toddlers are invited to a Pre-School Class for Bible stories and playtime. Our core rotation of teachers is committed to providing a place of Christian nurture and growth for our children. As with all Children's Ministries, volunteers in this program are screened through our Safe Church policies. (Infants have their own space in the Nursery.)

Children's Church ~ Children ten and under are invited to move to Children's Church after the Children's Time during our Sunday morning worship service. This class is led by a rotation of volunteers and uses the "One Room Sunday School" curriculum.

Spiritual Growth Groups

The Spiritual Formation Coordinating Team encourages members to find a small group in which they can commit to deepening their spirituality. At any given time, certain groups are meeting, and others are in formation. Some are open to new members at all times, and others incorporate new members as they start new studies. If you have an idea for a new group, please contact Pastor Rebecca.

Novels as Spiritual Insight ~ This group, facilitated by Anne Phillips, examines the spirituality found in novels, sometimes using the "Popular Insights" series from Chalice Press. Previously they have read "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson, and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Alblom. They are open to new participants each time. They will be discussing "The Secret Life of Bees" on March 9th at 1:00 pm. Contact Anne Phillips for more information.

Praying the Psalms Group ~ This group studies the Psalms as a biblical model for open, honest relationship with God. Members take turns leading sessions by examining the Psalm of the day and then leading a time of personal sharing and mutual prayer. They meet approximately twice a month on Mondays at 5:30 pm. For information about joining, contact facilitator Marie Bittle. New members are always welcome. This group will be on hiatus during Lent, in order to participate in "Unbinding Your Heart." They will resume in late April.

Common Daily Bible Reading Yahoo Group ~ We invite you to join us in Common Daily Bible Reading. Our schedule comes from the Daily Worship guide in the Chalice Hymnal. In addition to discussions in our Sunday Morning Study, we also offer an online conversation. Please email Pastor Rebecca at pastorbecky@yahoo.com if you would like to join the FCC-CDBR Yahoogroup.

Christian Women's Fellowship
The Christian Women's Fellowship (CWF) meets once a month for study, worship and fellowship. All women are invited. Most months, the meetings are held in members' homes in the evening. Quarterly, the meeting is held in the Church's Fellowship Hall on a Sunday afternoon. The CWF considers service to others one of the most important spiritual disciplines. A summary of their service projects can be found on the Mission Outreach page.

Ecumenical Book Group
       The Ecumenical Book Group meets for about 14 weeks each fall and spring. Each session focuses on one book, usually covering one chapter each week. This group involves people from First Christian and other local congregations, including Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholics, Methodists, and those of no denomination. Pastor Rebecca leads the discussions.
       Past books have included "Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith" by Kathleen Norris, "Practicing our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People" edited by Dorothy Bass, "God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible" by Adam Nicholson, "Brother to a Dragonfly" by Will Campbell, "The Heart of Christianity: How We Can Be Passionate Believers Today" by Marcus Borg, "No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam" by Reza Aslan, "The Gospel According to America" by David Dark, "The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical" by Shane Claiborne, "The Language of God" by Francis Collins, "The Lemon Tree" by Sandy Tolan and "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder.
        Our book for Spring 2009 is "Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith" by Studs Terkel. We meet each Tuesday at noon, from Feb. 10th through May 12th. Call ahead to see where we are in the book, if you'd like to join us.