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

Christian Education

Sunday Morning Study ~ Our Sunday Morning Study is for all people junior high school and older. We gather each Sunday at 10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. Our Sunday morning study is currently a review of the previous week's selections from our Common Daily Bible Reading, including the weekly Psalm.

Children Worship & Wonder ~ After the Children's Circle of Blessing in worship, children up to age 10 are invited back to the Children's Worship Center for Children Worship & Wonder, a Montessori-inspired program that teaches Bible stories and worship practices. Our core rotation of Storytellers and Greeters 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 and toddlers have their own space in the Nursery.)

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 the Spiritual Formation Coordinating Team.

Wednesday Night Prayer Group ~ This group meets at the church on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month (check calendar to confirm dates) at 5:45 pm for Bible study, sharing and prayer. Everyone is welcome.

East of the Mountain Prayer Group ~ This group meets every Thursday at 5:00 in the Golden Springs area for Bible study, sharing and prayer. Contact Anne Phillips for the location.

Praying Moms ~ This group for mothers of young children meets on an as-scheduled basis for mutual support, Bible study and prayer. Contact Lori Hays for more information.

Pageturners ~ This group, facilitated by Anne Phillips, examines the spirituality found in novels. They started with the "Popular Insights" series from Chalice Press. Some of the books they have read include "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 read one book every month or two and meet for discussion on Mondays at 1:00 pm. Contact Anne Phillips or check the most recent Good News newsletter for more information.

Disciples Women (Christian Women's Fellowship)
Our women's group meets every other month, usually in member's homes, for study, worship, fellowship and mission planning. All women are invited. Service to others is one of the most important spiritual disciplines of this gathering, and the whole congregation is usually invited to participate in the projects Disciples Women sponsor. We also encourage our women to participate in Regional and General level women's activities like annual retreats and Quadrennial Assemblies. 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.  Different participants lead 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, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith" by Studs Terkel, "On the Mystery: Discerning God in Process" by Catherine Keller, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life" by Barbarba Kingsolver, "Jesus Freak: Feeding Healing Raising the Dead" by Sara Miles, and "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Punishment" by T. Richard Snyder.
        Our current book is "Twelve Steps to a More Compassionate Life" by Karen Armstrong. We meet on Tuesdays at noon in the Fellowship Hall.