As September begins, we start up Sunday School again (Sunday mornings at 9am). I wanted to quickly write and let you know about what the adults will be going through and give a few reasons why we are encouraging you to come to this Sunday School class.
As pastors, we believe that the church is to be convictional. In other words, there are certain truths of Scripture that we hold dear as a body of believers and that form the core convictions of our local body. Hence the name, Core Convictions. We have discussed these as leaders and have decided that every year, we will offer two classes (one in the spring and another in the fall) that goes over these core convictions. As a result of that, we have developed Core Convictions 1 and Core Convictions 2. This last spring, we did CC1 which covered 8 of these convictions and we will be beginning this fall by going through CC2 which covers the other 6 convictions. This fall we will be covering topics like giving, worship, community, ministry and others and in each class, we will let the Bible shape how we view these issues or topics. Those who regularly attend Sunday School will be going through this in classroom B and those who do not regularly attend or are new to Arbor Drive will go through this in the old chapel.
So, why should you come? I have a few short reasons to offer in order to encourage you to attend.
1. Connect with other believers. If you haven't attended Sunday School or are new to Arbor Drive and want to meet more people, this is an opportunity to do that. Sunday School ends at 10am and gives you 30 minutes to chat with and meet new people before the worship service starts.
2. Get to know Arbor Drive. Especially if you're new, this is a great opportunity to get to know Arbor Drive and what we believe. You will be able to ask questions and get to know the pastor who is teaching it.
3. Getting your kids involved. We have some fantastic children and youth Sunday School teachers at Arbor Drive. Your kids and students can attend Sunday School and get to know them as well as other youth and kids in the church. I also hear there are regularly donuts for the youth Sunday School class (if that sways you at all).
4. Encourage other believers. You have something to offer and bring to the table. By attending and participating, you are putting yourself in a place where God can use you to bless other believers through your questions or insights.
5. Growing together. The Christian life was not meant to live in isolation. By being a part of our Sunday morning Sunday School, you have the opportunity to grow WITH other believers and for God to use other believers to encourage and help you grow in your faith.
6. More interaction. Sunday School is an environment where questions can be asked and we can work through the answers together. It offers a unique opportunity to be able to interact with other believers and with the material in a way that allows for unique growth.
7. Finally, family discipleship. By attending Sunday School, you have the opportunity to talk with your spouse and/or children about the material covered and have Christ-centered things to talk about and help your family grow in their faith. You can also talk with your kids or students about what they covered and give them the opportunity to share that with you.
I hope you will consider joining us starting this first Sunday in September for our Core Convictions 2 class. If you haven't attended Sunday School before, this is a great time to give it a shot and see how God uses it in your life and the life of your family.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon