Adult Discipleship
“Being filled with the Spirit, we exist to make and deploy matured and equipped followers of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the joy of His Church.” This is our mission statement. It is based on Matthew 28:19-20 which are some of the last words that Jesus said to His disciples before He was taken into Heaven and promised His return. Our church family desires to walk in obedience to this command from Christ, which we often call “the great commission,”and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill this commission for the glory of God. Acts 1:8 says “[8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Therefore, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we desire to provide classes and Bible studies that not only make disciples of Jesus Christ from those who are gathered among us from our families and communities but also to equip those, who are already genuine believers in Jesus, with the knowledge and character that they need to make other disciples of Jesus Christ right where they live and work in the community. Here are some of the classes that our church offers to adults in order to see everyone matured in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29).
Adult Bible Study and Prayer
On Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm our church family gathers together for what we call “Family Discipleship Ministries.” During this time we provide nursery for children ages 0-4yrs and Biblical instruction and activities for youth ages 4-16yrs which is described in greater detail on the Youth Discipleship page. For adults we provide a time of instruction from the Word of God and/or a time of corporate prayer for the needs of individuals in our church family, our ministry partners, and the ministry of our local church members to one another and to our community. You are welcome to join us!
Leadership Training
The leadership of our church desires to affirm men from our membership who have been appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ for the ministry of elder or deacon (1 Timothy 3:1-13). Training godly men to do the work of ministry within the context of the local church is not an option for the church, it is a command (2 Timothy 2:2). Therefore it is the ongoing prayerful effort of our leadership to recognize, equip, and affirm the men whom God has chosen by a process of prayerful evaluation and training. For this process we have planned a three year course that includes instruction in personal character, pastoral ministry, theology, Church history, and Biblical interpretation and exposition. We use materials for this instruction that have been written by faithful men such as Alexander Strauch, John MacArthur, and others.
Men’s Bible Study
Our church leadership has offered men’s Bible studies both in groups and one on one so that the men of our church will be encouraged and equipped to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18). These studies have focused on a particular book of the Bible or Biblical topics that are particularly practical for men such as marriage or parenting. We pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of the men of our church to enable them to desire and work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). We pray that our men will be faithful to seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (Matthew 6:33), love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for Her (Ephesians 5:25), bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), and fulfill their role as a spiritually gifted man in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-16). If you are interested in joining a men’s Bible study or in being discipled one on one please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.
Women’s Bible Study
Our church offers women’s Bible studies both in groups and one on one so that the women of our church will be encouraged and equipped to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18). These studies have been taught by women from our church membership who have shown themselves to be faithful to the truth and spiritually mature. It is our prayer that the women of our church will experience the joy of Titus 2:3-5, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, [4] and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, [5] to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” If you are interested in joining a women’s Bible study or in being discipled one on one please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.
Membership Matters
While local church membership is not directly stated or commanded in the pages of the New Testament, the principle and example of local church membership is virtually everywhere in the New Testament. Consequently, we desire to take as high a view of local church membership as the New Testament calls us to, but even so it takes the grace of God and a lifetime of faithfulness to pursue. Therefore in order to introduce to newcomers the Bible’s teaching about church membership and an active life in the body of Christ as well as to refresh attendees and members concerning church membership we offer a three part class called Membership Matters. In this class we seek to establish a Biblical perspective of church membership, identify the most important considerations when choosing a church to join, and explain what the New Testament requires of each church member. This class has been received with excitement by its attendees, and we know that if you are considering church membership you will be blessed by it as well. If you would like to download a copy of our membership application you may do so here. If you would like to read through our Confession of Faith, Catechism, or Covenant in preparation for the class you may do so here. If you are interested in taking the membership class, please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.
Baptism Class
Jesus said, “[19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). We believe that after a person is brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ by the effectual call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, that they are to publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ and their desire to follow Him as Lord through the ordinance of baptism. Therefore we provide instruction for believers who have not yet been Biblically baptized so that they may understand our Lord’s teaching on baptism and follow Christ in this public confession of faith with a full heart of confidence and joy. You may read further about our church’s position on baptism here. If you would like to download a copy of our baptism application you may do so here. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.
We Confess, Defined by Christ’s Design, Fundamentals of the Faith
Our church has offered theses three classes that are listed in the above heading so that new or young believers can be instructed in the basics of Christian doctrine, believers that have been misled by false teaching may be corrected by the truth, or mature believers can be refreshed in the truths that they have loved for so long. These three classes all seek to accomplish these objectives. These classes also seek to clearly identify and explain from the Scriptures the doctrinal distinctives that are precious to our church family, such as a high view of Scripture, a high view of God, a humble view of man, a biblical view of the Gospel, a biblical view of the church, a biblical view of gender, marriage, and family, and others. The goal of these classes is to reach for the doctrinal and practical unity that is described in Ephesians 4:1-6, “[1] I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—[5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” If you are interested in taking one of these classes please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.
Reformation Weekend
Reformation Weekend is a two day seminar that we host at the end of October and the beginning of November. We have invited not only our church family to this seminar but also other churches in our broader community. The purpose of this weekend is fivefold, to remember our doctrinal heritage and the sacrifices that many godly men and women have made to hand down to us the faith of the Gospel once delivered to the saints, to rehearse the truths of the Gospel communicated in the New Testament and summarized by the pillars of the Protestant Reformation (Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria), to reinforce our ability to proclaim and defend the faith of the Gospel, to refresh our total dependence upon the person and work of Christ revealed in the Gospel, and to resolve to live in Gospel holiness, all by the grace of God alone! If you are interested in joining us for our next Reformation Weekend, please contact our church office at 906-786-6323.