SS Spring 2005

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT CLASSES - Adult Teaching Fellowships (ATFs)

NEW Adult Sunday Schedule begins March 16, 2008

March 9th - 9:15 a.m. Adult Sunday School Meeting in Gym

All adults are urged to come to this meeting to express their thoughts and discuss goals and objectives for the adult Sunday School program.

These Adult Teaching Fellowships (ATFs) are not to compete with or be a replacement for either the Sunday morning celebration, or the smaller Home Fellowship Communities (HFC). The Teaching Fellowships are to strengthen the former and encourage the latter. (To read more about the goals, click here.)

The new schedule of classes for adults will begin on March 16. We anticipate that the new plan, which incorporates input from the entire congregation, will draw many new participants to join join as we seek to build ongoing community and deepen our understanding of God's word.

Teaching Fellowships are a vital part of our Sunday morning together. In our Worship Celebration the church family gathers together to worship God, to declare His praises, and to respond to His Word. In the Teaching Fellowships, smaller groupings (10-40) gather to learn and to fellowship during Sunday School. For one hour and a quarter, they fellowship, learn together, discuss and pray for each other.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS?

•	Fellowship and being part of a varied group of people, larger than a small group (6-12), yet smaller than the whole church - a group in which we can love and support one another
•	Interesting, applicable, and sound teaching on the Bible, doctrine and practical Christian living, in an environment where we can talk about what we are learning
•	Provide a pastoral context for meaningful knowledge of, and care for, the people of ECPC
•	Welcoming and assimilating folks who are new to ECPC, by including them in a smaller "family" of the Lord's people.
•	Provide opportunities to discover and use our gifts in ministry in ways the larger church cannot provide
•	Learn how to be involved in meeting the physical needs of others, either in the church or outside
•	Provide opportunities to be involved in world missions - praying, sending, preparing, or going
•	Provide a context for developing additional HFCs (Home Fellowship Communities)

WHO BELONGS?

Although Teaching Fellowships are voluntary, your involvement is critical. You are encouraged to commit yourself to one of the Teaching Fellowships, and to stay with a particular fellowship throughout the year. This will give you a chance to get to know a core of people in the group as you see each other week by week, and our hope and prayer is that a real sense of community and belonging will develop in each of the fellowships.