Adult Sunday School Classes!

Below is a description of two exciting Sunday school options for you at First Covenant Church!  Please consider where you feel led to attend and invite others to come and join you for this meaningful time.  Sunday School begins September 9th for all ages!  11:15-noon.  See you there!

Alive in Christ
Led by Helen Cepero

What does it mean to live “in Christ?”  What are the characteristics of Christian character that mark us as Jesus followers?  Through story and scripture we will explore these questions and others for the next eleven weeks during Sunday school hour after the worship service.  Bring your coffee and your questions.  Come to listen and to share. 

Week 1:   What is Christian formation and why does it matter?

Week 2   Choosing life—receiving God’s love

Week 3   Forgiving as we are forgiven—forgoing the revenge due us

Week 4    Compassionate availability—letting our love flow out to others

Week 5    Following Christ—bringing our desire and God’s desire together

Week 6    Embracing our vulnerability—finding strength in weakness

Week 7   Living with integrity—letting our yes be yes, and our no be no

Week 8    Paying attention to God—finding the holy in the ordinary

Week 9   Seeing Blessing—looking at ourselves with God’s eyes

Week 10   Improvising a life in Christ—responding to God’s presence

Week 11   God working in us—the role of discipline and spiritual practices

Week 12   God working through us—being fully alive in the community of faith

---

September “Second Look” on Modern Idolatry Series
led by Pastor Max Lopez-Cepero

 “Second Look” is an open forum to discuss the morning’s message with the pastor and with others who would like to take a “second look” at the Scriptures, the ideas and the application of what was presented.  After having just finishing a summer sermon series on feelings, we will be switching our attention to thinking.  Our first four weeks of Second Look promise to be interesting and perhaps controversial.  We will likely be pushing some personal “comfort zones” as we consider Modern American Idolatries. 

Often we think of idolatry as an ancient problem which does not impact us today.  After all, who in Alaska worships Baal, or puts a pinch of incense on an alter to Caesar?  In fact, idolatry is always an issue for people.  We always seem find it difficult to worship the true God and no other.  The issue for God’s people through the ages has always been that other “gods” creep into our lives and to which we give allegiance.  

Our sermon series following Labor Day will deal with four modern idolatries which we in the American church face.  They represent commitments which are good in their proper place, but to which we sometimes give godlike power to shape our thinking, feeling and behavior.  As such they compromise the First Commandment; “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3).  Here are the topics of our series:

September 9    Extreme Individualism

September 16  Extreme Capitalism

September 23  Extreme Nationalism

September 30  Extreme Militarism

Come with your Bibles and your best attention as we consider biblical insight into American temptations in the 21st Century.  We will begin immediately following the morning service—up font under the cross of Jesus.

---