Discipleship

Whitelick PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH is a community of faith, diversity, and love. We celebrate God's gift of unconditional love for all people as we seek to live out our spiritual quest in the midst of life's challenges and obligations. Journey with us as we care for one another in Christ's name and reach out to our community and world with healing and forgiveness.

Sunday Morning Adult Discipleship Calendar  

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Coffee Conversations – Sundays 9:40-10:20

December 11:  “Living a New Life”  How & Why Do We Act?  Today we will explore the Apostle Paul’s conversion at a time when it was very dangerous to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  Through the story of Anne Lamott we find comfort that a life of sin can be turned around.  Study questions for this week:  “Who might be the most unlikely follower of Jesus you know?” & how do you respond to the bumper sticker “Jesus, save me from your followers!”?

December 18:  “The End:  From Hope to Home

Strength to Wait   Our author Kevin Adams states:  “Today everyone knows our world is a fixer-upper.  Its brokenness sometimes makes us melancholy.  But hope in God and in his power to finish his story helps us imagine.”  At last, can we fully experience the blessings promised to Abraham when we started this journey last September?

GREAT BANQUET INFORMATION

You are invited to be a guest at the Great Banquet given by God and to feast on His goodness and love.

What is The Great Banquet? The focus of the Great Banquet is to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to make Him known. The Great Banquet is a 72-hour experience, beginning on Thursday evening and ending on Sunday evening. For three days, guests live and study together in a worshipful time of singing, prayer and discussion. During each of fifteen talks given by laity and clergy, the theme of God’s grace is presented. Guests participate in the daily celebration of Holy Communion and examine more fully the presence of Christ in His body of believers. They personally experience His grace through the prayers and acts of a loving, Christian support community. Who should attend the Great Banquet?

This weekend experience is for anyone who:
1. Wishes to strengthen his/her own spiritual life;
2. Wants to have a better understanding of prayer, the sacraments, study and Christian action;
3. Strives to live a Christian life that bears fruit for God;
4. Seeks to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to make Him known:
5. Willingness to participate in monthly 4th Sunday Community prayers at Whitelick.

Awakenings

Sponsorship Contacts If you would like more information or would like to attend, please contact any of the following: Mary Mitchell, Mat Bryant, Beth Laycock, Beth McGuire, Amy Chambliss, Diane Buxton, Beth Harmon, Marne Logan, Lynn Turner, Bobbi Pettigrew, John Eichinger or Ginny Sheets.

Spiritual Gifts Defined

Spiritual gifts are special (divine) abilities given to every Christian, by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, to be used to serve and strengthen one another, and to glorify God.--from Serving the Heart, Abingdon Press. 

A spiritual gift is an expression of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers which empowers them to serve the body of Christ, the church.  Gene Wilkes (Internet search)

Spiritual gifts are:

• Divine abilities (not something you’ve learned.)
• Given to every Christian.
• Given through the grace of God (not something you’ve earned.)
• Given by the Holy Spirit who chooses which gift(s) you receive.
• Used to serve and strengthen one another (to build each other up, not yourself).
• Used to glorify God for God’s purposes; to God’s glory not yours.

Talents are:

Natural abilities can be used to glorify God but are common in all humanity such as athletic ability, music, mechanical skills, etc.  For example, someone may be good at public speaking but does not speak to others about Jesus or God.  If someone uses their public speaking skills to bring others to Christ, then it is also a spiritual gift. 

How to determine a spiritual gift:

• You will be drawn to use your spiritual gift(s).
• Others will recognize the gift in you.
• You will be comfortable serving in your area of spiritual giftedness.
• You will be effective when you exercise that gift.
• You can use a spiritual gifts inventory to discover your gifts.
• Click on the following link and complete your own  Spiritual Gifts Inventory

What else do spiritual gifts do?

These God-given gifts hold the key to understanding many things about yourself;

• why you think and act the way you do;
• how you relate to other people and the environment around you;
• and what makes you the special individual you are.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ, to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.  Amen.  1 Peter 4:10-11

Greek for the Rest of Us

Self-Study-

Using DVD lessons and a text by Bill Mounce we will seek to gain an appreciation for this ancient language of the new Testament.  A fun class of exploration we will learn the alphabet; some basic grammar and maybe a few songs. Here are some interesting links on the Greek alphabet.

COFFEE CONVERSATIONS DISCUSSION NOTES

Our Vision:  Walking with Christ into the World to Glorify God.

Our pulpit is where we are.  (Where God has planted and blessed us.)

Live by the 10 commandments and Jesus’ example of love.

It’s not about ME. It’s about WE.  Walking in another person’s shoes to help them learn who Jesus is.

We are The Book.

St. Francis of Assisi said:  “Let me walk with you and see the world through your eyes.  To love what God loves and despise what God despises.” 

Our Mission:  Preparing and Sending Spirit-Filled Disciples of Christ.

We must understand Biblical structure as part of the preparing ourselves as disciples

Understanding and awareness of how the Holy Spirit works through us.

We affect others through developing spirit-filled relationships.

We need to identify our spiritual gifts.

Understand the Power of Prayer.

Integrity.