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
 

2010 Adult Discipleship Winter Offerings

Preparing and Sending Spirit-Filled Disciples

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 toserve 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

Abiding in Christ

Tuesday Daytime Bible Studies meets after Tuesday prayers from noon-1:30.  This series will go just four Tuesdays in January beginning on January 5^th.  A small study book will be used to guide these weekly lessons in scriptures from the Book of John.  Myrene Platts, a veteran Bible study teacher, leads this series. 

God Wins begins in February with two classes available:  Tuesday Daytime and Wednesday evenings (Tuesday evening during Lent).  The class will meet for eight weeks.  This video-based study of the Book of Revelation is designed to open your eyes to the struggles of Jesus Christ working amongst his churches battling the forces of evil.  What was the message as originally written and does it have meaning today?  Rev. Joy leads both classes. 

February Coffee Conversations:  “Are we missing the point?”

Preparing ourselves to be Spirit-filled Disciples of Christ seems to be a pretty easy task:  attend worship, pray, read the Bible, do service, and contribute to mission projects.  But maybe our conditioned view of what these activities accomplish really misses the point.  Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo’s book Adventures in Missing the Point sets the foundation for some interesting debates during February’s Sunday morning Coffee Conversations. This series is designed for thoughtful Christians who want to take a deeper cut at understanding what it means to be a Spirit-filled disciple. 

February 7  Are you Saved, Rescued, or ?

Ancient Jewish thought equated salvation to rescue as God rescued his people from the Egyptians in the Exodus.  Modern Christian thinking about salvation is being rescued from hell after death.  Is there a better way to look at this word salvation? 

February 14  God Talk

Everyone is a theologian.  Everybody has something to say about God.  Even atheists are theologians.  Do our beliefs about God support “God’s way is my way” or “My way is God’s way”? 

February 21 Why Jesus Came

“God’s kingdom is a new society that Jesus wants to create in this world—within human history, not after the Second Coming or a future apocalypse or anything else.  But right now.”  Is Tony Campolo correct?  McLaren comes to an even more expansive conclusion. 

February 28  End of Times

This session will be especially interesting to those who begin their study of Revelation in February.  How do Campolo and McLaren’s view differ or support our study of scripture? 

March Coffee Conversations:  “Are we missing the point?”

We continue to use Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo’s book Adventures in Missing the Point during this month.  We will move from the foundational discussions surrounding God to more worldly social issues.  McLaren’s provocative approach challenges thoughtful Christians to take a deeper cut at understanding what it means to be a Spirit-filled disciple.

 March 7:  What the Bible Really Is

As we move from a world of high modernity to a transitional world, this wonderful book instead of being acknowledged as an inspired gift from God can be very difficult to read and confusing to understand.

 March 14:  A Dose of Apologetics

McLaren defines apologetics as “the art of giving reasonable answers to questions about our faith”.  Without clear and convincing answers to common questions about our faith, we lack confidence in sharing it with others.

March 21: Mission Ministries

Americans have a big heart and an equally big pocket book when a crisis hits.  What really works for the long term requires a totally different set of strategies. 

March 28:  Current Culture and the Church

Does the church deliver a relevant message that will be heard and accepted in today’s culture?  McLaren contends that “every generation needs to articulate a theology that answers its own unique questions and dilemmas. “

April 4:  Easter Sunday.  No Coffee Conversations

GOD WINS Bible Study

Time is running out to join the God Wins study. The Tuesday Daytime group begins on February 2^nd at noon and the evening group begins February 3^rd at 7:00 pm. The class will meet for eight weeks.  This is video-based study of the Book of Revelation with a participant’s book to guide your study between weekly class sessions. Pastor Joy leads both classes.

Greek for the Rest of Us

Wednesday Evenings 7:00-9:00 pm

January 6, 13, 20, and 27

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

January 10, 2010 

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.