Ready to start the new year with a resolution to find your Worship + 1?
Here’s the perfect place to start!
Please join us for the GROW Bible study which resumes on January 13 at 10:00 am or 6:30 pm,” Invites Dr. Zhenya Gurina Rodriguez, a GROW leader. “We will kick off the new year with a series about the Parables of Jesus. GROW is a great way to build relationships based on faith and make friends, even if it is online only,” Zhenya adds. “We will be back to hybrid as soon as it is safe and will continue offering both for convenience.”
“Parables have a unique way of slipping up on us with new understanding and flipping our values,” remarks Rev. Phyllis Barren, Associate Pastor and one of our Grow Bible Study leaders who offers the morning class on Wednesdays at 10:00 am. “Sometimes, they may even turn our world upside down. Parables are always relevant and always personal, and if we let them, they speak eloquently to you and me, here and now.” This is an opportunity to grow in our faith and build relationships with other church friends.
GROW also offers a perfect opportunity for new people or for those who may have lost their connection with the church.
“When we developed GROW, we took great care to makes sure that it is comfortable, accessible, and meaningful for people who might be new to Bible study or nervous about joining a discussion group,” Rev. Lance Marshall said. “GROW lets you experience Bible study and learn according to your own comfort level and pace. If you’re ready to jump
in and share, that’s great! If you are feeling shy and want to sit back and listen, that’s ok too. GROW is the welcoming and hospitable environment you’ve been hoping for.”
In addition to the benefits provided to its participants, GROW is also insightful at all levels of experience, and leaders learn as much or even more than the participants. Evve Kuykendall, one of the GROW Bible Study leaders, says, “One of the wonderful benefits of the GROW Bible Study ministry involves the insights and spiritual growth that comes from putting it all together!
As pastors and facilitators, we work to put together an engaging and insightful study of God’s Word, but the real magic comes when we add people to the mix! We learn so much from those who participate, seeing connections that we never considered and hearing the personal testimonies about how God has changed lives. That is what makes this so much more than just another Bible study…it is about changing the way we all see the world which helps us all grow!”
GROW is fun, too. “My goodness, I recommend GROW to our church community for countless reasons,” comments Dr. Mike Marshall, another of GROW’s leaders. “At the top of the list for me is the small breakout group that I enjoy for about 20 minutes each week. We laugh with one another, share life reflections with one another, and trust one another with our doubts, questions, and sacred moments. 6:30-7:30 pm every Wednesday brings me both happiness and fulfillment!”
We invite you to check out GROW,” Zhenya says. “We welcome all who would like to experience God’s grace in this community built around faith.”
Whether you join us regularly or just once, at GROW you always experience a warm welcome, a deep dive into Scripture, and meaningful conversation with others in our First Church faith community.
