Every Sunday we want lay a gospel foundation in the heart of each person who attends Grace. That’s why we don’t call the hour between 9:15 and 10:15 a.m. Sunday School; we call it Foundations. It’s not a school. It’s not just teaching. These are no mere classes in session. What is it? How about a biblical-collaborative-relational-intellectual-theological-emotionally intelligent conglomeration of all ages to gather together in order to think, feel, laugh, wonder, ponder, study, relate and apply the truth of God’s character revealed by the Holy Spirit in His Word into our heads, hearts, and hands with a little coffee on the side? It’s easier just to call it Foundations--and I hope you'll make the time to join us.
Our topic for the next 10 weeks is the third book of the Bible, Leviticus. It's the one probably the most far removed from our daily experience with seemingly strange laws regarding sexual ethics, slavery, purity/impurity, and burnt offerings. It's the book that many people outside the church rail against as narrow, outdated, patriarchal, and sexist. Yet, it's also the book Jesus quotes from to summarize the whole Old Testament when he says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Do you wonder how that can be? Do you wonder how this book fits into the huge storyline of Scripture? Or how it applies to us today? See you Sunday at 9:15 on the dot!
Sound complicated? It really isn't. When you get down to it we have six elements:
- Gather 9:15 (Prayer and announcements)
- Receive 9:20 (Intro and teaching on topic)
- Refill & Re-mix 9:35 (Refreshments, small group discussion)
- Respond 9:50 (Large group discussion)
- Renew 10:10 (Pray to close)
After receiving feedback from different folks, I wanted to implement two changes to our adult Foundations time this fall: 1.) Add food along with the coffee. 2.) Create a consistent structure to our weekly hour together.
God has created us body, mind, and heart so it's natural that we would have some food along with our gathering. Each week this fall you can expect to see something available to eat. While this may seem like a somewhat insignificant detail, I've found that a little morsel adds much to even the simplest conversation. If you would be interested in helping Refill by either bringing a little bit or aiding in the organization of this effort please get in touch. Would you consider serving? Some help in this area would take a lot off my plate and literally (!) add something to the plate of others in our group.
Whenever I teach I try to bring the class around the learning cycle. What does that mean? The learning cycle is a simple way of thinking about the different styles and personalities of each person and the best environment for them to engage and really learn something. For awhile now every adult Foundations time has had different elements: lecture style talking (from teacher to group), small group interaction, and large group interaction (between teacher and group). Up to this point, it's been a surprise for you week to week how much of each we might do, or how we might split into small groups, or how much monologuing the teacher might bring. All of these elements move toward the preferences of some and away from the preferences of others. Some weeks I've been more or less successful at getting us all the way around the learning cycle. A consistent structure ensures we make it all the way around, and also gives you something you can count on and creates an environment easy for anyone to join in.
Written down it looks like we've packed a lot into this one hour of the week, but the actual experience is pretty easy going and I hope, over time, illuminating as we grow together with Scripture at the center of our conversation.
Would you like to be part of this?
First, come and absorb Foundations; see what it's all about .
Second, I'm looking for men and women who are willing to open and close our time in prayer (Gather & Renew).
Third, get on my list if you can facilitate a 10-minute discussion of 8 to 10 people during the Re-mix (small group) portion of our time. (It's only five questions based on what you Receive at the beginning of the hour.
Finally, one of the greatest highlights of my time each week since I began teaching Foundations two years ago has been the time when we bring up things together (Respond) as a large group. All your thoughts and questions spur mine as the Lord weaves our individual comments together into one large tapestry.
When was the last time you joined us for Foundations? Does this format sound a little ambitious? Intriguing? Why don't you bring a friend and see?
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 3:10-11 ESV)
In Him,
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