Learning and Growing Together
Learning and Growing Together: A Glance at Christian Education Across Second-Ponce
Honoring our Educators
We are SO GRATEFUL for all those who lead, teach and care for the people who study Scripture together on Sunday mornings. It takes a HUGE TEAM of prepared and purposeful people to make that happen from week to week.
We want to say a BIG THANK YOU to each of you, and so we’re hosting a lunch in your honor after worship on Sunday, October 1. If you serve in Bible study leadership in any way in children, youth or adult areas, please make plans to attend. We will gather in the Fellowship Hall and CELEBRATE your meaningful and important work.
Children’s Discipleship Update from Rev. Allie Osborne | Minister of Missions & Children’s Discipleship
Curriculum: In Sunday School this fall, the Kids’ Club will learn about the 10 Commandments using the David C. Cook Bible in Life curriculum. In Kids’ Worship, we are learning the Fruits of the Spirit, and on Wednesday nights we are learning Jesus’ Parables.
Book Nook: For the past year, the Kids’ Club has been slowly updating our library! We are about half-way finished replacing all our outdated books. Our Book Nook is filled with lessons about God, healthy management of our emotions, and being good citizens of the earth. These books have already gotten a lot of love from our kids! Scroll for a picture of the nook!
A Focus on Family Ministry: The youth have played a big role in children’s events (Egg Hunt, VBS, etc.) and will continue to do so. Our children’s and youth ministries are working together on family-focused activities for the fall and winter to make a more cohesive experience for SPdL families. Stay tuned for upcoming events!
Teachers: We love our teachers and are so grateful for them! Our Wednesday night teachers are Angelyn Turner and Whitney Anderson. Sunday morning teachers are Melissa Hollingsworth, Eddie Applegate, Jim Weldon and Laurie Entrekin. They are all wonderful teachers and a blessing to have in the Kids’ Club. Each of them brings a different teaching style, but they are all focused on building relationships with our kids.
Youth Discipleship Update from Jonathan Hall | Minister of Community and Student Discipleship
Curriculum: The youth have been following along the lectionary texts using FaithLab’s Faith Element lesson plans, which are geared specifically toward cultivating conversation with teenagers about big ideas and issues related to their lives. We spent a large portion of the summer in the opening chapters of Genesis, particularly the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob narrative.
Our Wednesday night activities rotate on a weekly basis, ranging from making art themed on Bible passages, learning through playing group games and participating in a CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) youth curriculum called Seeing Through the Eyes of Jesus.
Space Updates: We are in a transitional stage for decorating the youth space. We recently cleared out the old, broken pool table and have plans for a new game center coming soon! We are also in the process of hanging updated pictures of our youth group in action from our various trips over the past year. Additionally, we will soon be adding picnic tables, yard games, flowers and plants and a mural in the courtyard next to the youth area!
Teachers: I am currently compiling a roster of volunteers who will make up our fall youth Sunday School teaching rotation. This group currently includes Whitney Anderson, Laurie Entrekin and Duncan Harle.
Adult Discipleship Update from Rev. John Uldrick | Associate Pastor and the Discipleship Council
All Adult Sunday Breakfast & Bible Study is an effort to both gather as a larger family around the tables and alleviate teacher and class shortages due to holiday travel. The Discipleship Council has made plans to offer this most holiday weekends during the year. Be sure to join us for breakfast in the Fellowship Hall Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 3. Food will be ready about 9:30 a.m. and Gayle Suggs will teach the gathered group about 9:55 a.m. Everyone is invited to breakfast (children and youth, too).
We’re doing our best to stay connected and our continual use of technology is vital especially during Bible study. While we’re eager for all those who can to return to in-person learning and fellowship, we continue to offer ways for our extended family who are less mobile, to engage in their weekly Bible study classes. Did you know at least three Bible study classes still offer a Zoom option? We also have two Bible study classes who host a conference call option for members to dial in and engage with the lesson. Ask us how you can engage in Bible study through SPdL this fall.
Our prayer emphasis in October will be a beautifully and thoughtfully constructed prayer walk on Sunday, October 15 immediately after worship. Becky Shoaf has prepared materials and folks will have the option of walking inside the building or outside around the church campus to pray for the various ministries happening at Second-Ponce. If walking isn’t a good option for you, places on the Plaza will be prepared where you can sit quietly and pray. Prior to the walk, we will have a light, finger food luncheon to give us energy and center our hearts for the experience.
November's Passionate Prayer emphasis is "Help, Thanks, Wow!" These are three different prayers that can show up in our lives often, and we will be challenged to think about when and why we pray them.
December's emphasis is the Advent Devotional, a much-loved Second-Ponce Advent tradition. Also, we'll be enlisting folks to deliver copies of the devotional to our shut-ins prior to the beginning of Advent, so be on the lookout for this volunteer opportunity.
Kids’ Club Book Nook