This is an archive page. This page is no longer in use and no longer maintained.

   

**NOTE: While most of our opportunities to learn, grow, and serve continue, our practice of producing a catalog of opportunities three times per year has been discontinued.  This is an archive page. This page is no longer maintained or updated.

Click here for the Opportunities Page

Click here for the Resources Page

Click here for the Schedule of Dates for Spring 2020 information

 

Here at Wesley Church we like to Learn, Grow, and Serve. We find that when we are learning about God, the Bible, and faith we are growing as Christian disciples.  Similarly, when we are serving others, we grow as Christians. Our goal is to provide many short-term and longer-term opportunities to learn, grow, and serve, so that people of all ages can be involved. 

 

New Groups

New leadership or new group? - If you are feeling led to lead a group, see Pastor Scott Grulke, Pastor Melly Momo, Jim Olsen, or contact the church office.  There is wide variety of options including personal development, Bible study, Christianity 101, parenting, financial stewardship, and service. Perhaps consider using a series from RightNow Media.  The pastors have numerous resources which could be used.   

The Learn-Grow-Serve system is always open to new (often short-term) groups to form, for learning or service.

Q: Learn-Grow-Serve...Is there a distinction?

Common questions include "What's the difference between a learning activity and a growth activity?" or "Can an activity be more than one thing?" or "What is  a growing activity?"

 

The basic idea is:

• • A Learning activity involves learning about the Bible, biblical or Christian principles, church history, organizational or institutional structures that can improve our church, or issues of concern to Christians.
  • A Growing activity involves growing as Christians, growing in our relation to Christ, growing as a disciple, or growing as a community of faith.
  • A Serving activity involves service to others. Examples include painting during the Streaming Waters Work Week (SWWW), making lunches during SWWW, reading stories at VBS, pulling weeds in the garden, sharpening pencils for the pews, or stocking the shelves at Loaves and Fishes.

The three "types" of activities are not separate. It is often the case, for example, that when we are learning about Bible principles we are also growing as Christians or when we are serving together we are growing as a community of faith.  In the opportunities catalog we list learning activities and serving activities.  All activities are considered growth activities.

 

A: No, there is not a strong distinction between learning, growing, and service opportunities.

 

Q: What is the 4-month System of Groups?

The Four-month System of Groups was created by Pastor Nelson Searcy.  Wesley Church is first implementing the program in Fall 2014. This is a system for creating, advertising, filling, and running small groups. The system is used three times each year (Fall, Spring, Summer).  

 

The four-month cycle is set up to help organizers.  The four months are:

• • Focus - get the big picture, get direction, and evaluate the previous cycle.
  • Form - set the groups, get the leaders, create the 'course catalog' of opportunities/offerings.
  • Fill - Publicity (using the 'course catalog' of opportunities) and sign-up period.
  • Facilitate - first month of the actual activity. Make sure it is off to a good start.  Typically activities/studies/groups last 6 to 16 weeks. 8 to 12 is good. However, a service activity, for example, might be one day.

Schedule of Dates for Opportunities for Spring 2020

RightNow Media has lots of video series that make leading a small group easy. If you would like to discuss these or other possibilities, contact one of the pastors and they'd be happy to help you start a new group or a new study.

 

Here are the dates for preparation and distribution of our Opportunities for Spring Catalog.

• Nov. 13 - Request for information about activities for the Opportunities for Spring Catalog distributed to the congregation and groups*.
• Nov. 13  - Dec. 9 - Groups communicate with the church office to indicate what activities they will be doing during the spring months (to go into the Opportunities for Spring Catalog).  This should include learning activities and service activities (all of which may also be growing activities).  Use this Reporting Form [PDF] (or get a print form in the office.) Please turn in the form by Dec. 9.
• January 10  - Opportunities for Spring Catalog is done.  This will also appear online. The catalog will be distributed for 3 Sundays, beginning January 19.
• January 19 - February 2 - Sign-up period. The catalog of Opportunities for Spring will be distributed. Individuals sign up for learning, growing, and serving activities using the Connections Cards, sign-up sheets, or in the church office.
• February 2 (and thereafter) - The groups and activities begin.

*Note on Sunday School Classes: Information about the adult Sunday School appears online here. For the purposes of the LGS catalogs, you need not provide information, as the Sunday School classes are not listed individually in the opportunities catalog. The catalogs do include an invitation for people to join Sunday School classes any time during the year.

 

Questions about this schedule can be directed to Jim Olsen, the church office, or Pastor White.

Background

The Learn-Grow-Serve initiative was started in 2013 (after the MAPP 2 process).

Top Ministry Priority #2:  We must help people become part of our community of faith where together we learn, grow as disciples, and serve where we are gifted.   TMP #2 Goal: Every person involved with some type of Christian Education AND some type of Service Activity.

 

Learn-Grow-Serve Group

The Learn-Grow-Serve Group maintains a list of learning, growing, and service opportunities. 

 

The charge of the Learn-Grow-Serve Group is to facilitate the process of communication and getting people involved in activities.  Generally, the group does not create learning, growing, and service activities.  The activities ("opportunities") are created by the teams, groups, and classes (for example, activities set up by the Missions Team, Social Concerns Team, or the M6 Men's Ministry group).

 

For more information on the Learn-Grow-Serve Group contact Jim Olsen (chair), the church secretary, or one of the pastors.

 

More Ideas

Click here for a list of potential ideas for learning, growing, and service opportunities.

Additional Service Opportunities with Local Agencies - This is a list of existing agencies who are looking for volunteers and/or assistance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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