CCC Gainesville | Blog
Over the next two months, we have two unique opportunities to grow in our involvement in the local church, in our connections with each other, and in our understanding of God’s word. “Foundations” and our “Next Step Class” will be offered for 6-consecutive weeks, beginning Sunday, January 26 at 6pm* in the sanctuary.
(*Next Step meets at 5:30pm on January 26, then at 6pm for the remainder.)
- Foundations – Register Online Here
Once per year, we offer an education series on Sunday night where participants are invited to dig deeply into God’s word and study a topic together. Last year, we studied the Westminster Confession of Faith (audio recordings here.). This year, Pastor Rob Pendley will look at the topic of Renewal. What does it look like? How do we participate with God in it? What is the goal of renewal? and more. Will include emphasis on role of prayer and the Scriptures in spiritual wakefulness. - Next Step Class – Register Online Here
Our 6-week Next Step class coincides in part with the Foundations series. The Next Step class is offered periodically to anyone interested in learning more about the church. The class encourages church membership, and it is a prerequisite to joining CCC. For more information, or for help with registration, please contact the church office. (352) 379-4949 or info@christcommunitychurch.com.
Please note: Completing this form will also register you for the Foundations Series: Renewal.
*Plan to meet for Next Step Class overview at 5:30 on January 26, and then join in the Foundations class at 6 pm.*
What to Make of Children…and Their Parents
The Opus Project is offering a reading group this spring on “What to Make of Children…and Their Parents”. We will be discussing a series of essays and poems on the wonder and puzzlement of children as well as the role of parents (and others) in the process of raising them. The title – “What to Make of Children…” – invokes a double meaning on the verb make. In one sense we are asking how we are to make sense out of children: just what are we talking about when we talk about children? In another sense, we are asking how we are to think about and approach the process of making children into something – their formation into adulthood, citizenship, and whatever else we are supposed to do. And then, there’s the afterthought “…and Their Parents”, which has in view the reality and mystery that somehow as we embark on the pathway of child-raising, we the parents are also being made into something. What a puzzling and amazing thing.
The series will certainly be about parenting, but it will also be broader and deeper than that as we seek to build a framework to help us see children more clearly and understand our role better as we seek to honor God and his ways through our families. This series was inspired in part by the latest edition of The Hedgehog Review on “Parenting in America”. We will draw from this issue for two of our essays and from other sources for the rest. Also, we will try to team up some poems with the essays from time to time.
We will be meeting monthly on Sunday mornings during the 2nd hour (10:30am) on the church campus.
Reading Schedule (dates are subject to change)
January 26
“A More Vibrant Theology of Children”, Marcia Bunge
(published in Christian Reflection by The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor)
February 23 (short letter + essay)
“Letter to Young Parents”, James K.A. Smith
(on the occasion of a baptism – Smith ponders the future project of shaping a life)
and
“Raising the Awesome Child”, Diane M. Hoffman
(examines the agenda of parenting in which the goal is to raise amazing kids)
March 23
“Beyond Noah’s Ark”, Susan R. Garrett
(reconsidering how we might best impart a depth of the scriptures to children)
April 27
“Teach Your Children Well”, John Zucchi
(the role of the church and the contents of spiritual formation)
May 18
“Holding Them Closer”, Carl Desportes Bowman
(considers parental connections to children as they mature toward independence)
For other/future information on the Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture, click here.
Sunday January 19
For a year and a half Christ Community has been partnering with Creekside Community to establish a core group to launch a new gospel-driven church downtown. God has brought us to the cusp of that launch! And we want to celebrate, and prayerfully commission them as a church plant.
This Sunday evening at six, we’ll gather at Creekside Church ( 2640 NW 39th Avenue) for a service to commission City Church. I hope you will consider joining me, the launch team, and our partners at Creekside for this meaningful time together.
Creekside is arranging childcare for the hour long service. If you know you will attend and require childcare, please send a note to nina AT creekside.com.
Sunday January 26 Foundations Series: Renewal
Please share this with your small group, volunteer teams, study groups and as many other individuals as you can.
Register here, as we need a count especially for planning childcare – but most importantly plan to be there for these reasons:
This is the 2nd year of our gathering on Sunday nights to equip current and train new leaders by providing an unhurried space for spiritual formation with me teaching in a “classroom” environment. Last year we overviewed the Westminster Confession of Faith. This year we will look at the topic of Renewal. What does it look like? How do we participate with God in it? What is the goal of renewal? and more. Will include emphasis on role of prayer and the Scriptures in spiritual wakefulness.
Christ Community normally seeks to keep people informed on prayer needs through an email group. You can join the group simply by sending an email to prayer @
Today, I’m updating on the blog because the two main people working on this initiative are in need of prayer!
Alvin Tate is traveling with his wife, Carol. They are in Birmingham–where doctors are not expecting Carol’s sister to live much longer.
Chris Hiatt has pneumonia. Their son Benjamin is also experiencing respiratory issues. Please pray for his wife, Amber, to stay healthy in order to provide care to the family.
I also want to update you on situations that have been mentioned earlier, Scot Eubanks and Nicole Keys.
Scot Eubanks, son of Larry and Kathleen, was hospitalized and released following stroke-like symptoms. This week he went back into hospital. They have discovered an infection in Scot’s central nervous system. He is being treated with antibiotics and will be at Shands until the cause of infection is found. A Lumbar puncture gave Scot some relief from a terrible head ache.
19 year old Nicole Keys was injured in a car accident during Thanksgiving. She is doing remarkably well, as of yesterday. From Facebook:
On her right side, Nicole passed all of the pt ‘tests’. She obeyed all commands and identified all objects correctly.
Nicole even was able to text two of her friends and said, “I love you.” using the iPad.
Her left side still isn’t ‘awake’.
Her left side still isn’t ‘awake’.
Don’t forget to join the prayer community by emailing prayer AT christcommunitychurch.
James and Rachel Schrader sent this along regarding the great gathering they lead for middle and high school students on Sunday mornings. They kick off the semester THIS SUNDAY, January 12, at 9:00AM:
This semester we are going to be studying John 1-10 in youth Sunday School. We are excited about the opportunity to learn from what Jesus said and did through the eyewitness account of John. Jesus uses everyday items and events to reveal and explain spiritual truths. Each lesson will be a neat time of reading, teaching, and discussing topics such as “How is Jesus the Light of the world?,” “Why are Jesus’ words about eternal life confusing to many people?,” “Who was the ‘Wild Man’?,” and how to relate faith to everyday life.
Read a one-page overview of their study
Watch a 2 minute video class overview
PARENTS: Grab a free ebook on John’s Gospel from RC Sproul
