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First Thoughts Blog

Category Archives: Discipleship

Fall Discipleship

We have many things to look forward to in the life of the church this fall. One thing to be excited about is the return of our Sunday school classes which resume August 13. I talk to so many in our church who long to have a growing relationship with Christ, long to know his Word better and long for deep connections within the church. Our Sunday school classes offer a perfect opportunity for all three objectives to be accomplished. Scripture tell us to “not be conformed to this world, but renew our minds” (Romans 12:2). Our teachers would love to help you do just that. Each of these returning classes would love to welcome you: Barry Phillips’ CrossRoads class, the rotation of teachers in the Tom & Jerry class, Ryan Dickerson’s Kingdom Builders class or the Journeys class led by Kyle Beall, Jeff Swarner and Shawn Wilson. For the young adults, we have The Bridge with Jade and Katherine Tomeny. In every class, you’ll find seminary-level depth taught by teachers who are loving and eager to help you get grafted in!

And, in the words of a 1980’s game show host, “But, that’s not all!” This fall we launch The Well, a brand-new class taught by Scott Graham. One of Scott’s outstanding qualities is his passion for helping Christians grow in spiritual formation. Join him in the Library for a new study on spiritual gifts. You’ll learn about the Holy Spirit and how he empowers every believer with gifts to edify and bless. Explore how God has gifted you, how you can be a part of blessing Christ’s body and make some great friends in the process!

Small Group Update

As you plan your fall calendar, don’t forget to leave room for small groups! We will follow along with Gerrit’s sermon series on Ephesians. Group discussion questions will be available starting Sunday, September 10. If you are interested in joining a group or leading a new one, connect with Kelly Wood (kelly@fpcbr.org). 

Right Now Media

Do you know that our church pays for a subscription for all congregants of FPC to Right Now Media? Not sure what Right Now Media is and why we’d make this subscription complimentary to you? At First Presbyterian, we believe that God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. To do so, Scripture tells us to renew our minds and think about things that are pleasing to the Lord. Right Now Media is an online platform of countless videos and resources to help equip you in your journey to follow Christ. Looking for a good Bible study on a particular book of the Bible? Looking for an engaging and educational kids series for your little ones? Do you want practical Christian teaching on a topic like battling anxiety or forgiving those that have harmed you? Right Now Media has a treasure trove of content waiting for you to discover. Many have compared the entertainment section to a Christian version of Netflix, or the teaching section to an online seminary experience. Visit our church website to create your account and enjoy all that Right Now Media has to offer.  We trust it will benefit you greatly in your effort to be a disciple of Christ and disciple others. 

More About RNM

Posted in: Discipleship

Right Now Media

Have you ever been to a holiday party and received a gift that was a re-gift? Sometimes those gifts can be a little less desirable, but I have great news. First Presbyterian Church is giving you a gift that you are going to love receiving again! As the director for discipleship at our church, I want you to have the gift of Right Now Media (RNM). I announced two years ago that I had purchased a churchwide account for all who love FPC, but I think it is time to remind you of what a great treasure trove of godly material it is.
 
RNM is a lot like a Christian version of Netflix but with a much greater emphasis on teaching. There are plenty of entertaining videos for kids, such as What’s in the Bible and Adventures in Odyssey. But where RNM really stands out is its teaching for adults. Whenever I want to study a book in the Bible, I love going to RNM and watching a How to Read summary of the book. For example, type in the search bar “Psalms,” then scroll down to the customizable training section and click on Tim Mackie’s How to Read Pslams. It is a powerful 9 minute summary!
 
If you’re looking for Bible study content for personal or small group use, RNM has tons of content from some of the most recognizable Christian teachers today. If it’s a topic that you’re curious about, such as parenting, you will be amazed how many great videos can be found on the topic. With this announcement of a gift you already have, I did want to make you aware of a couple of things that have improved with RNM since 2017. Some new users can get overwhelmed with how much content is on the site. To help with this, I have created a FPC “Channel” that will have specific content that I think our church will enjoy including a “Staff Favorites” section. (Continue to check the FPC channel as we’ll be adding new content to it all the time.) The other greatest improvement to RNM is your ability to access it. Before you had to sign-up via the invitation that I sent to the email our church has on file for you. If you lost that email, I had to manually create another invitation for you to join. Now, all you have to do is go to our FPC website, find the RNM link, and from there you will be able to directly create an account. Now that’s a pretty easy gift to unwrap!!!
 
Enjoy the new year and when you have time to catch your breath, check out RNM. My hope is that the teaching found there will complement the excellent teaching we receive every Sunday from the pulpit–and that we may walk deeply with Christ together as a body!
 
 
Posted in: Discipleship