Our mission here at First United Methodist Church, Springdale, is to connect people to God and one another by gathering in worship, growing in discipleship to Jesus Christ, and going into the world in mission. While we recognize that we can do this in part on our own, the United Methodist Church is a connectional church. We are all connected to one another, and we need one another. This connectionalism allows our congregation to relate to other United Methodist congregations in our Arkansas Annual Conference and beyond through the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. This connectionalism is experienced locally by the fact that we get to share this journey together. We can worship together, grow together, and serve together with one another and with our community. This is a gift that God gives us: my growth can empower your growth, and vice versa. We need each other to continue to grow into the people whom God is inviting us to be and become in this season.
With that in mind, as this new school year approaches, I want to encourage you to get connected with a group for formation and fellowship. These groups are transformational experiences, and the relationships that come out of them can run deep. And there are grow group opportunities for all ages: we have children’s Sunday school classes, youth and college small groups, and classes for adults. For adults who may pause at the phrase “Sunday school class,” I want to encourage you to look beyond that label to find out about the diverse and fruitful ways that these classes empower growth and relationships:
- The Anna Brown Class meets at 9:45 in room W110. They use a quarterly Bible study series to guide their conversations. The quarterly provides a topic and some background information, which are used to prompt reflective questions and discussion on our experience in daily life.
- The Faithbound Class meets at 9:45 in room W114. They use ongoing book studies to invite reflection and dialogue.
- The Laborers Class meets at 9:45 in room W117. This class is primarily made up of younger adults who are navigating life, work, family, and spirituality together.
- The Schneider Class meets at 9:45 in room N115. They have been doing topical studies each month and are transitioning to a quarterly study resource to provide continuity for their discussions and formation.
- The Seekers Class meets at 9:45 in room W116. This class utilizes ongoing book studies, taking their time to practice curiosity and sit in the hard questions posed by the text, the scriptures, and their lives.
- The Salt & Light Class meets at 11:00 in room N116. They are currently reading Jack’s Last Class by William Hawkins, but take their time to reflect on the content as they prioritize fellowship and prayer together.
These Sunday morning growth opportunities are available for adults all year long. All of our classes are intergenerational and provide great places for community and formation, but they all do so with some nuance. If you are not involved in a Sunday class, come and see the vital ministry that happens in these groups!
We also offer amazing weekday classes for fellowship and formation! Whether it is in a Sunday school class or a midweek study, I want to invite you and encourage you to find a place to connect, build relationships, and grow together in the season ahead!
