Sunday School

Sunday school isn’t mandated in scripture—we could actually dispense with it without violating scripture–so why do we have it?  Though most of us may have an instinctive aversion to the word “school” – that is precisely where the value of such a ministry lies.  Both believers and unbelievers can profit from sustained exposure to the Word and biblical thought in such a forum.

Historically, “Sunday school” began in the later 1700s.  Robert Raikes, an Anglican layman burdened for illiterate city youth, aimed to improve literacy to facilitate Bible instruction.  What began as an effort to curb Bible illiteracy has long continued as an effort to prevent Bible illiteracy from ever reoccurring! 

Our teaching goal is to encourage a devotional and accurate application of the Word.  We also aim to use Sunday school to support our pulpit ministry – repeating series preached years ago by our pastor, choosing studies that complement current preaching series, or by forming up our church family’s collective Bible knowledge through a structured curriculum approach.  In addition, we have found Sunday school to be a good forum through which to expose our people to some classic devotional literature to aid them in their understanding and application of Scripture.

Structurally, our adult Sunday ministry is set up to maximize five biblical priorities:  

  • To facilitate our elders' pastoral ministry to our people
  • To facilitate our people's relationship to their respective elders
  • To facilitate our deacons' leadership of the body in service ministry
  • To provide for the spiritual development of our people and increased opportunities for their service
  • To provide additional opportunities of spiritual fellowship in smaller formats

 

Click Here to Access our 2024 Spring Sunday School Class Locations

Historically, Sunday schools did not officially begin until the late 18th century; however, the concept of subdividing larger groups into smaller ones for more effective pastoral ministry has been a longer-term ministerial tool.  For example, read the thoughts penned by John Wesley in his Journal for April 25, 1742:

“I appointed several earnest and sensible men to meet me, to whom I showed the great difficulty I had long found of knowing the people who desired to be under my care.  After much discourse, they all agreed there could be no better way to come to a sure, thorough knowledge of each person than to divide them into classes . . . . This was the origin of our classes at London, for which I can never sufficiently praise God, the unspeakable usefulness of the institution having ever since been more and more manifest.”

 

Click here to see a History of Topics taught in our Sunday School classes, broken down by category.

Topics our adults have studied together since 1999 include the following (listed in reverse chronological order): 

Topics

   
Spring 2024   Fellowship of Saints in Christ
Fall 2023   Written for Our Instruction: Survey of the Old Testament, Pt. 2
Summer 2023   With Reverence & Awe: Learning to Fear the Lord
Spring 2023   Written for Our Instruction: Survey of the Old Testament, Pt. 1
Fall 2022   Forming Christ’s Mind in You: Glimpses into the Inner Life of Our Lord
Summer 2022  
When the Church was Young (Acts 1-8), Pt. 2
Spring 2022  
When the Church was Young (Acts 1-8), Pt. 1    
Fall 2021   Ten Commandments: Ten Laws Leading to Christ, Pt. 2
Summer 2021   Ten Commandments: Ten Laws Leading to Christ, Pt. 2
Spring 2021   One Another Ministry: The Ministry of the Body to Its Own
Spring 2020   Ten Commandments: Ten Laws Leading to Christ, Pt. 1
Fall 2019   Nehemiah: The Potter’s Vessel Restored
Spring 2019   Ezra: Israel, The Potter's Vessel Remade 
Fall 2018   Peter’s Parting Counsel: A Call to Christ-like Virtue, 2 Peter 1:1-11

Spring 2018

 

A Composed & Quieted Soul: the Life of David as Reflected in His Psalms

Fall 2017

 

Holy War (book study)

Spring 2017

 

Wonderful Counselor: The "Blessed" Teaching of Jesus

Fall 2016

 

Gospel Self-Talk: The Discipline of Sanctified Self-Address

Summer 2016

 

Equipped to Win: Standing Firm and Getting Back Up

Spring 2016  

Pilgrim’s Progress: the Journey of a Life in Christ

Fall 2015  

Beginnings for Beginners: Foundations from the Early Pages of Moses' Discipleship Manual (Genesis 1-11), Part 2

Spring 2015

 

Beginnings for Beginners: Foundations from the Early Pages of Moses' Discipleship Manual (Genesis 1-11), Part 1

Fall 2014

 

Learning from Conversations with God: Exemplary Prayers of Bible Saints

Summer 2014

 

The Faithful Way: Gleaning from Old Testament Responses to the Written Word

Spring 2014

 

Applied Bibliology: the Word of God in the Child of God (Psalm 119)

Fall 2013

 

The Journey Isn't Over: Studies in the Pilgrim Psalms

Summer 2013

 

The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works

Spring 2013

 

Studies in Hebrews 11: A Faith that Does Not Fail

Fall 2012  

Forming Christ's Mind in You: Glimpses into the Inner Life of Our Lord

Summer 2012  

The Transformation of Peter: The Man Christ Formed into a Rock

Spring 2012  

A Biblical Theology of Discipleship

Fall 2011  

When the Church Was Young: The Church in Early Acts

Summer 2011  

When the People of God Were Young: Israel’s Wilderness Wanderings, Pt 2

Spring 2011  

When the People of God Were Young: Israel’s Wilderness Wanderings, Pt 1

Fall 2010  

10 Commandments: Ten Laws Leading to Christ, Pt 2

Summer 2010  

Speaking the Truth in Love

Spring 2010  

10 Commandments: Ten Laws Leading to Christ, Pt 1

Fall 2009  

Continuing Obligations of Faithfulness:  Our Church Heritage – Historically, Philosophically, Covenantally, Theologically

Summer 2009  

Judges: Tested through His Faithfulness to Chasten & Deliver

Spring 2009  

Joshua: Success through God’s Faithfulness

Fall 2008  

Life of David: Man of Prayer, Man of War

Summer 2008  

Strong in God's Strength: Standing Firm in the Unseen War

Spring 2008  

Holy War (book study)

Jan. 2007  

The Work of the Ministry: Living Inside the Mount Calvary Family

Fall 2007  

The Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul: The Mission of a Man in Christ

Summer 2007  

A Primer on the Psalms: Patterns of Private & Public Worship

Spring 2007  

The Pilgrim's Progress: The Journey of a Life in Christ (book study)

Jan. 2007   Evangelizing in a Neo-Pagan World: Giving the Gospel to Those of a Different World View

Fall 2006

 

Written for our Growth in the Knowledge of Christ: A Survey of the NT, Pt 2

Summer 2006              

Written for Our Encouragement in the Work of the Ministry:  Getting Acquainted with the Companions of Paul

Spring 2006  

Written for our Growth in the Knowledge of Christ: A Survey of the NT, Pt 1

Jan. 2006  

Written Between the Lines:  Finding God in the Intertestamental Period

Fall 2005  

Written for Our Admonition: A Survey of the OT, Part 2

Summer 2005  

Kings in Chronicles

Spring 2005   

Written for Our Admonition:  A Survey of the OT, Part 1

Jan. 2005  

Revisiting our Denominational Heritage

Fall 2004  

2 Peter 1: An Entrance Abundantly Supplied

Summer 2004  

In Pursuit of God: Lives Transformed Through the Knowledge of God

Spring 2004  

Increasing in the Knowledge of God

Jan. 2004  

Missions & Modesty 

Fall 2003  

Learning from Conversations with God: Exemplary Prayers of Bible Saints

Summer 2003  

Members One of Another: The Divine Design and Duties of the Church

Spring 2003  

Changed Into His Image (book study) 

Jan. 2003  

Singing with Grace in Your Hearts

Fall 2002  

Romans 3:10-5:11: The Words of the Gospel

Summer 2002  

Having a Reading Answer: Bible Answers to Questions People Ask

Spring 2002  

Ezra: The Potter's Vessel Remade 

Jan. 2002  

A Biblical Approach to Finances

Fall 2001  

Hebrews 11: A Faith That Will Not Fail

Summer 2001  

Peter: The Man Christ Formed to be a Rock

Spring 2001  

Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134): The Journey Isn't Over

Jan. 2001  

Text & Translation

Fall 2000  

Malachi: Healing for Heartless Religion

Summer 2000  

Ten Laws Leading to Christ: The Ten Commandments

Spring 2000   

Ten Laws Leading to Christ: The Ten Commandments

Fall 1999   

Life of Joseph: Remembering the Presence and Providence of God