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Foundation Year (Fy) is a Monday-night equipping fellowship that meets over the course of 7 months to equip believers for a lifetime of faithful engagement in the life and ministry of the local church. 

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Registration for 2023-24 is open now until July 31st (or until spots are filled)!

Why Foundation Year?

It is critical that all Christians begin their lives of living for God's glory on a solid foundation. It is far too common that many people profess faith in Christ without being equipped to know how to faithfully live and minister the gospel within the context of the local church. Foundation Year seeks to prepare a new generation of believers with the basics of the Christian life, so that they may live lives that are fruitful for eternity.

It is our prayer and eager hope that the Lord will use this ministry to raise up faithful believers who are: (1) Clear on the gospel of grace, (2) Committed to the sufficiency and authority of God's word, (3) convinced of the centrality of the local church in God's plan for the world, and (4) equipped to minister Christ in and through the local church. If you desire this kind of life, we hope you will consider joining us on the journey for this coming year!

Key Components

Below are the key components for participating in Foundation Year. The curriculum is newly designed each year and addresses key issues/topics that are foundational for faithfully living and ministering the gospel within the context of the local church. The main commitment is every Monday night from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Our Monday evenings meetings will be from Sept 11th, 2023 thru March 25th, 2024. (We will not meet from Dec 11th, 2023 to Jan 1st, 2024.) Orientation for Fy 23-24 will be on Monday August 28th at 7:30 p.m.

1. Workshops at Christ Church (4) // Workshops meet on Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The workshops for 2023-24 are tentatively scheduled to be:

  1. Delighting in the Triune God (Sept 25th, Oct 2nd, Oct 9th) // Theology Track
  2. Evangelism & Missions (Oct 30th, Nov 6th, Nov 13th) // Ministry Track
  3. Reading Pauline Epistles (Jan 22nd, Jan 29th, Feb 5th) // Biblical Studies Track
  4. Church History (Feb 26th, Mar 4th, Mar 11th) // Christian Living Track

2. Book Reading Discussion Groups (6) // Reading great books can be life-changing in the Christian life and we want to read several great books together throughout the year to help renew our minds with the truth of God’s Word. We will have six Monday evenings (7:00-9:00 p.m.) throughout the year where we will discuss books that we’ve read. Fy Fellows will be asked to write a reflection on each book read in order to be ready to fully engage at each Book Reading Group.

Books for Fy 23-24 are:

  1. Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel by Sinclair Ferguson, 97 pages (Practical Theology)
  2. Come and See: A History and Theology of Mission by Justin Schell and Glen Scrivener, 124 pages (Evangelism & Missions)
  3. Reading the Bible with Heart & Mind by Tremper Longman III, 100 pages of selected passages (Biblical Interpretation)
  4. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul,  200 pages (Christian Classic, Practical Theology)
  5. Why We're Protestant by Nate Pickowicz, 112 pages (Church History & Christian Living)
  6. Men - Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot, 230 pages (Christian Biography & Missions)
  7. Women - Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, 250 pages (Christian Biography & Missions)

3. Fellowship Nights (5) // We want to have fun together during Foundation Year, so we are going to have five fellowship nights (Mondays from 7:00-9:00 p.m.) throughout the year where we will enjoy building relationships with one another and making memories with one another.

4. Serving at Church Family Nights (6) // Each participant in Foundation Year will be a part of the service team for our Church Family Nights. Fy Fellows arrive at 5:45 p.m. to help prepare for the evening and will assist in cleaning up afterward. The 2023-24 dates are tentatively scheduled for: Sept 24th, Oct 22nd, Nov 26th, Jan 21st, Feb 18th, Mar 17th.

5. Kickoff Retreat + Conference // Overnight experiences are great opportunities for bonding and growing together. We hope to have two overnight experiences during the year: a Kickoff Retreat (Sept 3-4, 2022) at Barefoot Hills in Dahlonega, GA and attend Cross Conference in Louisville, KY (Jan 3-5, 2024).

Who Can Participate

Since Fellowships are only as effective as the commitment level made by those participating, we ask that all who desire to be in Foundation Year:

  1. Be a member of Christ Church (or willing to pursue membership in the fall) and at least 19 years old (some exceptions may apply)
  2. Desiring to be equipped for life and ministry in the local church
  3. Able to pay a $225 participation fee* to help cover costs**
  4. Able to fully commit to participating in the key components of Foundation Year
  5. Willing to be MinistrySafe certified (if not already) to serve in ministry contexts

* Please note that actual costs are about $450 per participant and our church family subsidizes half the cost to make participation easier for members of our church family!

**Costs do NOT include travel for Kickoff Retreat (lodging and food provided) or food at Cross Conference (conference registration fee, travel, and lodging provided).

Ready to Join?

If you are ready to participate in Foundation Year, please fill out the registration form at the link below. Deadline to sign-up is July 31st. Questions? Contact Pastor Zach: zfallon@ChristSMA.org. You can also email Pastor Zach if you have scholarship questions.

Registration for 2023-24 is open now until July 31st (or until spots are filled)!