Foundation Year (Fy) is a Monday-night equipping fellowship that meets over the course of 8 months with the aim to train participants for a lifetime of faithful engagement in the life and ministry of the local church.
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 designed to potentially be a two-year journey through the basics of 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. from early September to early April.
1. Workshops at Christ Church (5) // Starting Fall 2022 Christ Church will begin having Workshops to equip the saints to live for God’s glory. Workshops will meet on Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Part of participating in Foundation Year will be participating in all of the workshops being offered during the 2022-23 ministry year.
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 two-page summary of each book read in order to be ready to fully engage at each Book Reading Group.
Books for Fy 22-23 are:
- All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon (The Gospel)
- The Local Church by Edward Klink (Ecclesiology)
- A Praying Life by Paul Miller (Spiritual Disciplines)
- Dig Deeper by Nigel Beynon & Andrew Sach (Biblical Interpretation)
- Knowing God by J.I. Packer (Reformed Theology)
- Strange New World by Carl Trueman (Philosophy/Apologetics Equipping)
- Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson (Ministry Equipping)
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.) on throughout the year where we will enjoy building relationships with one another and making memories with one another.
4. Service Nights (7) // Each participant in Foundation Year will be a part of the service team for our Family Ministry Nights that are beginning Fall 2022. Our plan is to have seven family ministry nights on the 4th Wednesday of each month (Sept, Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr). Fy Fellows will serve in this ministry context by helping prepare logistics, ministering to kids and youth.
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 4-5, 2022) and attend a conference together (Nov 11-12, 2022).
- This year the Fy Fellows will attend Reformation Fellowship's conference in Atlanta, The Gospel: Our Hope & Banner.
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:
- Be a member of Christ Church (or willing to pursue membership in the fall)
- Desiring to be equipped for life and ministry in the local church
- Able to pay a $125 participation fee to help cover costs
- Able to fully commit to participating in the key components of Foundation Year
- Willing to be MinistrySafe certified (if not already) to serve in ministry contexts
READY TO JOIN?
If you are ready to participate in Foundation Year, please fill out the form below Deadline to sign-up is August 1st. Questions? Contact Pastor Zach: zfallon@ChristSMA.org.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR 2022-23.