Gleaners
Spring 2010 Class - THE GOSPEL OF MARK
What is your relationship to Jesus Christ? Is it a code of conduct? "No!" says the writer Mark. Jesus calls us into a relationship of discipleship. Fellowship is the heart of the disciple’s life. Fellowship means trusting Jesus, confessing him, following his teaching and being shaped by a relationship to him.
The Gospel of Mark gives us the nearest thing we will ever get to a report of Jesus’ life. Mark’s aim was to give us a picture of Jesus as he was. No gospel gives such a human picture of Jesus. All the while Mark never forgot the divine side of Jesus. One of the great characteristics of Mark is that over and over again he inserts the little vivid details of an eyewitness.
Join us at 9:45 in the Parlor as time and time again we hear the very sound of Jesus’ voice as passed on to us by Mark.
Class Enjoys Faith and Friendship
This is not your typical Sunday school class. Rather than a class it is best described as a group. The group is attended by families, middle aged, and senior adults. Singles and married couples fit together comfortably. The normal number in attendance is between 50-65, and some Sunday’s the room is full. Those in attendance range from Bible scholars, to those with an average level of biblical knowledge, while others are new in their discovery of God’s word.
Valuable lessons are learned, but not all come from the day’s Bible lesson. Whether studying Old or New Testament, class members learn rich lessons from the Bible text; however, they also glean priceless lessons from the testimonies of one another, shared as subjects for praise or prayer.
Times of fellowship are offered other than on Sunday morning. Fellowship dinners are planned three to four times a year to allow for greater fellowship and intimacy. The prayer fellowship, dialogue during the teaching ministry, and shared meals promote real Gospel community---the “fellowship of believers.”
This group serves Christ by practicing a ministry of generosity in missions. It encourages the support of various EPC-sponsored ministries, such as World Impact, Art & Jesus, ISI and various prison 
ministries. The Micah Project in Honduras, run by Central’s own Michael Miller has been a focus of the group since its inception. Many in the class have visited in Honduras. (See pictures) The boys of the Miacah project consider the group as their grandparents. During this time the group has raised more than $135,000 in support of the Micah Project. They take a free-will offering the first Sunday of each month.
The class represents an excellent example of how a regular Sunday morning class can be not only a learning opportunity but a place of fellowship, ministry and real community for adult believers.
