by Pastor Patrick Cho

Pastor John Kim recently had an opportunity to visit us from San Jose and attend on Sunday morning. One of the things he wanted to do was to peek in each of the Sunday School classes to see what was going on. I’m sure this provided an encouraging perspective since pastors so rarely have the opportunity to see all the moving parts of a church functioning together in one morning. He let me know that one of the things that particularly encouraged him was to see the participation and turn out for Grace Life.

Although meeting on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour might not be the best time for some, it has provided a chance for married couples to attend Bible study together during a time where childcare is adequately provided. These were some of the factors that we wanted to see in our family ministry. Certainly everything is not perfect in terms of the structure, but I doubt it could be. Our goal is simply to do our best to equip and disciple our married couples and parents. Their participation in the ministry is vital to accomplish that goal.

We have still been walking through the John Barnett book, Word Filled Families. Those who are not able to attend the class can track our progress and follow along online. All the homework sheets, Scripture memory passages, and large group instruction can be found on the website. The book has been incredibly challenging and encouraging. It provides helpful, biblical instruction about how to maintain a godly marriage and family. Even if you are not able to attend the class, we would certainly recommend reading the book.

The Bible study is fairly informal and can be broken down into two main parts. Typically before the teaching time, everyone is asked to break up into groups to discuss the week’s assignment. There they can deliberate about the homework questions, particularly focusing on practical application. We must always remember that without proper application of God’s truth, the accumulation of knowledge helps little (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1).

The second part of the Bible study is reserved for large group teaching. Those who attend will realize that this is not necessarily the most emphasized part of our time together. The general purpose of Grace Life is to allow couples and parents to discuss biblical principles with one another, to provide opportunities for fellowship, accountability, and prayer. At times, the teaching is very limited to allow more time for interaction. Understandably, on occasion by exception, the teaching receives the bulk of the time.

I really believe the time together at Grace Life has been greatly profitable. But as I mentioned at the beginning of the term, what people get out of it will be directly proportionate to what they put in. The more they invest time to read, hear, study, memorize, and meditate, and the more they seek to apply the principles of God’s truth individually and towards one another, the more they will profit from the class and advance spiritually.

If you are married and/or a parent, and haven’t been coming out to Grace Life, we would encourage you to do so. You have been missing out on a great opportunity to fellowship with fellow “marrieds” and parents. Each of the lessons in the book is independent of the others so joining mid-term would be fairly easy. Come see what all the buzz is about! And by the way, generally, we have food each week. Certainly this shouldn’t be the primary reason for coming, but it is helpful.