Thank YOU, LORD!

 

January 7, 2024, The Bridge Class began. It’s been an exciting year filled with blessing as we have dug deep into 1 & 2 Thessalonians, a study of Heaven and Angels, James, and Ephesians. We’re looking forward to including a rich study from the Old Testament in 2025 as well as additional studies in the NT.

 

Bridge Ministry Team members, Don and Debbie Nelson, Frank and Judy Stevens and Ben and Suzii March, who God called to help start The Bridge, have been vital to the class serving as Director, Outreach, Fellowship, Greeter, Teachers and MORE! They are blessings!

 

The Bridge Class 3-Fold Mission includes:
1st-Bridging Our Relationship with Jesus. John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, & the life…”
We do this through In-depth Bible Study teaching and group participation.

 

2nd-Bridging Our Relationship with One Another. Hebrews 10:25 “Do not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing…but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Loving Relationships, Fellowships, Prayer & Praises, Calls, Meals, and Connecting outside of class has grown our class into a warm group of friends who love and pray for each other and laugh together. We can’t wait to see each other on Sundays!

 

3rd-Bridging Our Relationship with Un-believers & Seekers. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go…and make disciples…”
We take serious Jesus’s command to go and make disciples. We notice others around us and invite them to The Bridge. We practice friendship evangelism as well as seasonal outreach such as winter care bags for the homeless, Valentine John 3:16 evangelism outreach, March – The Victor, April Solar Eclipse evangelism cards, December Candy Cane Evangelism.

 

The Bridge Class has members of all walks of life, ages and stages, married, single, widowed, divorced. Our common bond is the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. If you don’t have a class, we’d love for you to pop in and visit. You’ll be welcomed with warm smiles, loving hearts, and lots of JOY!

 

 

 

Welcome to the Crossroads Class.  We are located in the Family Life Center on Sunday morning at 9:45 until 10:45. We are a class of multi-generational ages and backgrounds which make us very diverse and interesting!

 

Our teacher is Gary Anderson.  We do not follow a printed lesson, but Gary gives us what God has laid on his heart to teach which is usually a book of the Bible.  We were in Genesis for the 40 years the Jews wandered in the wilderness!  But it was fun to be with them each step of the way.  Gary has a unique way of tying together Biblical history and American history at the same time.  We have learned a great deal about our fore-fathers and the part God played in our country from the beginning.  From time to time when Gary has to be away from class, we have other teachers who fill in for him.  

 

We are a very loving and friendly group even though we have a large enrollment.  And more importantly than that, we are a strong praying group.  We send out prayer requests each Sunday afternoon that people have asked for that morning.  If needed from time to time, special requests go out during the day sometimes everyday with updates, too.  We try to keep the requests covered in prayer!

 

I am Lanie Ebelt, Director of the class.  I do my best to keep all things flowing in a smooth manner so that on Sunday morning, Bible study and fellowship is what can be focused on.  I am open to hearing what you have to say as a suggestion and will try to work on what might be requested.  But I will not promise it will happen.  It is my philosophy that you try our class and then try the other classes that Trinity has to offer.  “Go where you are fed” is my motto.  

 

We would enjoy having you come and try us out and see if it is a fit.  We do like to party from time to time but find that we are quite busy with family and travel.  I encourage you to find your time of worship, your Bible study class, and then your place of service here at Trinity Baptist Church!

 

 

 

Greeting everyone with wishes for A Happy New Year from the Joyseeker’s Class!

 

My name is Sharon Purswell and my husband, Randy and I, are members of the Joyseeker’s Class and have been for almost 10 years. If you’re new to Trinity, or are not yet part of a Bible Study group, we’d like to invite you to check us out. We’d love the opportunity to meet you. We meet in Room 224 just above the Gym/Family Life Center.

 

We have three great teachers who rotate weekly and whose teaching styles are very diverse. Our study materials are taken from study manuals which promote and invite interactive discussions.

 

As long-time members of this amazing class, we have learned that it is a class filled with true prayer warriors who are full of compassion and love. If you visit us, the very walls in our classroom indicate signs of the love of those within this group. You might come to learn that “We’re family” and we’d love having you join us. We pray for each other, socialize together whether one-on-one or in a group setting in homes or just hanging out with each other. We generally look after each other’s needs. We’re folks who enjoy the study of God’s Word together, enjoy sweet fellowship together and have fun & laughter all along the way!

 

Look forward to meeting you soon!

 

 

 

Are you ready to dive deeper into the Bible and truly understand its meaning? The Genesis Class is here to help you do just that! Whether you’re a teenager, young adult, husband, wife, or seasoned Bible reader, our class welcomes everyone eager to explore the Scriptures in a fresh and exciting way.

 

Unlike traditional Bible study classes, our approach goes beyond rote memorization or becoming a scholar in Greek and Hebrew. We emphasize understanding the meanings of the biblical languages in a practical way. You will learn to pose insightful questions, identify flawed interpretations, and seek comprehensive explanations that resonate on a deeper level.

 

Imagine reading a Bible verse you’ve memorized, like Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Have you ever wondered, what exactly is the gift of God? Is it grace, faith, or something else? Our class will guide you through questions like these, helping you uncover the true meaning behind the words.

 

We recently finished our study of the Book of Revelation and before that the Book of Genesis and are now excited to begin a new journey: What is the Gospel and What is Salvation? This study is unlike anything you’ve experienced before!

 

Join us in room 217, upstairs near the elevator, in the new building. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to grow in your understanding of the Bible and enrich your faith.

 

We can’t wait to see you there!

 

 
The New Life class has an open door for anyone looking for a Sunday morning Bible Study. We are currently going through a short study on the church and plan to take a look at Biblical Servant Leadership in our next study. Our study features plenty of discussion, a few laughs, and the occasional tear. As we continue to grow, we hope to add some outside-of-class gatherings to the social calendar. In the midst of our busy lives, we must be sure to take time for fellowship with other believers. We are currently looking for someone who has that passion for fellowship who might be interested in organizing that for our group. In the meantime, we enjoy the time we share together and look forward to spending time in study and prayer as a community.

 

 

The Lois Home Group is a tight-knit community comprised of young families who come together on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:45 to discuss our faith in Jesus, our lives, and to foster personal growth as Christians. Each family brings its own unique experiences, perspectives, and strengths to the group, creating a great atmosphere for discussion. We typically meet inside the home of one of our members, share a potluck meal for an hour and then have our discussion time for the following hour. While we have our discussion time, our children spend time playing together or watching a movie so the adults can converse without distraction. Discussions range from exploring biblical passages and books, to navigating the complexities of everyday life or diving deep into specific biblical themes. Through dialogue, reflection, and prayer, our group seeks to deepen its understanding of scripture and its relevance to the lives we lead.

 

Beyond the designated discussion time, the Lois Home Group is also a source of practical support and friendship. Members rally around each other during times of need, offering assistance, meals, and a listening ear. We have welcomed new life through babies being born, we’ve mourned the loss of parents and other loved ones, and have even celebrated the marriage of two of our members.

 

The connections we have established through this group permeates into our everyday lives. We gather for social outings, we celebrate holidays together, and provide a sense of belonging that has really helped this small group feel more like a second family. It’s a great thing to witness whenever you have a community around you that continually shows up for one another.

 

We are glad to welcome any who might be interested in attending a small home group. We typically meet 3 Tuesday nights a month and also regularly meet with the Kerrville West Home Group for monthly fellowships.

 

 

Our Bible Study Class meets in room 221 at 9:45 AM.  Recently, the Friendship Class has conducted sermon-based lessons, doing an    in-depth analysis of the sermon preached the week before at Trinity Baptist Church.  But, beginning in June, our class shifted gears and began a unit of study on the topic of eschatology, entitled “The End is Near—or Is It?”  This will lead into a series of lessons on the topic of Heaven beginning sometime in July.

 

Our Bible study follows the method known as “Con-Con-App,” or Content, Context, and Application.  With this method of study, the class begins with an in-depth analysis of the actual Biblical text (often with emphasis placed upon key words from the original languages—Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic).  Then, the Biblical passage being studied is placed within its original historical and cultural context.  Only after completing these steps, do we apply the Biblical passage to our      current life situation (you can’t properly apply the Bible to the present without first understanding what the text actually says and what it meant to its original audience).

 

Prayer is another very important aspect of our class.  Prayer requests are received from class members, prayed over during class time and subsequently also sent out via email to class members and certain TBC staff members for prayer reminders during the week.  If an emergency situation happens during the week and the class needs to be notified, another prayer request will go out to this group so that these needs will be lifted up to the Lord as soon as possible.

 

Acts 2:42 states that the early Christians “continuously devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.”  Koinonia, or fellowship, is an important part of the Christian life. Whenever we gather together as a group, we are imitating the early church. Fellowships for our group include lunch at the TBC Café after church services or at a class member’s home.

 

 

 

As Christians, we are called to live out the many “one anothers” listed in scripture. Our small group meets weekly at the Whitehead’s home and I believe this gives us the opportunity to live out the “one anothers” together with the many families that we meet with. This weekly gathering is something that my family looks forward to every week. A time that we know we can be vulnerable, pray with/for one another, and let our kids be in a safe environment with other kids their age. In my perspective, these are things that Christians need as they grow in their walk with the Lord—a community of other believers and God’s Word. This is something we get each week when we go to our small group.

 

Our time together consists of a meal, fellowship, and then a Bible study.  We make a schedule each semester that consists of who will be bringing the meal and who will be leading the Bible study. Our discussions vary, but we always focus on the goodness of God and the ways that he is using us and blessing us. We are currently going through a study on solitude and it has been so encouraging to see how others in the group handle solitude in their relationships with the Lord. Oftentimes, during our Bible studies, we are able to share what the Lord is doing in our lives but also things that we may be struggling with. This vulnerability that we have with one another really makes it easy to open up to one another and be there for each other, as we have been called to do as Christ followers. I truly believe that this is a time that everyone in the group looks forward to each week as we try our best to love one another, hold one another accountable, and pray for one another.

 

 

“As new members, we were immediately   surrounded by the warmest, most loving and genuinely caring new friends, folks who were passionate about their faith and were spiritually mature.” Most of these earlier members are now with our Lord, but others have joined our fellowship, continuing to serve the Lord in like manner, and support the ministry of the church.  As a class, we have always been there for one another through illnesses, accidents, family problems and too many  tragedies to count!”

 

Caring, sharing, and praying — hallmarks of this class of couples and individuals who are bound together by their love for the Lord and for families, friends, and neighbors. One of our notable missions is to care for one another, for their families, and for others that they know and love. We have cried together.

 

We spend time sharing prayer requests for loved ones, friends or perhaps an acquaintance who is in need. Prayer requests are sent out to the membership during the week, as well to our network of emails and postage mail. All done in the name of the Lord. 

 

Each Sunday the class joins together in the singing of a popular hymn, the celebration of birthdays and anniversaries, and the sharing of other activities that are scheduled for the church family.

 

We have had wonderful teachers over the years, including Kay Miller, Gene Ayers, Chris Christopherson, and Bill Parr.  Currently the centerpiece of the class is Mr. Parr’s lessons, taken directly from the scriptures, book by book and verse by verse.  We just finished the book of Daniel and will study Ephesians next.  

 

Throughout all these activities runs a deep current of fellowship that is both comforting and encouraging. What a privilege it is to have this place where we can sing together, pray together, worship together and know that our Savior Jesus is there with us, guiding and    directing us in all we do. It is a warm inviting place that welcomes anyone in need of a church family. Oh, and we laugh a lot, with JOY!