We believe that Christian discipleship is a holistic endeavor, as our faith impacts every aspect of our life. At the very center of any "school of discipleship” is Christ in the gospel, the power that gives the life of God to all who believe in him. The gospel is the free gift of God's grace possessed by faith in Christ alone. It is the discovery of being set free from the fear of divine and human condemnation, while transforming our relationships, our work, and our worship! The Gospel is nothing less than the "power of God unto salvation!"

Many of the following are classes taught at CPC, but they can be read independently and are a great resource for personal study.

 

Theology

Confessional Theology: A rich study of theological doctrines, this class is a great introduction to what we believe the Bible teaches.

Heresies and Errors: Church history is filled with subtle, well-intentioned errors in theology that if applied will wreak havoc in a believer's life. The value of such a class isn't to point fingers at others, but to examine how heresy creeps into our own lives and why it is so dangerous.

Christian Basics I: The Apostles' Creed: This is a discussion course on the "essentials" of the Christian faith by way of explicating the Apostles' Creed.

Christian Basics II: Applying Christian Beliefs to Life: This a discussion course exploring questions like: What does it mean to profess faith in Christ? Why join a church? And, what should a Christian life look like?

Great Books of Christian Discipleship I: More than a book review, these are studies of theological topics guided by exceptional books on the subject.

Great Books of Christian Discipleship II: More than a book review, these are studies of practical topics guided by exceptional books on the subject.

Missional Ecclesiology: Reformed understanding of church and mission.

 

Biblical Studies

Bible Interpretation: The Reliability and Usability of The Christian Scriptures In Our Present Age: An introduction to reading, understanding, and applying scripture (see the 2016 Bible Interpretation course here.).

Biblical Theology: This course explore different trajectories in redemptive-history.

Proverbs Bible Study: The Book of Proverbs offers timeless biblical wisdom for all parts of our practical life. It is also a book that can be difficult to interpret, with poetic style and ancient imagery.

Philippians Bible Study:The “book of joy” - as Philippians is known - has been the favorite letter of Paul's for many throughout the Church. Written from prison, Paul exhorts the church to rejoice in the reality of Christ’s victory, and we explore the day-to-day challenges of living in post-Christian New England.

 

Gospel in Life

Intro to CPC's Spirituality: Often used with our membership seminars, this class adresses the church as mission and explains our Total Christ vision.

Gospel Christianity I: This is an introduction to the heart of Christian belief. Who is Jesus? Why did he die? How do we change?

Gospel Christianity II: This is an introduction to Christian discipleship. 

Gospel Christianity III: This is an introduction to biblical character.

Total Christ Spirituality: The term “Total Christ” originates from the 5th century pastor-theologian St. Augustine, who described the relationship of Christ’s incarnational ministry (past) to his ongoing ascension ministry (present) as “the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us; to that flesh is joined the church, and there is made total Christ, both head and body.” This study walks through the ways this concept frames our faith and practice.

Christian Spirituality: Christians can hear a lot of conflicting messages about how to grow and maintain a healthy Christian life. We will seek to speak into this chaos with open discussions on the topics such as Sabbath, Fasting and Prayer, Family Worship, and Calling.

Gospel in Life (video course): How is the gospel lived out in your heart, in your community, and in your world? This study, designed by Redeemer City to City, contains elements of video, Bible study, and discussion questions.

Prayer: Topics on prayer from a few great resources.

Covenantal Parenting: Apply the gospel to your parenting, while instilling a covenantal framework to raising your children. (Parenting Conference 11/2018)

Sonship: Many of us understand faith intellectually, but our hearts have not quite kept up with our heads. Sonship is a course designed to help Christians experience the gospel and its implications for our identity as a child of God.

Vocation: Why  am I doing this work? Why is it so hard? How can I find meaning and purpose in work? These are the types of questions we will address in this course on vocation. We will also be encouraged to think deeply about how our faith informs how we do our work.

When Life is a Work of Art: Work, by its very nature, is "Art" as it relates to God's callings.

Spiritual Gifts in the Life of the Church: In an age of experts it can be hard to feel necessary or useful; and in an age of entertainment, it can be tempting to sit back and let others do the work. This class will explore all the ways you were created (and re-created in Christ!) to bless the body of Christ and receive blessings from others.

 

Evangelism/Apologetics

Missionary Encounters of Other Faiths: A study like this is practical and relevant in addressing how to enter into a dialogue with friends and neighbors of other faiths. This series seeks to encourage us and strengthen us in our trust in the gospel, while learning about, and even learning from, those different from us.

Missionary Encounters with Neighbors: A study like this is practical and relevant in addressing how to enter into a dialogue with friends and neighbors of other faiths. This series seeks to encourage us and strengthen us in our trust in the gospel, while learning about, and even learning from, those different from us.

Apologetics and Evangelism:  How do we give a reason for the hope that is within us? These classes teach us both the theology and practice of sharing our faith.

Christianity Explored: One life, what’s it all about? Using material from Christianity Explored Ministries, these videos and studies introduce us to Christianity through the Gospel of Mark.

Evangelism Conference: Held as a joint event for all CPC Congregations, this course is a time of learning, sharing, and training about how to share the hope of Jesus with our neighbors and friends.

 

Church History

Church History: Turning Points, This course highlights the decisive moments in the history of Christianity. The broad-brush approach allows us a unique perspective on God’s work through history.

Church History: Early Years, explore the history and theology of the early church up to the 5th century. More than a dry record of dates and places, History II will focus on biographies of key figures in the formational period of Christianity. The course is designed to emphasize how relevant this period is to our needs today.

Church History: Reformation, The Protestant Reformation was a spiritual revival and call to reform. It is a period that offers valuable lessons for the modern church. Like History II, History III will use biographies to guide us through this time period.

Church History: The American Journey, This period of revival and expansion continues to inspire, challenge and influence the church today. We will focus on 9 key moments, using short videos by engaging scholars followed by pastor-led discussion.

The Christ of History: The Early Church and the Kingdom of God, Taught by Professor John Roney, this course explores how the early church discovered their place in the Kingdom of God, from their Jewish roots and the Law, the meaning of Jesus Christ’s life, ministry, death, and resurrection, as well as God’s revelation in history and nature. This study will show the early Christian’s experience in their many writings, art and architecture, interaction with a variety of pagans in the Roman Empire, and ecumenical gatherings with Christians from a variety of cultures.

 

Leadership

Introduction to Spiritual Leadership: An important part of leadership training at CPC, this class takes you through the dynamics of spiritual leadership and the skills of a spiritual leader. This is for anyone who would like to learn about leadership, who would like to be a leader, or who is a leader and would like to think about leadership further. Seminars are a great way to get to know others in the congregation and learn communally. (Click here for the 2018 multi-congregational class.)

Lay Counseling: The gospel has the power to transform every aspect of our lives. We believe that every counseling issue is spiritual as well as biological and social. This class is part of a holistic approach to helping hurting people.

Shepherd Leader Training I Total Christ Ecclesiology: In depth training for those aspiring to the role of Elder or WLB.

Shepherd Leader Training II Total Christ Life-on-Life Discipleship: In depth training for those aspiring to the role of Elder or WLB.

Spiritual Gifts in the Life of the Church: The New Testament is filled with amazing descriptions and promises about the gifts EVERY Christian can bring to the life of the church. In an age of experts, however, it can be hard to feel necessary or useful; and in an age of entertainment, it can be tempting to sit back and let others do the work. This class will explore all the ways you were created (and re-created in Christ!) to bless the body of Christ and receive blessings from others.

 

Other

Study of Jonathan Edwards' Charity and Its Fruits  These studies engage Edwards' classic book that explores faithful living, or as Edwards put it "All true grace tends to practice."

Study of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Spiritual Depression Guides to studying these helpful sermons by one of the great preachers of the twentieth century.

Good News for Anxious Christians: Have you ever struggled with "giving God control, finding God’s will, or letting God work”? We’ll look at why these “spiritual-ish” phrases in the Christian world can often be oppressive and manipulative, and how the biblical gospel sets us free from anxiety-inducing thoughts and habits with which we all struggle.

You Are What You Love: Based on the book of the same title, by acclaimed Calvin College professor James K. A. Smith, we will be taking a broader look at how our hearts and minds are shaped by our experiences and culture, rather than assuming that Christian growth is only done by forcing the right theology into our brains. Since we are primarily worshipers and lovers, not just thinkers, we need to discern all the competitors for our heart’s affections.

World Upside Down: Have you ever wondered why our world and church seem so much different from the time of the New Testament? In this exciting study, we will explore the radical life of the early church through the book of Acts, as they took the gospel message and the presence of Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Surely to be challenging, encouraging, and comforting for today’s Christian life, we will follow in the footsteps of the apostles who “turned the world upside down" and reference the book of the same name by C. Kavin Rowe.

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: As the title hints at, this study will follow the book that wonderfully and winsomely explains how Christians can truly practice hospitality without having the perfect house, the perfect meal, or the perfect life, utilizing Rosaria Butterfield's book "The Gospel Comes with a House Key." Embedded in the gospel itself is the call to evangelize and build community, and we will explore how acclaimed author Rosaria Butterfield encourages us to reach out to those around us in the way Jesus would have us. Practical, yet challenging, this study will hopefully work to transform our homes and neighborhoods.