Successful outreach from one person to another is rooted and grounded in God's Word, and learning to minister to people in need is the backbone of Christianity at Central Church. But ministry is a two-way street; not only is reaching out important, but it's also critical for each of us to allow others to use their Spiritual gifts to help us when we're in need. Building on the foundation of meeting the needs in Christian families, Mike and Shelly Garrard together with Frank and Tricia McNeil have started the Three Strands Sunday School class, and they're making a point of getting people plugged in to the love of Jesus at Central.
"If you're looking for growth then this is a great place to come," Mike said.
Co-leader Frank McNeil agreed, saying that the Three Strands class is all about building relationship.
"We want relationship with God day in and day out," Frank said, "not just for a few hours on Sunday."
The idea for the class originated when Mike and Shelly were working with the Senior High group. They began to sense the need to get involved in a Sunday School class where they could be fed from God's Word. "We wanted a place where we could grow together," Shelly said. "We found that we enjoyed getting together with other couples, and then we realized that they were looking for a class where they could grow, too." Mike added that he and Shelly both felt the desire to lead a class. "My vision is to have a class where people are strengthened as individuals and as families," he said.
They average a weekly attendance of about 12 people and are open to both married and engaged couples. Their name is taken from Ecclesiastes 4:12 ("Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."). They meet in Rooms 155/158 at the 9:25 hour, and have just completed a study of the book of Daniel which brought them through the Holidays. They're now beginning The 40 Days of Purpose along with the rest of the church. A Three Strands class member from the very beginning, Shannon Mahoney said that he knew Mike Garrard from his participation in the Crown Financial Ministries.
"Mike is a really good teacher," Shannon said. "He'll start on a subject and then the whole class has a chance to contribute. It's really great because we're all there to learn."
Frank said one of the best things about the class is that its members are people you can call on when you're in crisis.
"Mike and I grew up together," Frank said, "and I always knew I could call on him, but part of our vision for this class was to build a group that could call on each other in times of trouble. When you have a group like ours, it's easy to be close."
Shelly said the class has a lot to offer as they grow together. "You begin to realize it's not just about yourself," she said.
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