You can grow deeper in God’s purposes for your life by taking CLASS.

The content of these CLASSes is available from the church office.      If you’ve spent anytime at all around Village West Church, you’ve probably seen a bulletin ad or heard worship service announcements about CLASS. But what is it you ask? It just might be the most important three to four hours you spend at Village West Church all year long.

 CLASS 101 through 401 courses are to help members grow in God’s purposes for their lives. Each of the four classes focuses on one of the different purpose – fellowship, discipleship, ministry and missions

These four CLASSes help members take the next step in their spiritual journey.

Here is a brief overview of these CLASSes:

CLASS 101 - Discovering Church Membership
You were designed to be a part of a church family. And that’s exactly what the local church is intended to be – your family. A healthy family has common beliefs, purposes and commitment. That’s why at Village West Church we teach our members what we believe and where we’re going.

The Bible says a lot about what makes a church. First and foremost, it’s about making a commitment to Jesus. We make this commitment by acknowledging our powerlessness without him and by accepting his help to become who he wants us to be.

We acknowledge that step of faith through baptism. Baptism is an outward display of the inward decision every believer has already made. Think of it as your spiritual graduation party. We encourage every believer to follow Jesus’ example and celebrate his or her new faith by being baptized.

God wants all of us to grow in fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism and worship. It’s by balancing those five purposes that we truly live out God’s plan for our life. More than anything else, the Village West Church family wants to come beside you and watch you grow in all five of these areas. Ultimately, that’s what it means to become a Village West Church  member.

CLASS 201 - Introduction to Spiritual Maturity
Have you ever wondered what it takes for you to grow spiritually? Good news! You don’t have to hide away in a monastery or spend six years in seminary. The miracle of the Bible’s plan for spiritual maturity is that it can be followed by anyone, in any stage of life.

During CLASS 201, Village West Church teachers will share with you four habits that will turn your spiritual life around. First, a growing Christian needs to spend time daily with God. Through CLASS 201, you’ll learn some easy steps to make that time with God a powerful part of your day. We’ll also give you some helpful tips on overcoming some of the largest obstacles you’ll face as you try to become consistent in your time with God.

Second, every growing Christian needs to talk with God. Prayer doesn’t have to be intimidating. God desires conversation with you. He is much more interested in you showing up with an open heart than critiquing your prayers. But, just to get you into the habit, we’ll share with you a pattern for prayer taken right out of the life of Jesus.

Next, God wants us to learn how to give. Few things give a more piercing look into our spiritual lives than how we choose to give. The Bible teaches us that where we choose to keep our possessions shows where our priorities are.

Finally, we need to meet together with other Christians regularly. Here at Village West Church we offer two major opportunities for you to gather with other Christians. First, there’s large group worship at the weekend service. Second, we have our small groups, where you can connect with other believers in a deeper, more personal way.

CLASS 301 - Discovering My Ministry
God didn’t design ministry for just the few with seminary degrees. Here at Village West Church we teach that every member of our church is a minister. What can I do, you ask. That’s what CLASS 301 is all about. Through the SHAPE process, you’ll learn how God can use your Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience to minister to others in need.

First, God gave you a special ability when you started following Him. We call this a spiritual gift. God gives us this gift to build up our church family and reach out to the world with Christ’s love.

Second, God gives each of us a unique passion or heartbeat for particular activities, subjects and circumstances. God uses those things we feel deeply about – a fingerprint of sorts – to show us where we can serve without quickly burning out.

Third, you have abilities, given to you before you accepted Christ, that God can use. Those abilities – like playing a musical instrument or hitting a golf ball -- will help you in ministry.

Fourth, God can use your personality. God can use all of us, whether we’re extroverts or introverts; whether we enjoy routine or variety. In fact, for you to minister the way God intends you to, you must use your own unique personality in ministry, not try to hide it.

Finally, God has placed a multitude of experiences in your life to help mold you for ministry. God can use many of the experiences in our background to help heal hurts in our church and in our community.

After you explore your personal SHAPE assessment, we’ll ask you to set up an interview with one of our SHAPE discovery guides, who will help you find your place in ministry.

CLASS 401 - Discovering Your Life Mission
God created you with a purpose. We were designed to look at life through an eternal lens, with issues of eternal significance taking first priority in our lives. That personal, yet church-wide purpose, means connecting flawed human beings with our perfect and eternal God.

Your own story of how God has worked in your life is one of the most effective tools you have for connecting people to God. In CLASS 401, you’ll learn to communicate that story to your neighborhood, workplace and around the world.

By using your own gifts, personality and story, you’ll touch people only you can touch. Your life experiences can be a bridge to a friend or family member who is seeking Christ.

God’s global plan includes reaching people from every nation with the good news of Jesus. In CLASS 401, you’ll get a picture of what God is doing throughout the world to bring people to himself. You’ll also find out how you can be part his global plan.

Finally, we’ll share with you 15 opportunities for you to get started in sharing your faith immediately! At the end of CLASS 401, you can pray about joining Village West Church on the greatest adventure of your life!