Interested in making a difference in a young life?

The Collinsville Middle School is in need of responsible, caring adults to help oversee the after-school tutoring that takes place at CMS every Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30p-4:30p. You need not be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to help! For more information please contact the church office at office_goodsamnaz.org.

Children

CHildREn's MinisTRy

* We learn from the stories

that Jesus shared

with us in the bible *

* eat crazy snacks *

* play bible memory games *

So grab your bible, put your

hiking boots on & join us for

! Parable Quest !

We meet during the Childrens Church hour

every 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Sunday.

presents:

Adult

common ground:

Interested in finding some “Common Ground” with others? At GSC, “Common Ground” is all about building Christ-centered relationships. These intergenerational groups meet in homes across the metro east every 2nd & 4th Sunday evenings for fellowship, care and prayer. Find more information here.

Youth

Ashes to Fire

Become A flipside Stockholder!

Starting March 13th GSC will begin an all-church “Ashes to Fire” journey. We'’ll join Jesus in his journey to the cross, his resurrection, and to his ascension and outpouring of God’'s Spirit. The journey will give shape to all our Sunday School class studies, Sunday morning worship services, Common Ground discussions, and daily devotions. Come join us on the journey!

"VBS" is an exciting annual event which gives our children & those in the community the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus in a fresh way! This year's theme is PANDAMANIA and we are having a blast learning all the ways God shows us how WILD He is about us! We meet Wednesday nights starting June 8 through July 6 at 6:00 P.M. Come a few minutes early if it's your first time to meet your "crew" & crew leader.

Here is how ...

Click here for more info on Ashes to Fire.

Missions

missions:

Consider joining with us as we partner with the Good Samaritan Ministries and work with the people of Washington Park in mending homes and hearts. Learn more about this ministry .

Weekly Schedule

Sunday Mornings

9:30 AM - Sunday School

10:30 AM - Worship Service

Sunday Evenings

5:30 PM - Flipside Youth Group

Wednesday Mornings

9:30 AM - Women's Study Group

Wednesday Evenings

6:30 PM - Worship Team Rehearsal

Saturday Mornings

8:30 AM - Men's Breakfast Group

Church Year Essay

The Christian Year

By: Sharon Autenrieth
The Christian calendar divides the year into a series of seasons and sacred days, each with its own theological emphases. These special times in the life of the church are marked by different ways of decorating churches, scriptural readings, themes for preaching, and the observance of traditions and practices in the church or in the home. The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of Sacred Time: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany; and Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, concluding at Pentecost. The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time, from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). Ordinary Time is used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world.In setting aside sacred days and seasons, the early Christians were following in the footsteps of the Jews. The Jewish year is ordered around a series of festivals and holy days, with the highpoint on the Jewish calendar being the celebration of Passover, commemorating God's deliverance of the Jewish people from captivity in Egypt. For Christians, our year is ordered around the incarnation, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.In times when most Christians were uneducated or lacked access to the scriptures, the Christian calendar served a very practical function. Through the patterns of the year, communicated not only in communal readings of scripture but through unique traditions, believers were given instruction in the gospel. Even today, planned and purposeful observance of the Christian seasons and festivals can become an important tool for education and discipleship in the faith. As a congregation moves through the church calendar, they are presented in a structured way with the opportunity to talk about, reflect upon, and respond to the entire range of faith confessions that lie at the heart of the Christian Faith.Modern learning theory has taught us that our impulse to create symbols and traditions has great value when it comes to education. The more senses are involved in the learning process, the greater the impact. This means that lessons taught using not only the spoken word but images, colors, music even taste, touch and smell are more likely to stay with us. Such multisensory experiences are well-established pieces of traditional church year observances.Incorporating the Christian calendar into our lives also helps to strengthen our sense of identity as the people of God. Think of the traditions you have in your own family not just events that you commemorate (birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, etc.) but the specific traditions you have attached to those events. They give you a heightened sense of belonging, of knowing that this is your family. Following the dates and traditions of the Christian calendar can serve a similar function for the church. Through our shared memories we are bound together not only with our local congregations but with Christians in other times and other places. In an increasingly pluralistic culture, there is joy in recognizing that we are not alone, that we are worshiping in concord with the great communion of saints. The structure and traditions of the Christian calendar help to shape us into a counter-cultural worshiping community, one in which we live in God's time, and in which the gospel of Christ is the context for all that we do.

Compassion

Compassion

We partner with a number of various ministries and agencies in service to our community. Below are links and basic information of services.

Good Samaritan Ministries

5000 N. Park

Washington Park, IL 62204

(618)482-3950

Good Samaritan Ministries (GSM) provides physical, emotional, and spiritual care for those living in the the Metro-East St. Louis area. Services include a weekly Sat morning worship service and free lunch meal, financial grants, food pantry, clothes closet, free laundry facilities, pregnancy counseling, tutoring, and life skill classes.

Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Center

Belleville & Granite City Locations

(618)451-2002

For those facing pregnancy, Mosaic offers numerous free services. Ultrasounds, childbirth and parenting classes, post-abortion counseling and education, male mentoring, sti testing and more

Helping Hands Ministry of CAMA

First United Presbyterian Church

201 E. Church Street

Collinsville, IL 62234

(618)346-1861

Helping Hands is a ministry of the Collinsville Area Ministerial Association (CAMA). A food pantry and general financial assistance are offered to families residing in Collinsville, IL

GSM

Good Samaritan Ministries

"Religion that God, our Father, accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after the poor and widowed in their distress , and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

Our partnership with GSM allows our local church to take part in bringing the kingdom of heaven to an area forsaken by our world. Every month our church provides a team of people to help serve, preach, and staff the GSM outreach center in Washington Park, IL.

Click here for more information about Good Samaritan Ministries

The Story of GSM
Some time back the people of Good Samaritan Church heard the call of God to establish a mission in the Washington Park area. The work began with the simple purchase and distribution of numerous window fans for the residents living without air conditioning in the hot summer months. Soon a small house was purchased by the church in order to provide a place to distribute food, clothes, and other necessities to show the love of Christ. Over time the ministry grew. The house was quickly outgrown. In 2004 God provided the land and resources to build the Good Samaritan Ministries Center (GSM), just a few lots away from the old house.The ministry of GSM has greatly expanded since 2004. While birthed by our church, today GSM has grown well beyond operations of the local church. Today GSM operates as a not-for-profit agency that provides all kinds of services including a weekly worship and prayer service, warm meals, a food pantry, laundry services, a clothes closet, tutoring, life skills classes, and counseling. Through the loving volunteers and staff at GSM, people experience the compassionate love of Christ. Our local church continues to invest in the leadership and compassionate work of GSM.

About

Mission

Our Mission
Our MissionGod calls us to make Christ-like disciples in our world,engaging people with the truth of Gods love,enfolding people into the fellowship and mission of Christs Church, and empowering people for Christ-like living.CORE VALUESENGAGE God loved us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue us from sin and all its nasty effects. He engaged us with the redeeming love of Christ. Were called to do the same, caring for peoples physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Church isnt to be a holy huddle. Were called to loving engage our world, fighting injustice, caring for people, and in so doing announce to our world that in Jesus people can be forgiven, healed and made new. We are called to engage people with the truth of Gods love.ENFOLDJesus goal in coming to earth wasnt simply to be nice. It was a search and rescue mission. People were lost in sin, separated from God, and broken. We all need the healing that only God provides through his love. Jesus offers people a new life, a restored relationship with Him, and our intended purpose. Our true identity, belonging, and purpose come as we allow God to lovingly enfold us into fellowship with Him and His people through accepting the Lordship of Christ. We are called to enfold people into the fellowship and mission of Christs Church.EMPOWERThrough the Holy Spirit, God empowers us to have a heart, soul, and mind that desires fully and completely one thing to love like Christ. No more continuous wrestling with competing desires and personal sin. Through the power of Christ we are called to empower people for Christ-like living. Engage . Enfold . Empower = WorshipUltimately, to embrace the mission and core values of our church is to live a life of worship. Were told in the bible that in view of God's mercy, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). At GSC, all that we do is part of our worship to God.

Beliefs

Statement of Belief
The church of the Nazarene has 15 Articles of Faith. Here is a summary of these 15 Statements:1. We believe in God, the Creator of all things, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. We believe in Christ's bodily resurrection.2. We believe in Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man at the same time, who became like us to bring about our salvation.3. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is active in the world, bringing us to salvation.4. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, giving us all we need to know about how to be saved.5. We believe that we are all sinners by both nature and act and need God’s forgiveness and cleansing.6. We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and that, by trusting in His death, we can be restored to a right relation to God.7. We believe God has enabled us to turn to Him from sin, but that He has not forced us to do so.8. We believe that each person must repent, turn away from our sins, and trust Christ to accept us.9. We believe that when we turn from sin and trust in Christ, the old record of sin is wiped clean, and we are born anew, thus becoming part of the family of God.10. We believe that after being born anew, we need the fullness of God’s Spirit in our hearts. When we make a complete commitment to Him, He cleanses our spirit, fills us with His perfect love, and gives us the power to live victoriously over sin.11. We believe that Jesus Christ is coming again.12. We believe that everyone shall face the judgment of God with its rewards and punishments.13. We believe in baptism and urge everyone to be baptized as Christians.14. We believe in the Lord’s Supper.15. We believe God can heal. We pray for healing. We also believe God works through medical science.

To Read a complete version of our Articles of Faith CLICK HERE to visit the Nazarene denomination's main website.

Story

Our History
The roots of the Good Samaritan Church can be found in the East St. Louis area. In 1929, at the onset of the Great Depression, a Nazarene pastor visited the city and saw the poverty and brokenness that permeated the people of the city. He sensed God’s calling to begin a church that showed God’s compassionate love. Over time that small church grew in number as more and more people were engaged with the truth of God'’s love and enfolded into the fellowship and mission of Christ’'s Church there. Over the years, as the metro east continued to expand, numerous church plants were established not far east of the city. In 1965 The East St. Louis congregation established roots for kingdom ministry in the Collinsville area. They purchased a building, our current facility, at 1701 St. Louis road. The facility has a rich history of it’s own. The land was first developed in 1900 to serve as a cable car barn and turntable site. (Evidence of the trolley turntable remain to this day in the basement of the facility). With the demise of the streetcars the building became vacant in the late 20’s. In the 1930’s the building was purchased and expanded to become the “Evergreen Gardens” nightclub. The infamous St. Louis gangster, Buster Wortman, had significant ties to the casino nightclub. In the 1950’s the building was owned by a food manufacturing company, before, in 1965, becoming the new and permanent home of the Collinsville Church of the Nazarene. While our facilitys has a unique history, it’s still just brick and mortar (or, in our case, stucco!) It’s the work God does through his people that matters most. The church'’s foundational desire to demonstrate God’s love through compassionate ministry to those living in poverty and brokenness in the city continued as the Good Samaritan Ministry was established in the Washington Park, just east of Collinsville, area in 2004. Today this compassionate ministry center offers numerous services to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people of the greater Metro-East area. In 2004 the Collinsville First Church of the Nazarene adopted a name change to become the “Good Samaritan Church of the Nazarene”. Although our identity and mission remained the same as God’'s people, we desired that the people of our community might recognize the name as a people who demonstrated the compassionate love of God to a broken and hurting world. Our history is rich and our future as much so because of God’'s faithfulness as He uses His people here in the Good Samaritan Church of the Nazarene in Collinsville to bring about the redeeming love of Christ.

To read more about our history as the international church of the nazarene, click here

Staff

Kevin bio

Kevin Hancock

Senior Pastor - kchancock03_gmail.com
Hi. I'm the Senior Pastor here at Good Samaritan Church. Prior to joining the pastoral team here in 2010, I served as Pastor to Youth and Families at churches in Springfield (IL), Detroit, and Kansas City. I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1995 and from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1998. My wonderful wife, Sarah, and I married in 1995. We have two boys, Braxton and Trenton. My hope for the Church is that we'll continuously pursue living toward authentic Christian community as we worship God, love our neighbor, and help our world embrace the Kingdom of God here on earth.Some other stuff about me:I was born in 1972 (you can do the math)...I hail from the great 'Hoosier' state...As a kid my dream was always to one day play professional basketball...My favorite movie: "Hoosiers" (of course)...My favorite restaurant: Gino's East Pizzeria...What I hope is said at my funeral: "Kevin lived fully and completely for Jesus".

Sean bio

Sean Asbeck

Pastor of Youth & Music - snarks04_yahoo.com
What a strange and wonderful thing it is to be the Pastor of Youth & Music at the Good Samaritan Church. This church is where I dedicated my life to Christ as a teenager, harassed the youth sponsors as a teen, and met and married my wonderful wife Kristi. Prior to coming on staff here in 2007, I served as Youth Pastor at churches in Granite City, IL, Pittsfield, IL, and Topeka, KS. Kristi and I married in 1998 and have two beautiful girls, Hannah and Jerrica, and two furry sons (of the canine variety), Scooter and Ozzie. As a pastor, I try to live my life as real as possible, sharing my journey with the teens and leaders in my care. Things you may not know about me:I was born in 1975 and grew up playing baseball just about everyday of my life... I am a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals and Blues fan... I met and have continuously dated my wife since she was 14 and I was 15... I do most of the cooking in my family... My favorite verse is James 1:27, "Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Sharon bio

Sharon Autenrieth

Christian Education Director - sharon65a_sbcglobal.net
I've been on staff at Good Samaritan Church since October 2010, but this has been my church home since 1988. I'm a pastor's kid from central Missouri. I graduated from Greenville College, which is also where I met my husband, Kevin. We have five children to keep our lives interesting: Sam, Supriya, Will, Darcy and Tess. In addition to working part-time at the church, I homeschool our two youngest and blog on religion for the Post-Dispatch online. I am most relaxed when I've got a book in one hand and coffee in the other. I also love movies and - weird, but true - keep an Excel file of every movie I've ever seen.As Director of Christian Education, I see my main purpose as promoting spiritual formation. Behind every task that I perform - recruiting, training, resourcing, program planning, etc. - will always be the goal of helping us to grow, and keep on growing "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)

Sam bio

Sam Autenrieth

Office Manager - office_goodsamnaz.org
Good Samaritan Church has been like a second home to me for my entire life. It seemed like I was in the church every time the doors were unlocked (and even more so now that I have my own key). Working as the office manager has been a great experience. I've really enjoyed all the extra contact with the congregation and just being able to get to know people better. I graduated from being home schooled in May 2010 and am now a student at Southwestern Illinois College where I plan to finish my general education classes before moving on to a four year school. I live with my parents, three sisters and one brother, and enjoy playing guitar and mandolin, reading, listening to music and watching movies.

New to GSC

New to GSC?
If you don't already have a church home, we would love to have you become a part of our church family. Our staff is commited to providing you and your family with ministries to meet your needs and help you to live as God purposed for us together. We look forward to meeting you! Join us as we center our lives together around the worship of God and living in Christlike love for the sake of our world.We invite you to take a moment to browse the links to the left to find out more about our story, beliefs, mission and core values, and to meet our staff.Below are answers to a few frequently asked questionsWhats the worship service like?Our Sunday morning worship service takes place every Sunday at 10:30am. Our worship band leads the congregation in singing, we read scriptures, hear a sermon, and pray. We receive communion/eucharist together once each month. All who are open to God's saving grace, whether you're a part of the church family or not, are encouraged to share communion. The service normally lasts just over an hour in length. What should I wear?We want people to be themselves. So wear whats comfortable. Some like to dress up, others prefer jeans and a t-shirt. You need not dress to impress.What about my kids?Children are so valuable to God and to us. Our little ones are always invited to join us in the sanctuary for worship. Kids are never a distraction to Jesus. Even when our little ones cry and fuss, parents are encouraged to relax. If parents prefer, Nursery and Toddler-care is always offered to help show the loving care of Jesus to our little ones while the family is in the worship service. A room for nursing mothers is available.We love it when the entire church family worships together, but also realize kids can have a difficult time sitting still for an entire service. The first Sunday of each month is Family Worship; our entire congregation worships together in a service thats carefully planned with all ages of worshippers in mind. On the other Sundays Kindergarten thru 6th graders begin the service time in the sanctuary for a brief time of family worship, but then are led by our children's staff to the Children's Church room to continue their worship in a fun, interactive time of worship and learning. When the worship service is over, children remain in their classrooms until theyre safely picked up by their parents. What if I have more questions?On Sunday mornings we have friendly greeters available at the entrance. They're there to help you with questions you have or assist you in anyway. Our senior pastor is also available in the entry foyer after every service. If you have questions about any of our ministries or about getting more involved, feel free to contact one of our greeters, our pastor, or our Church office and someone would be happy to assist you.

Our Mission

Our Beliefs

Our Story

Our Staff

New to GSC

Directions

Calendar

Contact

We want to hear from you

Good Samaritan Church of the Nazarene

1701 St. Louis Road

Collinsville, IL 62234

(click for driving directions)

Office - (618)345-1661

Fax - (618)345-1687

Contact Our Office...

Children

Children's Ministry

Kids Worship

Children's Worship Service

Children, grades 1st-4th are dismissed to Children's Church for worship at least 3 Sundays per month. Our children's workers are on a journey with our children to discover God's love for us. One Sunday per month we remain in the main sanctuary for family worship, where together we worship God and experience growth intergenerationally!

Tween Services

Our 5th & 6th graders participate in Revoultion on the 2nd and 4th Sunday's of each month. This age appropriate service includes fun activities and relevant lessons that help this group of transitional students strengthen their relationships with Christ, gives them opportunity to lead and serve, and prepares them for the jump up into the youth group.

Childcare

Nursery

Birth through 2-years

We offer childcare ministry for infants and toddlers birth through 2 years of age during all scheduled worship service times, including Sunday School. Trained caregivers provide quality care for and interaction with each child. A Check-In station allows you to share information about your child and ask any questions.

Early Childhood Care

3, 4 & 5 year olds

Childcare ministry is offered for this group during all scheduled worship service times, including Sunday School. Trained caregivers/teachers with prepared curriculum assist your children in learning about Jesus in a safe and fun environment.

Kids SS

Sunday School

Sundays _ 9:30 AM

Age level classes are offered for all ages. Each class is guided by a classroom teaching team following a scripturally based curriculum. Our hope is to help children develop a biblical worldview, as well as applying Jesus's teachings in our daily life.

Be sure and visit our Sunday School Page for more information.

Kids Events

Coming Events...

Children's Worship

Nursery & Early Childhood

Sunday School

Children's Events

Teens

Teen About

weekly schedule

Life on the Flipside

Let's face it - being a teen and being a Christian don't always go together like peanut butter and jelly. The pressures to fit in, issues at home, struggles at school, and the battle to accept who you are all make living as God calls us seem near impossible at times. Our main purpose is to help teens as they strive to live a life contrary to the world.

Flipside for teens grades 7-12 and has some simple goals:

1) Engaging teens with love of Christ

2) Enfolding teens into the body of Christ

3) Empowering teens to live Christ-like lives

Oh, and did I mention we have TONS of FUN along the way! Come check out life on the Flipside!

Sundays

9:30 AM _ Sunday School

5:30 PM - Spincycle Service

Event Nights

7:00 PM - Movie Nights

First Saturday of every month

Teen Events

Flipside Happenings

District Celebrate Life

March 23-24, 2012

Registration Due Feb 26.

Teens from all over the Illinois District compete in talent and athletic competitions. The cost is $35 per person, and forms can be downloaded from the link below.

Click Here To Download Student/Sponsor Registrations

Flipside Newsletter

Coming events

Jan. 13-15 - Spiritual Life Retreat

Jan. 22 - Stock Sales Begin

Feb 7 - Movie Night - 7:00 PM - $5

Feb 12 - YLT Meeting - 7:00 PM

Feb 24 - YLT Chaperone _ TePee

Mar 3 - Trivia Night Fundraiser

Mar 11 - YLT Meeting - 7:00 PM

Mar 23-24 - Celebrate Life - $35

Mar 30 - YLT Chaperon _ TePee

Check out our Church Calendar for more event information...

Each quarter we publish a special newsletter that highlights allth upcoming events for that season. Be sure to download and print one off to keep updated on what is coming your way. Click on the link below to view/print/download the latest edition.

Q1 2012 Newsletter.pdf

Resources

We firmly believe that our student ministry should be a part of a family oriented ministry - with supporting, equipping, and training both students and parents as a key part of what we do. Our goal is to be a supplement to the parents - and rest assured, our first and foremost guide in dealing with parents and youth ministry is this - honoring mom and dad. Below are some

resources to help inform and equip the parents of our students.

Family Worship Nights

Family Night Themes

Jan 29 - Family Night

April 29 - Family Night

June 3 - Promotion

The 5th Sunday evening of every month Flipside Ministries hosts a Family Worship service - where moms, dads, brothers, and sisters are invited out to experience what we do each week in our services. This includes games, worship, fellowship, and devotions. Services start at 5:30 PM and last until 7:00 PM.

Download Forms & Flyers

2011 Teaching Plan.pdf

Celebrate Life Student/Sponsor Forms

Spincycle

Fall Flipside Services

Sundays _ 5:30 PM

School is underway - but the end of Summer doesn't mean the end of great things on the Flipside. Each Sunday night we meet at 5:30 pm with the purpose of learning, sharing, celebrating, and growing together.

This year each week of the month will be purposed around specific learning themes to help to focus our study, and includes unique opportunities for parents to get involved.

Of course we will still have our times of insane fun - but everything we do will be purposed around the weekly theme. Students are challenged to bring their Bibles and will be given week long study guides to help them dig into the word each week, and parents will be provided with advanced notice of the topic along with family discussion ideas.

Weekly topics for each month are:

Week 1 - Worship

Week 2 - Discipleship

Week 3 - Bible Study

Week 4 - Compassion

Parents and teens can also view the entire lesson plan

by downloading the following file ----------------------------------

2011 Teaching Plan.pdf

What is Flipside?

Flipside Events

Parent Resources

Flipside Sunday

Adults

Adult Ministries

There are a number of opportunities for adults to connect, serve, heal, and grow in learning and Christlikeness.

Study Care

Bible Study Groups

Several adult elective classes are offered each Sunday. The groups examine all sorts of relevant life issues through the lens of God's Word.

Care Groups

Short and Long-term Care Groups geared toward bringing healing to those suffering from loss, divorce, addiction or other traumas are offered occasionally. Contact our church office for information regarding care group scheduling

Click here for more information on Sunday School

Common Ground Family Groups

Everyone in the church is encouraged to be part of a Common Ground group. These groups meet in homes and are established to help people more intimately know and care for one another. The family groups meet twice each month on Sunday evenings to build meaningful relationships, pray for one another, and just have fun. Kids are encouraged to join in the fun.

Fellowship

Ladies Bible Study Fellowships

Ladies gather weekly for fellowship, bible study and prayer. This fun loving groups meets at the church every Wednesday from 9:30 - 11:00 AM.

Mens Breakfast Club

Men of all ages gather every Saturday at a local restaurant to share fellowship and pray for one another.

Red Apple (159 in Maryville)

9:00 AM

Ministry Opps

World Missions

The goal of Nazarene Missions International (NMI) is to equip the local church to be significantly involved in the missional purposes of God, both locally and globally,

through the ministries of the international Church of the Nazarene and numerous ministry partners around the world. Those involved in NMI seek to help the people of Good Samaritan Church to participate in God's missional activities taking root around the world. NMI equips the church to assist global missionaries and ministry projects, pray for global missions, fight injustices, and give sacrificially for ministry projects around the world.

Click here for more information on Nazarene World Missions.

Music Ministry

The GSC Music Ministry team provides ample opportunity for people of various talents and skills to utilize their gifts in ways that help our congregation to worship and celebrate together. Young and old alike come together to make our worship inclusive and meaningful. Check out our Music Ministry page for more information on how you can get involved.

Study Groups

Fellowship Groups

Ministry Opportunities

Sunday School

Sunday School

Here at GSC, we do our best to offer a wide variety of classes in a wide variety of style. Some of our groups are purly Bible study groups, while others may study a specific book or topic. Some groups are structured and lecture style, while others are a more open discussion style group. Whatever catches your interest and fits your style - we encourage you to get connected through our Adult Study Groups.

Sunday School is at 9:30 AM every Sunday morning.

Current Study...

Running from Ash Wednesday through Pentecost Sunday, this emphasis is one that is being carried through all age levels in the church. It is the focus of our worship service as well as for lessons in everyone of our Sunday School classes. Lessons draw us closer to Christ as we move from penitance to praise. Ashes to Fire weekly devotional journals are available for purchase through the church office.

Classes Available:
Adults:Chapel Class - Steve CuppettChoir Room - Sharon AutenriethTeens:Youth Room - Kim Wasser & Libby ForthChildren:Pre-K - Karen Smith & Sherry WalkerKindergarten - Martha Catlow1st & 2nd Grade - Jim & Danica Gray3rd & 4th Grade - Pam Bacchetti5th & 6th Grade - Jamie Kennedy

Common Ground

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" - Psalm 133:1

Relationships are at the heart of ministry and spiritual transformation. With that in mind, our Common Ground groups are geared towards helping build strong relationships. Meeting each month on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, these groups feature energetic fellowship, real discussion, and focus in on praying for one another.

If you would like more information on how to get involved please contact our church office.

Common Questions for Common Ground...
WHO: EveryoneWHEN: Every second and fourth Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.WHERE: In the homes of church friendsWHY: For Care, Prayer, Fellowship and OutreachBut wait, we've got more questions....Q. Will we be doing an in-depth study of Leviticus, or something like that?A. No. Scripture study is an invaluable part of our life as a church, but Common Ground groups are not study groups. The highest goal for Common Ground is care; really getting to know your group, praying for each other, enjoying each others' company, encouraging each other becoming a family within the larger family of our congregation.Q. Do I have to find a babysitter so that I can come to Common Ground?A. Absolutely not - bring those kids! Our church family includes children, and Common Ground groups will include children as well. At Common Ground children are treated as participants, not distractions. To say that children are permitted at Common Ground doesn't go far enough: children are welcome at Common Ground.Q. But what if I come alone. Will I still fit in?A. Yes, you will. Common Ground is for everyone: individuals and families, every age group, old friends and new. If you're asking any version of this question: I'm __________. Is Common Ground for me?, the answer is, Yes.Q. Speaking of friends, can I invite a friend who doesn't attend our church?A. Great idea! One of the goals of Common Ground is outreach, and this is a great opportunity to include friends and family. Folks who don't feel comfortable coming to church may be willing to join you in a home setting.Q. Is there a vision behind Common Ground, and how does it fit into what we're already doing as a church?A. Much more than a small group strategy, Common Ground is our vision for developing a more intimate community of believers, practically equipped to care for one another as we seek to follow Jesus together. Our goal is for each group to become an intimate faith family, expressing the life together of true discipleship. As a small group of people strives to intentionally live in community as disciples of Jesus, we believe the result is a broader congregation that more fully expresses the love of Jesus Christ to the world. Q. Okay, you've convinced me. I'd like to give Common Ground a try. Now what?A. Contact our Common Ground Coordinator, Sharon Autenrieth, at sharon65a_sbcglobal.net. We'll help you find a group that works for you and don't worry. You won't be asked to sign a 3-year contract or fill out a detailed personal history. We just want to share life together and we're excited to have your join us!

CommonGroundDiscussionQuestionsjan23[1].doc

Worship

dsc02110

Free to Worship...

We believe worship is not just a Sunday experience, but a way of life that we are to live out everyday. As part of our weekly worship service, our goal is to help the worshipper to lay aside distractions and concerns and to really focus in on God and the moving of the Holy Spirit.

The worship service at GSC is a unique blended style aimed at unifying the body of worshippers. Every week is different with music, videos, scripture, sacraments, and more. If you have talents and interests in music, performance, drama, or audio/visual -- then our worship ministry is where you need to be.

Praise Team

Worship Band

Audio & Video

Each Sunday there are unseen laborers whose work, if done right, goes almost unnoticed. The men and women of our AV team do a great job running sound, lights, and video for our services. If you are a learned expert, or just wanting to learn - we would love to have you join our AV team.

Missions

World Missions