Discipleship

Theology Workbook

Looking for a great way to enhance your understanding of theology and to cultivate a growing sense of awe in worship!? Spend time in study of God's word, doing theology (the study of God), praying, meditating on the goodness of God. And download this workbook. Wayne Grudem has a systematic theology reference that has been abbreviated which he and his son Elliot edited.

If you're looking for a great resource for your own study, or for your small group, take a look, download, buy and enjoy the study of God's word.

Preparing for Easter

In the coming weeks you'll see several opportunities to engage with the Lenten season, looking forward to Easter. One of the ways to connect with the season has been provided by the Children's Ministry here at church. This week look for the table just outside the worship center for a packet of information and activities for your family.

Check here for more details on the opportunity to help your children (and those within your small group) engage with this season of preparation and looking forward to Easter.

Click here for the CM website and Lenten activities.

The Library

If you are looking for resources for your small group to study and are not sure about which resources to pick up, try browsing our church's library. The library has recently been moved to rooms 040 and 042 below the worship center.

The library has been maintained to provide good resources to our church's members and friends.If you are looking for resources, they have possibly been removed in order to offer the best, most helpful resources to you congregation.

Visit the library and review the books here on a Sunday, or during the week. It will help you save some money on books that maybe you have heard about, but are not sure you want to go out and buy a copy. Resources include books for small group studies, personal growth, reference, audio and video, and more.

Check this list of recommended books for your personal growth and/or group study.

New Reading Recommendations: Leadership Books

We've added a couple new books in our Leadership Reading column. We encourage all leaders in our church to consider some of these resources to help develop sound theology, be trained in pastoral care, and hone apologetic responses to our world.

One of the resources that has been added is "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World", contributors include D.A. Carson, Mark Driscoll, Timothy Keller, John Piper, David Wells. With other contributors, this book presents sound biblical Christology and presents a response to engaging with our searching secular world.

This book is representative of material preached at the Desiring God National Conference on the Supremacy of Christ. iTunes URL.

We'd Like Your Help, Please!

If you use one of the studies or guides, please consider writing a short review of the material and email it to me. We'll post it under a new category called "Reviews". This can help other leaders evaluate if that book or study is a good one to include in his or her small group.

New Studies

New small group studies have been posted in the left-hand column. These 6 week studies (some may be longer) can be a good launching point this spring for your group as you gear up for another quarter or semester together.

If you use one of the studies or guides, please consider writing a short review of the material and email it to me. We'll post it under a new category called "Reviews". This can help other leaders evaluate if that book or study is a good one to include in his or her small group.

Leadership Class Begins Soon

Perhaps you have been around for a while, or perhaps you are brand new to the small group leadership thing... regardless, the Leadership Class is a great way to extend your learning, network with other leaders, capture ideas and helps for how to be a more biblical leader.

The Leadership Class begins on Sunday, January 13, at 8:45 am.

You can register here: http://www.npchurch.org/adulted/schedule.html

More information: The Leadership Class is offered regularly to train and develop servant leaders, and is a pre-requisite for all elders and deacons in the church body.  Everyone is welcome to attend the 14-week class which covers the doctrinal distinctive of Reformed Theology, real-life application of the material, reading and in-class discussions.

New Year Articles

Welcome to the New Year! There will be several posts in the coming weeks to get you and your group ready to finish well this spring semester. Several groups struggle about this time of year due to the fullness of schedules, the myriad holidays in the spring term, and waning interest on the part of individuals and couples who may be marginally connected.

Come back to these web pages, this blog, for more ideas, resources, study helps and more.

If you are not already using an RSS Feed Reader like Google, Yahoo, or a bundled reader like that in Windows Vista, consider finding a reader to get regular updates from this and other NPC (Naperville Presbyterian Church) sites.

Don't forget to look around the site for resources that have been posted recently including studies, books, training materials and more.

Recent Additions

We have added a new article and new websites under Ministry Partners and Blogosphere for small group leaders and for the church at large:

Our Ministry Partners:

• Mission to the World
• Mission to North America
• Wayside Cross Ministries
• Northern IL Food Bank

Blogosphere:

• Recover the Gospel
• Challies

Asking Open-Ended Questions

Here is an article from www.BuildingSmallGroups.com which gives some helpful insights into asking good questions in your small group.  Open-ended questions allow the group to move to dialog regarding heart issues.  Oftentimes leaders will ask everyone in the group, "How was your week?", or "Let's go around and check in with each other."  Instead, a good open-ended question will move the listener, the group member and leaders, to the deeper issues of the heart, the desires and dreams, or loss of dreams that motivate.

Take a look at the article to see more ideas from the life of Christ, watching how he asked questions of those around him.

Article is here, and at right under "DP Articles".