Women’s Ministry Schedule for 2008-2009
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Once A Month Women’s Bible Studies

Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia Women’s Ministry will be starting Small Groups to be held in various homes throughout the area, as well as a few groups to be held here at Calvary Chapel. We are excited and expectant to see what the Lord will do as we study His Word together.

The groups are for women only, High School age and older. All groups will be doing the same Study, and will meet once a month on various days and times. All the groups are listed on the center pages of this brochure. Below is a brief description of the different groups we are offering.

Small Home Groups

Groups 1 through 6 will be our Small Home Groups. We want to keep the Home Groups small, so we are limiting the number of ladies in each group to 20  25. We will be starting with 6 Home Groups and trust that God will add more in the future. We are excited to be able to meet in the comfort of a home, and we are sure it will provide a place for each lady who attends to grow closer to the Lord and to one another. There will be no child care in any of the Home Groups at this time. You will need to register to be part of a Home Group by completing a registration card. All the groups are listed on the center pages of this brochure.

Groups at Calvary Chapel

Group 7 will be a small group specifically for ladies who are 60 years of age and older. This group will meet in the Prayer Room at Calvary Chapel. This will be the same as a Small Home Group with the exception of being held at Calvary Chapel. This group will meet in the morning on the third Friday of the month, and will be limited to 20 ladies. You MUST register for this group.

Group 8 will be a morning Study that meets on the third Wednesday of the month in the Sanctuary. Childcare will be provided for children ages 0  5 at this Study. No registration is required for this group.

Group 9 will be an evening Study that will meet on the second Thursday of the month in the CPAC Auditorium. There will be NO childcare provided for this Study. No registration is required for this group.

We believe that it is important that we learn what God’s Word says to us and that we grow more in love with our Savior each day. Woodrow Kroll states in his book, The Joy of Belonging, “What joy there is in belonging, to know that we are not alone but are surrounded by those who care, to be part of a family. Belonging means you are part of something.” He further says, “The joy of belonging also is experienced when one becomes a Christian. This belonging, however, is not based on what we wear or how we look. It stems solely from what Christ did for us at Calvary’s Cross. Paul told the Christians at Colosse, ‘He [Christ] has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love’ (Col. 1:13). We were once lost and far from God, but now, through Christ, we have come home where we belong.”

Registration

In order to be in a Small Home Group or the over 60’s Group at Calvary, you will need to complete a registration card and register in person. Registration will take place at Calvary Chapel, after each service (morning and evening), at the booth closest to the Brides’ Room on the following Sundays and Wednesdays:

• Sundays: September 7th, 14th, & 21st
• Wednesdays: September 10th & 17th

You will be able to register for a specific group, but the homes can only accommodate 20  25 ladies. When you turn in your registration card, we will let you know then if the group you requested is already full. If the group is full, we will start a waiting list for that particular home, and when a space becomes available, you will be contacted by one of the Group Leaders of the Home Group you wanted to attend. In the meantime, you will be able to attend one of the larger groups at Calvary (Groups 8 or 9), which will be used as the overflow groups, so you can still participate in the Study until you get placed in a Small Home Group.

Groups 8 and 9 will also be for any lady who wants to be part of the Study, but doesn’t want to be part of a Home Group. These groups will probably be larger than the Home Groups.

After you have read through the various Group descriptions in this brochure, find the one that best fits your schedule.

Groups 1 - 7 require you to complete a registration card and register in person on the dates listed in this brochure at the booth closest to the Brides’ Room.

Groups 8 & 9, which will be held at Calvary Chapel, do NOT require you to register. Childcare will be provided for Group 8 for children ages 0—5 and you do not have to register your child.

After the above registration dates are over, there will be brochures and registration cards in the racks by each entrance door. Call the Women’s Ministry Office at 2159691647 and speak to one of the secretaries to make arrangements to register and turn in a completed registration card.

If you have any questions, please call the Women’s Ministry Office at 215-969-1647.

Listing of Small Home Groups

Groups at Calvary Chapel

Books We Will Be Studying

From October through December, we’ll be studying from the book, Koinōnia, A Recipe for Authentic Fellowship by Charles Swindoll. You will need the book to participate in the Study. The book is $6.

Charles Swindoll introduces his book by saying, "In a world that places a premium on independence, it's easy to conclude that ‘going it alone’ is a sign of strength - even in our Christian walk. But we really do need each other. God made us that way! In His family we are interrelated-fellow members of the body of Christ. The Bible calls this fellowship; the Greek term is koinonia. This word reveals the closeness and interdependence displayed by the earliest Christians. Their fellowship was a savory and nutritious blend of love, encouragement, and other ingredients that simmered over the flame of persecution and need - giving off the aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself."

Acts 2:42-43, talks about this fellowship or koinonia that the early church had. "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe..." We will be doing these same things together in our groups — devoting time in His Word, fellowshipping, praying together, eating together and taking Communion.

As this world gets darker and more hostile toward Christians, it is a blessing that we can have this opportunity to encourage and love one another. "Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another..." (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

From January through June, we’ll be studying from the book, A Place of Quiet Rest, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. You will need the book to participate in the Study. Books are $10. A Place of Quiet Rest is a book on Devotion to Jesus. “Mary… sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word” (Luke 10:39).

“Nancy shares from her heart and life how a daily devotional time can forever change your relationship with Jesus. She addresses the common frustrations and pitfalls that most of us encounter in our devotional life, and makes practical suggestions for overcoming them.” “The most important purpose of a daily devotional life is not so that we can check another task off our "to do" list, but rather, that we might experience intimate union and communion with God. The God of the universe loves you, and He created you to be His friend. You say, ‘Is that really possible? How can someone like me have a close relationship with God?’ God created us for relationship with Himself. That's what the Christian life is all about. It is not about all the things we do for God it's about being loved by Him, loving Him in return.” “A Place of Quiet Rest is a guide into that intimacy rather than a how to book.” Nancy also inspires us to read the Scriptures because, “The Bible is a ‘love letter;’ it reveals God’s heart to us, and the more carefully, frequently, and thoughtfully we read it, the more we will grasp of His loving heart and intentions toward us.” “On virtually every page of this book I have seen the likeness and the signature of the Lord Jesus. I have marveled and wondered and wept at the glory of His presence, at His redeeming love, at the spectacle of the cross, and at the hope that is ours through Him.” In her book, Nancy quotes Immanuel Kant - “The Bible is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced…. A single line in the Bible has consoled me more than all the books I ever read beside.” And also C.H. Spurgeon   “I hold one single sentence out of God’s Word to be of more certainty and of more power than all the discoveries of all the learned men of all the ages.” Joni Eareckson Tada said this about Nancy’s book  “Devotion to the Lord Jesus. We all desire it. You hold in your hands a splendid guide.”

Where to Purchase the Books for the Study

All books for the Study will be available for sale when you register at the booth, in your groups, or through the Women’s Ministry Office. Women’s Ministries will be selling the books at a discount. If you buy them in the SFTH Bookstore, they will be more expensive. We can only accept cash or check. Please make checks payable to Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia.