Fortunately for us, God gave us a book so that we would know what He expects of us, and how we can live in harmony with Him and His creation. Unfortunately for us, that book is very long and the plan is not obvious or clear to the casual reader of the Bible.

That's why, at Grace Community Church, we have the Life Cycle. It takes the Bible and walks you through the basics of the faith in a way that is natural for the typical Canadian, and in a way that makes sense.

At the center of the Life Cycle is a picture of the sun. The sun symbolizes our worship to God and His "SON" Jesus Christ. We call the centre of the Life Cycle "BLESS" and at any time you can experience God's blessing as you participate in one of our Sunday services. The BLESS part of the cycle also represents that you can take the cycle at your own pace as you feel ready for the next level. Finished a Life Cycle level and want to take some time to enjoy a series by Pastor Bartley? No problem, be blessed and don't feel pressured to move to the next class right away.

At the top of the cycle is a pictire of a hand with seeds in it. This is where we "BEGIN." The first step in the Life Cycle is an infomation luncheon wheere Pastor Bartley takes the time to share what Grace Community Church is about with a story of our history and our values. We want you to feel comforatble with what your church is like right from the start. The BEGIN classes form the "100-level" of the Life Cycle, and by the end of the 100 level you will have a very good understanding of who Grace Community Church is and whether or not this church is a good fit for you. We sincerely hope the fit is a good one, but we'd rather have you in another good church in the area if our style doesn't match what you're looking for in a church. That sounds fair, doesn't it?

The next stop on the Life Cycle is the 200-level known as BUD. In BUD we teach you the basic doctrines of the Bible. What is God like, what is the church all about, what about Heaven, Hell, angels, the Devil and more? All of these and many other topics are covered in the twelve week class known as FIRST STEPS.

Class schedule for winter/spring 2012:

Clean Sweep - Jan 8-Mar 25 @ 9:30

503 Participating in the Mission of the Church - Jan 8-Feb 19 @ 11:00

300 Time/Talent/Treasure - Jan 8-29 @ 11:00

New Testament Survey - Feb 5-26 @ 11:00

Hermeneutics - Feb 26-April 1 @ 11:00

Experiencing God - April 1-June 10 @ 9:30

504 Cultivating Habits of the Heart - April 8-May 27 @11:00

Old Testament Survey - May 6-June 10 @11:00

Courses without numbers are electives.