Date
Sunday Morning Adult Activities
Practicing the Presence of God
If you are anything like me, you grew up with a view of prayer that was kind of a spontaneous,
free-association way of prayer. Other than dinner time with the family, there were not set times,
set places, or set prayers that you prayed. Prayer was based on your needs, feelings, and
circumstances. And if you are like me, this was fine as long as conditions were favorable.
As long as I was in the right mindset, I was in a particularly good place in my spiritual life,
or if I was just coming off a rich experience with others (a retreat, camp, conference, etc.),
then I could pray passionately.
What I have learned is that this approach to prayer doesn’t lend itself to consistency, regularity,
or depth. As important as “pouring my heart out to the Lord” (1 Sam 1:15) is, sometimes there is
just nothing in my heart to pour out. Thankfully it is pretty rare that my circumstances force me
to the ground so that prayers pour from my heart like a burst fire hydrant. Nope, most of life is
just life - routine. Therefore, most of life presents a difficulty for me to sustain consistent,
meaningful, regular, deep prayer.
That is why “Practicing the Presence of God” is the focus for our Sunday morning Adult Formation
classes this Spring. Some learning will take place, but we are not going to commit the cardinal
sin of classes on prayer - prayerlessness! We need to view this series as an experiment in a way
of praying that pulls us out of the roller coaster nature of spontaneous prayer. Out of our practices
of prayer we will dialogue and learn so that we can form a deeper, richer, more consistent and
deliberate life of prayer. Again let me say, the goal of this is not to learn more about prayer,
though that is certain to happen. The purpose of this is to become people of prayer!
Keep reading to discover which group you need to be a part of this Spring!
College Age and Young Singles
Connections
Koinonia
Prime Timers
PARLOR CLASS
The Front Porch
Hosted by Gary Crane; held in the Living Room.
Spanish Bible Study
Threshold Class
Women in the Church: Hearing God’s Voice
Sunday Evening Adult Activities
Adult Formation Series for sunday Mornings: Spring of 2010
Facilitated by Kevin Clayton Jr. and Antonio Baltazar and held in the conference room.
This is a place for conversation centered on the Word and God’s work in our lives.
Sharing life and God’s truth that we may shape one another for Christ. This Spring
they will be discussing the preaching texts from the book of Hebrews.
Young Couples & Parents with Young Children - Ike and Gwyn Reeser, Jim and Laura Neal in Room 205
A true dialogue, this groups seeks to connect participants to God and to each other by
creating conversations about life lived in the company of Jesus.
Taught by Neal Stubblefield and held in The Forum (new room downstairs)
This is a group of 40s-50s who generally have teenage to college-age children.
It is discussion based with an emphasis on application for life lived faithfully
as followers of Jesus.
Taught by Marion Baggett, Cindy Hayes and Ralph McCluggage. Held in the Chapel upstairs.
This class is made up of those who generally are approaching or have arrived at
the “empty nest” stage of life. They enjoy participative discussion and quality
biblical teaching.
Taught by Jerry Hardiman and held in the parlor.
This is a discussion-oriented class including Northlake’s senior members, whose
study of Scripture is always personal and rich.
This is a nontraditional experience open to all ages. This is a place for
sharing life, questions, problems, and more. This class is currently in a discussion
of C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.”
Taught by Felipe Baltazar and held in Room 202.
If you or someone you know would like solid biblical teaching in Spanish, this is the
perfect place to be! This is a growing group of our Spanish-speaking friends who are
committed to a deep study of the Bible.
Facilitated by Andrew Walker and Aaron Zee; Held in Room 203.
This is a warm and hospitable environment for welcoming international friends to Northlake
by teaching Scripture with an “English as Second Language” emphasis.
The Elders; Held in Room 204.
This is a repeat of the Wednesday class offered in the fall/winter. The objective
is to do an in-depth study of the relevant scriptures on gender roles in the church,
and to examine the issues these scriptures raise for us. Outside reading is required
and the format is largely discussion based.
Chapel Service
The chapel service, led by various members,
consists of a time of worship and covers a wide array of preaching topics
Church-based Groups
We have several groups that meet at the
building in order to maximize participation for those with children and youth who want to participate
in their evening activities. Check the quarterly guide for more information.
Parents Encouraging Parents
This group provides a support network
for parents who are seeking encouragement in their journeys as parents.
Women's Study Group
This group is working through Beth
Moore's study of Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman.
Lilburn/ Lawrenceville Group
This group meets in different
homes throughout Lilburn and Lawrenceville.
Midtown Group
Young Adults (Decatur)
This group meets in various locales
around Decatur.
Young Adults (Tucker)
Wednesday Morning Adult Activities
Ladies Bible Class 10:00am - 11:30am
Fall classes began: Sept 16
Study: TO LIVE IS CHRIST by Beth Moore
Wednesday Evening Adult Activities
A Season of Prayer
For the next few months, we are inviting people to gather in the Chapel
on Wednesday nights for a season of prayer.
Men's Bible Reading Group
This group of men focus on the reading of Scripture, with an emphasis on life transformation
and contemplative reading. Texts chosen are the scripture focus of our Sunday morning
worship at Northlake.
Women's Bible Reading Group
This group, like the men's group, focuses on the sermon text for the coming Sunday,
reflecting on it and its meaning for our lives.
Women's Study Group
This group is studying Beth Moore's Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy.
Women's Share Group
This group of women is dedicated to providing support, encouragement, and prayer for each other.
Stone Mountain Neighborhood Women's Bible Study
This neighborhood group is working through Beth Moore's A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place.
Sermon Archives
Summer 2008: This season includes reflections on various aspects of our lives as Christians, including topics like communion, prayer, ministry, and baptism, and concludes with a 4-week series reflecting on our values as a congregation.
Genesis: April - May 2008 - As Northlake reflects on the theme of beginnings, we explore God's work in the beginnings of Genesis.
January-March 2008: This season includes reflections from the gospel of Matthew and a journey through the Lent season and Easter.
Christmas 2007: December 2007 - This series prepares us for Christmas by looking at how Scripture prepares us for the coming of Christ and God's entry into the world.
Jesus the Servant: The Gospel of Luke: September - November 2007 - This series explores moments in Jesus' life as seen through the Gospel of Luke where Jesus models the practice of service, reaching out to those in need and witnessing to the transforming power of God's work in the world.
Class Archives
Faith and Film - Summer 2008 Special Edition: This four week class explores the spiritual themes that emerge in some of the summer's biggest blockbusters.
Mission in Our City: Summer 08 - This is a collection of prayer guides published over the course of 6 weeks that invite reflection on prayer on mission needs around the world.
Christian Faith in our World: Spring 08 - This class features different speakers reflecting on various aspects of our life and times and the varied ways in which our faith lives in the world.
Water from a Deep Well: Winter 07-08 - This class looks to the history of Christian spirituality, seeking to understand how we might grow in Christ by looking at various movements in church history and asking how they grew.
Paul at the Movies: Summer 2007 - Seeking to bring Scripture into conversation with contemporary culture, this class involves discussions of contemporary film and suggests interactions with Paul's theology.
The Journey of Joy: Summer 2007 - This class explores the central idea of joy in the Christian life by reflecting on ideas contained in John Piper's seminal work, Desiring God.
Click here to read a little about our beliefs.
Minister's Blogs
We encourage you to check out our minister's blogs for their reflections and insights on a variety of topics.
Check out Carson's blog here.
What We Believe
We post a description of our faith for our guests, but we think that everybody, members and guests, could benefit from thinking more deeply about our life in Christ. Here's a link to our story in Christ for your reflection.