Small Groups

Life Groups Discipleship Groups

"God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." - 1 Corinthians 12:24-26

God's people are the hands and feet of Christ. We cannot experience God and grow spiritually in a truly gospel-centered and biblical way if we are living in isolation. Neither can we say we are flourishing if our brother or sister in Christ is suffering. Bound together with covenant communion, God brings us into new relationships where sacrifice is freedom and giving to others is where we find life.

Ministries

Children Youth Undergraduate Graduate Mercy Men Women

Children's Christian Education

In an attempt to assist our covenant families in raising their children in the grace of the gospel, we have developed a thoughtful and comprehensive approach towards providing your children with deep and enduring roots in the Christian faith. Our philosophy emphasizes close parent/church cooperation. As a result, our strategy for "making disciples" seeks to be primarily relational rather than programmatic.

Our curriculum represents both a deductive and inductive approach to education that is intended to give our children a lasting and full knowledge of the Christian faith. Our goal, then, is to help our children become faithful disciples of Christ, well prepared to live and defend the Gospel into the 21st century.

By the time a child leaves their home, they will have been trained in:

1. A comprehensive study of the Bible in all its various periods

A systematic study and review of the essential teachings of the classic/evangelical Christian faith

A precious collection of classic hymns to assist in private and public worship

A practical and personal knowledge of Christ as experienced within the loving community of a Christ-centered church

Deductive Bible Study: Children review the Westminster Shorter Catechisms and learn hymns often used in worship

Inductive Bible Study: Each Sunday School class studies the Scripture using lessons and curricula most suited to each age

Youth

Our youth ministry at CPC is the capstone of our broader children's ministry, and targets both junior and senior high. We have many various goings-on throughout the year, but here are some of the offerings we have for our youth:

Sunday School: CPC's Sunday School program goes from preschool through graduation. Our goal is to partner with parents in the Christian discipleship of their kids, in order that our kids ultimately embrace the gospel of grace for themselves.

One-On-One Discipleship: Beyond our calendar events, we seek to schedule one-on-one time with students for discipleship. This takes the form of going out for lunch, monthly fellowship gatherings, ice cream, or anything that gives us an opportunity to deepen relationships and minister to the students' needs.

For any inquiries regarding our youth ministry, contact Jerry Ornelas

Undergraduate

CPC's college ministry is a collection of students from wide-ranging backgrounds gathered under the banner of Jesus Christ. Mostly made up of Yale, Southern (SCSU) and Gateway students, the college ministry also includes students from other area universities. CPC seeks to help students love Christ, love the church, and love the campus life to which they are called. Because we love the campus, we send campus ministers to the campus, but above all, we invite students to take part in the fullness of Christ through CPC's rich, communal Sunday morning worship. Students, please honor us with your presence and unique gifts!

One-on-One and Small Group Discipleship
Depending on the needs of the students or campus, we are also deeply committed to individual and small group discipleship on campus. This has been happening at Yale and Southern, and we look to serve students of all local campuses (Quinnipiac, Gateway, and Albertus Magnus) in the future. For any inquiries regarding our Undergraduate ministry, contact Jerry Ornelas

Bridging the Church-Campus Gap
This is our internship program for college students interested in learning more, investing more, being more knit in to the family of God. It is a great opportunity to serve, receive valuable theological training, and have practical experiences and opportunities within the church. Go here for more information on the internship.

Athletes in Action
CPC supports several on-campus ministries at Yale including Athletes in Action: One World To Reach, One Language of Sport, One Message of Victory. Athletes in Action is a student-led sports ministry dedicated to building a community of fellowship founded in the loving character of Jesus Christ. We seek to reach out to students through large group meetings, fun activities, and individual connections. We welcome people of all backgrounds to explore the Christian faith. We meet weekly during the academic year and have Bible studies throughout the week, fellowship activities, and retreats throughout the year.

For all things college-related, contact Jerry Ornelas.

Graduate

The Graduate group exists to minister to men and women in their post-college years as they follow God through their academic, vocational, and relational callings. We seek to develop a deeper love for Christ and a richer involvement in the life of the Church.

On Campus Mini-Groups
In many areas of campus, like the med school, law school, divinity school, and graduate school, we will begin small groups with the intent of providing respite from the busy yet often lonely life of a grad student. Meeting during the day throughout the week, these will include Scripture reading and meditation, prayer, and fellowship. Contact Craig to get involved in one near you.

Get Involved
Join the church family for Adult Sunday Studies classes, Sunday Studies, church-wide events, and work days! You can also become a leader within the Graduate Group or through other ministries at CPC.

For all things related to Graduates, contact Craig Luekens.

Mercy

THE QUESTION ANSWERED THEN AND NOW Imprisoned and faced with the ultimate cost of Christian discipleship, John the Baptist sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?" When John's disciples found Jesus, his answer was as relevant then as it is today. Busy healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and casting out evil influences to those who were hopeless, Christ invoked the expectations of the prophets as validation of his messianic authenticity. Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. (Luke 7:22, cf. Isaiah 35:5f, 61:1) John's question then is no less a question often raised today by the faithful and cynic alike. Are you (the body of Christ) legit? CPC envisions the embodiment of the same response of doing mercy under the power of Christ's ascension ministry today, both in word and deed, as validation to the relevancy and power of Jesus Christ in our midst. As concerns the sacred "family of God," we discern in Galatians 6:10, that along with the mandate to "do good to all" commanded of all Christians, there is the all-important adage, "and especially the household of faith" enjoined upon the local church. The biblical mandate to take care of one another in the family of God is both to preserve authentic and holistic love and effective witness. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35) With these and other passages in mind, our privilege and duty to love one another in both inward and outward ways is summarized in our historic confession of faith. "All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their head, by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other's gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man." (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 26, section 1)

MERCY BEGINS WITH PARTICIPATING IN A LIFE GROUP At CPC, participating in mercy begins with actively participating in one of our many Life Groups within and around greater New Haven. Each life group is as a "church in miniature" where we are each "seen" and "known" at a more intimate level facilitates mercy with and for one another often before a situation reaches a crisis. Each Life Group is assigned a trained Life Group Mercy Coordinator to assist each group's care for one another as needs arise. This care includes sharing in prayer, emotional and spiritual support, and tangible assistance as needed. If you are interested in doing and/or receiving mercy in an authentic and holistic way, start by joining a life group.

MERCY THAT INVOLVES THE VARIETY OF GIFTS AND ASSETS OF THE FULL BODY OF CHRIST As needs become greater than can be dealt with at the Life Group level, or the need for a special expertise or asset not represented in the group is needed including financial assistance, the greater CPC body of Christ is made available. This is coordinated by the CPC Mercy Coordinator with the assistance and oversight of the Sr. Pastor. The CPC Coordinator works with the CPC Mercy Team consisting of CPC Life Coordinators and other select persons with skills or training relevant to the kinds of mercy needs that arise. This team meets quarterly or as needed to review the needs of the body of Christ and make recommendations to the Servant Leader Board and/or CPC Shepherds as needed.

Mercy Contacts

CPC Mercy Co-Coordinator:

Kaitlyn Jessee

CPC Mercy Co-Coordinator:

David Korver

Mercy Pastoral Liaison:

Craig Luekens

IN NEED OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE? The CPC Mercy Fund is financed by our annual designated Christmas offering. We encourage all of our members and regular attenders to participate in this fund in the spirit of Acts 2:44-45: And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. The process for applying for financial assistance ideally originates from the potential recipient, assisted by his/her Life Group Mercy Coordinator, filling out the CPC Mercy Fund application. Once the application is filled out, the two will then contact the CPC Mercy Coordinator who will in turn review with Sr. Pastor, and as needed other relevant members of the Mercy Team, toward presenting the request for approval by the Shepherd Leader Board. Those qualified to receive financial assistance must fulfill the following criteria: Complete Financial Mercy Fund Application; be a member in good standing of CPC New Haven (some exceptions can be made by those who are in process of becoming a member as a regular attender.) The recipient must agree to actively participate in a CPC Life Group.

MERCY PROJECT One form of helping meet the outward needs of a person can be in the form of seeking assistance for projects that might not always require financial assistance but the "know-how" of someone in the congregation. A Mercy project can range from seeking help in financial planning, ride to the doctor, a home repair project, etc. Again, the first step would be to seek the assistance of your Life Group Mercy Coordinator. In the event that the Life Group needs the assistance of the greater Church, the CPC Mercy Coordinator is contacted wherein the full gifts and vocations of the body of Christ can be accessed. We also encourage everyone in the church to "tithe" a day or two vacation and participate in an opportunity to do Mercy through Youth Camp and Mercy Projects throughout the city.

Men

The mission of CPC's Men's Ministry is to provide all men the opportunity to experience genuine Christian fellowship, build strong friendships, grow spiritually, and reach unbelieving friends. Through these opportunities, men will increasingly experience the transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all spheres of their lives to the glory of God.

Women

Women at CPC are encouraged to live their lives in a gospel-centered (missional, sacramental, confessional, and communal) manner. We hope to see the fullness of the image of God expressed in both men and women, as they work in partnership with one another for the glory of God. Women's events seek to minister to women in their various phases and spheres of life.

Membership

Throughout history, special relationships have been set apart by the taking of vows. What exactly is a vow? A vow is a "confession" regarding the meaning of one's participation in a given institution. Therefore, vows are ordinarily limited to initiation ceremonies. And according to the Bible, there are three such institutions that enjoy divine sanction--the church, the state, and the family. Vows are used to initiate a church relationship, or perhaps one's service in an office of the church.

According to the apostle Paul, one becomes a Christian when "you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead" (Romans 10:9). Who are we "confessing" to with our lips and in what context? Related to this, what else could it mean for the elders to "watch over the flock of God" if not a flock that can be defined by some "initiation" ceremony in relation to the exchange of vows? Or, in the words of Hebrews, what else could it mean to "obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account," apart from some willing and voluntary way to form an association that is predicated upon the taking of vows one to another? (see 1 Peter 5, Hebrews 13:17). And when the church is exhorted to "remove such a one" from "the assembly" as the ultimate, albeit tragic, expression of church discipline, what else could it mean except that the person was joined to the assembly by some confession that is later deemed broken? (1 Corinthians 5:3-5). Or, when we are exhorted to support one another even through our financial means, how could such benefits be distributed except that it means something to bind one's self to another through the authenticating protections of an initiation ceremony? (2 Corinthians 8).

And so, for these abbreviated reasons, we believe that church membership is a good thing given by God. When one becomes a Christian, they gain a heavenly Father and new brothers and sisters! It sets people apart into a special relationship with each other, where the terms are clear and where loyalties for the mutual benefit of all are expressed and preserved. Membership is simply a way to say: "I confess my faith in solidarity with you so as to enjoy the mutual support of one another until, for whatever reason, someone is led elsewhere."

For more information on becoming a member at CPC, please contact us.

Community