Ministries
Children
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:
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
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.
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 ones 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 a divine
sanction--the church, the state and the family. For
instance, vows are used to initiate a judicial proceeding or
even citizenship in the civil sphere. Vows are used to
initiate a family relationship between a husband and wife in
the family sphere. And, for those who believe that the
church is a third institution set apart by God, vows are
used to initiate a church relationship, or perhaps one's
service in an office of the church. And would it surprise
you that every one of the above examples can be located in
the Bible? We will review briefly the biblical rationale
that relates to the taking of vows in the church sphere.
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 as a good thing. 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."
Contact us for more information on becoming a member at
CPC.
For more read Good News of Church Membership