Going Deeper
Our worship goes beyond the platform of Sunday mornings and there are many ways that you can take your Sunday morning experience at Providence and grow it into a community of Christian fellowship. The Going Deeper section of this website allows you to explore some of those opportunities for adults to connect. We hope you'll join us soon!
PB&J Lunch

Four times a year, Providence Church provides lunch after the Sunday worship service for those who are new. The PB&J (Providence Basics with Jim) Lunch provides new attendees a chance to get to know Providence and senior pastor, Jim Bzdafka, as he talks about the history of Providence, what we believe, and what you can expect when you get involved. Attending a PB&J gives you an opportunity to get information and ask questions in a laid-back environment while meeting some of the staff, elders, members, and other families new to Providence. Children are invited to join us for lunch and childcare is provided during the informational session. The PB&J Lunch is the perfect first step to connect at Providence Church.

If you are interested in attending the next PB&J Lunch, please co
ntact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details and upcoming dates.

Membership

Providence Church provides opportunities for following Christ to those people who walk in the doors on Sunday morning, regardless of their background, personal history, or even the reason that they decided to attend Providence. There are three main groups of people at Providence: visitors, regular attendees, and members. All of these groups are equally important to our church body. Visitors have been to Providence a handful of times and are still learning more about the church. Regular attendees worship at Providence weekly and may be involved in a number of ministry areas. Members attend weekly and are involved and committed to the mission and welfare of the church body. Members have a more specific role in owning Providence’s purpose of Following Christ Together - and they’re committed to making that happen in our community and around the world.

The membership process is designed to be a growing step in your spiritual journey. Members of Providence Church can vote on congregational decisions, lead a ministry team, teach Sunday School, lead a FLOCKS Group, or hold other positions of leadership. Becoming a member isn’t about joining a group; it’s about committing to Christ’s work in this local body. If you have been worshipping at Providence, have placed your faith in Christ, and have started connecting yourself to the ministries and community of Providence, you might be ready to consider the step of membership.


The Membership Process

Step 1: Providence 101
Several times a year, Providence offers its 101 Membership Class. This course is offered as a an intensive all-day Saturday workshop with a short meeting the following Sunday morning. Providence 101 gives you the inside scoop - the mission and vision of Providence, our history and future plans, doctrinal beliefs, and our philosophy of ministry. It’s the course designed to help regular attendees consider whether Providence Church is the local body where they would like to invest their time and resources. 

Step 2: Membership Packet
After completing Providence 101, you will receive a membership application to fill out and return to the church office. The membership application process includes a written testimony of your faith.

Step 3: Elder Interview
A Providence elder will review your application, then give you a call to answer any last-minute questions, address any final concerns, explore the ways you intend to serve within the church, and congratulate you on becoming a member of the Providence Church family. New members are formally brought into membership during a Sunday morning worship service.


 

MMM

March Membership Madness  |  March 3 & 4, March 10 & 11 (childcare available), or March 24 & 25 (childcare available)
Saturdays, 8:30am-12:30pm AND Sundays, 9-10am

We are inviting those who have yet to unite with us through membership to consider it now. We have seen, through membership, that God takes us to new levels in our walk with Him because we own the responsibility for Providence Church together. Something significant also grows in our friendships as we carry the mission of Providence together.

Join us on one of three weekends during March Madness and make the move towards membership. Breakfast will be provided and childcare will be available for the last two weekends.

RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

FOCUS Workshops

Sunday morning worship extends beyond the worship service itself. FOCUS Workshops are adult Sunday school classes that meet each Sunday at 9:00am & 10:30am, and provide a Biblical perspective on relevant, real-life topics.

These seminar-style classes, offered every two months, create opportunities to connect with others as you discuss a variety of topics about the world and the Christian life, all based on the truth of God’s Word. Topics range from generous living to church history, parenting to ministry planning. After this short-term, in-depth study, you will be strengthened with knowledge about God’s Word and God’s world, and by participating you will be encouraged by other believers as you grow together.

Prayer

Prayer Guide
God’s Word instructs us to pray continually for our fellow believers. The Providence church family desires to consistently lift its needs before the Father.

A Prayer Guide with specific, time-sensitive, ministry prayer requests is published quarterly for your participation. Pick up your Prayer Guide at the Information Center in the church Foyer or download using the link below.

Winter 2012 Prayer Guide



Congregational Prayer Meetings

When God’s people gather with the sole purpose of listening and talking to Him, powerful things happen. The Providence family meets several times per year for congregational prayer meetings, led by an elder, as a time of focused prayer for Providence, its ministries, and its members. All meetings run from 6:30-7:30pm unless otherwise noted.

Sun., Feb. 26
Sun., March 25
Sun., April 29
Sun., June 24



Prayer Retreats

Providence prayer retreats offer time away from the hassles of every day life to dedicate intentional time to prayer. Prayer retreats are held Saturday mornings at the church several times per year. An elder leads this retreat, which includes time for individual prayer, corporate prayer, and intercessory prayer.

 

(H2)3 Leadership Development
Because of Providence Church’s mission to encourage, guide, and grow followers of Jesus Christ, the elders have committed to additional training for those men and women currently leading at Providence. Leaders are trained through the (H2)3 Leadership Development Program. This program fulfills Paul’s instruction in 2 Timothy 2:2, for the church to entrust the Word to “faithful men who will be able to teach others.”

Training individuals for church leadership is fundamentally different from other organizational leadership. Christ is our ultimate leader, and our leadership goals are to see lives reconciled and transformed by Christ. Consequently, Providence seeks to equip leaders in three areas:

Heart (Godly character)
Head (Biblical wisdom)
Hands (Servanthood)

To train in these three areas, we train leaders in three skills:

Ministry skills
Bible study methods
Theology

A key aspect to the (H2)3 Leadership Development program is one-on-one coaching - a mentoring relationship with an experienced Christian leader who will guide, encourage, and advise. Christ gathered a group of men around Him whom He trained for leadership in the Church. He interacted personally with them, admonished them, and shared with them the knowledge they needed in order to carry on His ministry. We seek to follow Christ’s example in training purposeful leaders at Providence.
Financial Peace University

fpu 11

Financial Peace University, the 13-week program taught on DVD by Dave Ramsey, has now helped more than one million families gain hope for their financial future. This semester-long course offered annually at Providence is a life-changing program that teaches participants how to make wise financial decisions. You’ll be empowered with the practical skills and confidence needed to achieve your financial goals and experience true financial peace.

Financial Peace University
Thurs., January 19 - April 12
7-9pm, at Providence
$95/kit



If you have questions, view the official website for Financial Peace University, or contact the church office at 440.937.5001.

Financial Peace University

Milestones
Baptism
Baptism is a milestone and an act of obedience in a believer’s life. It marks a public commitment in front of the local body of Christ that you have given your life completely to the Lord. Providence Church holds baptism services two times a year, and a baptism class is required to participate in the baptism. If you are interested in following Christ’s example through baptism, contact the church office or watch the bulletin for upcoming baptism classes.

The next baptism has not yet been scheduled.



Marriage
God created the family as His agent to accomplish His purpose in Christ, and the foundation of the family is marriage. We believe that the blessings and obligations of marriage are permanent; husbands and wives have joint responsibility for the physical and spiritual well-being of one another and their children. Our policies about marriage grow out of these beliefs.

Since Providence Church provides FOCUS for following Jesus Christ in Christian community, weddings at Providence are reserved for committed followers of Christ who attend Providence regularly and are involved in the life of the congregation.

There are several steps to getting married at Providence Church, and couples are encouraged to contact the church several months in advance to ensure that each step is completed properly.



Child Dedication
Scripture makes it clear that children are a gift from God. At Providence, the dedication of children is just as much the dedication of Christian parents. It is an important step in parenting to publicly dedicate the child to the Lord and publicly commit to raising the child according to Scriptural principles. Our child dedications take place during Sunday morning worship services and are available for members only.

Applications for the dedication of children are available in the church office and are due one month prior to the date set for the dedication. To request a dedication, contact the church office.

 



If you have questions or would like more information about the Adult Ministries of Providence Church, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .