We Listen For God’s Word
Formation
Nursery
On Sundays, a nursery is provided for second grade and under in the Ministry Center room 1.23.
Sunday Morning
Faith Formation
For Adults
in the Ministry Center and Session House.
Children, Youth & Families - Sundays and More
Find out more about all the opportunities for children, youth and families.
Mid-Week and Monthly Gatherings
Bible Study, Grief Group Support, Divorce & Rebuilding, Yoga, Prayer, The Spiritual Life, Calvin & Hops, and more.
“Spiritual formation prepares us for a life in which we move away from our fears, compulsions, resentments, and sorrows, to serve with joy and courage—even when it leads us to places we would rather not go.”
What is Faith Formation?
And why we’re using it to talk about what we’ll do from 9:40-10:40 every Sunday morning.
Did you know that the first Sunday School classes were originally designed to teach literacy to children? The Sunday School movement began in Britain in the 1780s. The Industrial Revolution had resulted in many children working in factories all week long. Christian philanthropists wanted to teach these children how to read, so they started a program that came to be known as “Sunday School.” The first Sunday School classes really were school!
Of course, what we do now from 9:40-10:40 on a Sunday morning has a different purpose. We’re after another kind of learning. It’s the kind that certainly informs but also challenges us to see ourselves differently as we grow into a deeper relationship and experience with God.
This is one of the reasons why First Presbyterian Church in New Bern has adopted the phrase “Faith Formation” in place of “Sunday School.” Whether it’s the “Follow Me” classes for our children or the many adult classes offered throughout the year, what we’re doing is not just for our heads but also for the reshaping of our hearts and souls. When we give ourselves to the adventure of faith formation, we say “Yes” to being with Jesus, learning to do as Jesus did, and becoming more like Jesus.
This is a journey that refashions us as we seek an ever-deeper relationship with our God, and the phrase “Faith Formation” describes this pursuit. You could say it’s what we’ve always done from 9:40-10:40 on Sunday mornings!
Hawkins Library is located in the Ministry Center on the second floor. The library catalog is available to search from your computer, phone, or tablet. There is also a computer available on the desk in the library for your use, as well as a printed title and author list. (The print-out may not contain the most recent additions.)
Books can be searched by title, author, or subject. From your search results list, look for the call number (Dewey Decimal number). The books are shelved in numerical order according to the call number, so that's how you will find your book on the shelf. (Fiction is shelved in its own section by the author's last name.)
We still use the card in the back of the book to check out, in order to make the process easy in our self-service library. (That means that all books in the catalog appear as "Available", whether they are checked out or not.)
When you find your book on the shelf, sign your name legibly and write the date (month, day, and year) on the card in the back of the book, and put it in the file box on the library desk.
Our DVDs have not yet been added to the online catalog, but may be checked out. Our children's books (located in the Ministry Center beside Summer Hough's office) are also available to search online.
If you have questions about the library, email the librarian at librarian@firstpresnb.org or leave a note on the library desk. We try to check the email once a day and the written notes once a week.