Purpose
The sole purpose of Bible study at Second Avenue Baptist Church is to transform lives in the image of Christ.  This purpose will be accomplished by creating and providing opportunities to grow in discipleship through the study of Scripture, the practice of authentic Christian community and exercise of the Spiritual disciplines.

All Bible Study activity is organized into Learning Communities with their own leadership demographic group and learning targets.

Sunday MorningBible Studies gather for prayer and community time at 9:45 AM followed by class time at 10:00 AM.

Preschool Community 
Ages Birth through Preschool

The learning targets here are commensurate with the earliest developmental stages.  Basic instruction regarding the love of God, simple Bible stories and the concept of church is expected.

Class configurations change due to the numbers of children in an age group.  Generally, we offer nursery for infants, Toddler and Older Preschool classes.  All classes are led by loving, well-trained teachers who follow our published policies on child protection. (Click here to read those policies.) Our preschool wing is located on the second floor off the main hallway behind the Sanctuary.

Elementary Community 
Kindergarten through Sixth Grade

The learning targets here focus on developing a working knowledge of the Bible and becoming conversant in the main biblical narrative. The need for and path of salvation is an annual focus in the oldest age group.

This community is divided into grade level classes as enrollment dictates.  Presently, there are three groups: Kindergarten-1st grade, 2nd - 3rd grade, and 4th - 5th grade. Sixth grade is a soft transition year. Since our school systems are different, your family is able to decide if your child is ready to move to our Youth Department or if they would benefit from spending the next year in Children's Ministry.  As with our preschool, all classes are led by loving, well-trained teachers who follow our published polices on child protection.(Click here to read those policies.)
Our Children’s Wing is on the first floor of our education building on the 9th Street side.
 
Youth Community

Middle and High School Students

The learning targets here are designed to encourage students to grow from an early faith in Christ into a maturing approach to discipleship.  Topics for instruction in this community include a deepening understanding of what it means to follow Christ, engagement with the biblical narrative with the emphasis on learning and practicing the disciplines of Christian faith and ethical decision-making for Christian living.  Youth are led by folks who love teenagers and are trained to equip adolescents to grow in faith and mentor them in the process.  As with all of our ministry to minors, leaders adhere to our Child Protection Policies. (Click here to read these policies.) The Youth Suite is located on the third floor in the education building closest to Second Avenue.

Youth Discipleship: Sundays from 5:30-7:00 pm
It is an opportunity for students to gather in a small group and explore questions they all share as they seek to follow Christ together. Students dive into God's Word with a focus on faith development and discipleship. Students meet in the Youth Suite

 

Special Needs Community

This class provides a caring and supportive environment for its members to introduce Bible concepts to adults who have learning disabilities. This study helps learners grasp what it truly means to be a Christian, understand how God’s presence can be seen in their lives, and apply biblical truths to their daily lives through photographs, biblical teaching pictures, activities, and stories. The class meets on the third floor in room #303, to the left of the elevator. 



Foundation Community

Early Adulthood from College through Young Families with Children at Home (generally 18 to 50)
Learning in this community focuses on developing faith and discipleship skills commensurate with maturing Christians.  These include practical elements such as developing a “priesthood of the believer” approach to biblical study, the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines as well as life-stage appropriate attention to marriage, parenting, etc.

Class

Transformation
This class is for single and married adults under the age of 50, this includes families with children still in the home.  Couples are encouraged to attend together unless serving elsewhere.The emphasis here is on home building (marriage and parenting issues are considered throughout) and church building (leadership development is key here).  This class focuses on the transformation that happens in the process of spiritual formation and discipleship. Topics include the basics of discipleship, Bible study, workplace and vocational discernment, marriage enrichment and parenting issues. 
Location:  Fellowship Hall 1st Floor

Formation Community

Middle Adulthood to Retirement (generally ages 50 to 70)
This community focuses on life-stage issues for median adults such as parenting adult children/grand-parenting, career transitions/retirement, deepening a mature faith.  Class divisions in this community are based more on content/methodology than life-stage.

Classes

Explorers
This class explores various biblical topics and themes using diverse teaching methods. Content may include Bible study, book studies, video, or guest lecturer/teacher.

Curriculum
This class is an ongoing adult Bible study based on The Formation Series Bible Study from Smyth & Helwys. Lessons are designed to encounter the Scriptures, consider pertinent information with respect to the text, and apply the Scripture's teaching to living a faithful spiritually- maturing Christian life. 

Ladies
This class is for ladies only. Women involved, study God’s Word; desiring to apply it to daily life.  Bible studies and prayer are the foundation of the class curriculum. There are ladies teaching ladies through lesson discussions and sharing their experiences with God in their daily lives. 
Location:  This community will use the gathering area of the third floor space and the classrooms along the right side of the hallway.

Fellowship Community

Adults generally age 70 and above
This community is focused on adults who have moved into the retirement phase of life and beyond. 
Classes

Fellowship Class
The class is a loving, caring group of people who are constantly involved in various church, community, and personal ministries and who love and look after each other. This class follows a standard Sunday School curriculum.  The Fellowship Class meets in the parlor of our Chapel located just inside the Second Avenue entrance.


Mid-Week Communities                             
In addition to our Sunday Morning Bible Study, we offer additional opportunities for all ages to continue their formation on Wednesday evenings. 

Adults of all ages
The learning target here is to encourage movement along the stages of faith development for adults.  The approach for this class is to engage in biblical exegesis and reflection that leads to faith development.  Generally speaking, the sole text for this class is the Bible.  This class meets in the Fellowship Hall.

Children’s Discipleship 
Elementary Students Grades K– 6
This class is designed to develop the aspect of missions and service as a part of discipleship.  It encourages children to explore God's work through missions by learning about missionaries both national and international, and provides them the opportunity to learn about the work of many of our local ministry partners including Action Ministries of Rome, William S. Davies Homeless Shelter, Habitat for Humanity and more! Children meet in the Children’s Wing.

Music and Missions
Preschoolers  Birth to Kindergarten
Mission Friends provides children the opportunity to discover God, what He is doing in the world around them, and how they can help.  The primary focus of this class is to provide children with an early foundation in missions education.  Children have a wonderful time learning about new countries and getting to know missionaries all over the world, and some in their own community.
In addition to Mission Friends, we provide childcare for children Birth – 3 yrs of age.  The focus is relational and introducing them to the concept that they are loved and cared for as part of their Family of Faith.  All preschool activities are held in the Preschool Wing.
 
Bible Study Plus

This community takes in all Bible Studies that happen outside of the regular schedule of the church both on and off the church campus.  It should have the same leadership structure as other communities, but there is recognition that individual classes will be episodic in nature.  Currently, this community includes the Martha Bonner Ladies Friday Morning Bible Study and Ladies' Lunch and Learn on the fourth Wednesday at Pick o Deli..