Join us at First Congregational UCC for our weekly Kerygma Bible Study. Following Easter, we will launch into "Matthew - God With Us" on Wednesdays at 11:30. This study is led by Kathleen. All are welcome! Please contact 605-342-5787 to RSVP or email us at office@rcfirstucc.com

Summary of 12-week Study: With all we have to unite us, we still find ways to create division. It is an age-old question: do we focus on what sets us apart, or what holds us together? According to Matthew, it is Emmanuel, God with us.

The First Evangelist and the new Christian community saw themselves first as part of Judaism, not separate from it. A distinguishing feature of the Gospel according to Matthew is its use of the Greek term "ekklesia", which means an assembly of ones who are called out. It conveys nothing of the static conception of the word “church” held by many today.

According to Matthew, the Church is an earthly manifestation of the kingdom of God, and it is comprised of Jesus’ followers who have been called out to live righteously in the world and to serve in the manner of the Christ with deep humility and unfathomable forgiveness. In Jesus, there is a new community at work for the blessing of the world. What is it that binds us together? Jesus—God With Us.

Week-by-week:

· Matthew's Worlds and Ours

· Matthew and the Gospel

· The Genesis of Jesus

· Dawn of the Messianic Age

· A New Community Emerges

· Character Formation of the Messiah's People

· The Messiah's Vocation

· An Expanding Mission and Preparations for Conflict

· Quests for God's Kingdom

· The Son of Man Shows the Way

· The Son of David and David's Lord

· Jesus Judges?

· The Lifeblood of the Church

· God With Us