Our Fall Semester offers many opportunities to connect with others and grow in your walk with the Lord!

CONNECT GROUPS: We understand that meaningful relationships can be hard to find, and yet we all need them in order to grow in our faith. That’s why we encourage everyone to be part of a Connect Group. Our desire is that you will be encouraged in your walk with the Lord while cultivating depth and authenticity in your relationships with others. These small groups meet in homes throughout the region. They are open to everyone and meet in homes throughout the year during semesters in order to make it easier to get involved at any time

GROWTH GROUPS: We also understand that none of us drift toward spiritual growth. It doesn’t happen automatically for any of us. Thus, we offer several important Growth Groups that will further equip you to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life. Each group includes teaching, table discussion, and practical application in order to deepen one’s relationship with God by experiencing freedom. Join a group that meets together for about six weeks during one of our semesters in a learning and supportive environment. We are confident you will grow!

INSTITUTE FOR CHRISTIAN LEARNING: Ephrata Community Church, in cooperation with Evangelical Seminary, is pleased to offer the Institute for Christian Learning, a series of courses providing spiritual enrichment and leadership development. The ICL is available to everyone no matter what faith community you attend, and there are no educational prerequisites. Each course is taught by a seminary-trained instructor and represents an abridged version of a course taught at Evangelical Seminary. While they do not count for graduate school credit, a student who completes all twelve courses will receive an ICL Certificate, and can submit a portfolio of work to Evangelical Seminary to be considered for advanced standing when applying for one of its accredited degrees (offering you exemption from between 6–12 credits of coursework). These courses are also available to be taken individually.

THRIVE: The life God has for you is designed to be amazing! Psalm 1 says, “Those who meditate on the law of God day and night will be like a tree planted by streams of living water, which yields its fruit in season, its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers. Every season of our lives has the potential for abundant life in Christ. Thrive is an intentional discipleship initiative designed to establish the foundational elements needed to experience that abundant life. We have found these elements need to be consistently applied in every season of life. This group is an excellent option for anyone, whether you are brand new to the Christian faith, or you have a long history of walking with Jesus. Join Thrive to have your faith strengthened, and your relational connections deepened. You’ll be encouraged, you’ll be challenged, and you’ll discover a greater level of God’s love for you and others.