Spiritual growth is something that we take seriously at Upcounty. Church is more than Sunday and routine religious activity.  Growing spiritually is a personal lifelong journey of learning to live the life that we were created to experience.  In the Bible, Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance"(The Gospel of John 10:10). 

In summary, growing spiritually means getting to know Jesus Christ, His purpose for our lives and loving people (Luke 10:27). We believe growth happens best in relationship with others. That's why we encourage everyone to make a spiritual life connection that fits them.  You may want to explore getting involved in a neighborhood small group (Life Group), attend an Upcounty Community Bible Study Class or make an Up Connection. We know everyone is at different places spiritually, so we want to create environments that engage people at a pace that's comfortable for them.

Here are some ways that you can make a spiritual life connection.

THE UPCOUNTY COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY

Explore what the Bible says about living life the way God intended. Get a grasp on the main themes of the Bible and how to apply them in your everyday life so you can experience life more fully.

Our current class meets at Martin Luther Middle School (13737 Wisteria Dr., Germantown, MD 20874) on Tuesday nights from 7:15 pm - 8:45 pm.  The topic for the current 8-week series is - Unveiling the Future.  What does the Bible have to say about future things? We'll look at some of the prophetic books such as The Book of Revelation and The Book of Daniel. How do we understand and apply some of the deeper things in these books to our lives today?

All are welcome.  You may visit on a Tuesday night or contact us for more information.

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE PROCESS

We have developed a kind of spiritual navigation system that we call our Spiritual Life Process to help you on your personal journey with Christ.  

The starting place in the Spiritual Life Process is understanding some of the basic teachings of Christianity and how they impact your life today.  This gives each person a foundation to build on to help them live out their faith with others: family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.  

Continuing to grow daily as a Christian means engaging in the same kind of spiritual practices that Jesus did such as prayer, silence, solitude, reflecting on the Bible, serving and worship - to name just a few.  

The result of engaging in the Spiritual Life Process is experiencing what the Bible refers to as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23):  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   This is just a summary of what the Spiritual Life Process is all about.  

There are opportunities for you to grow spiritually as a Christian through Life Groups, Up Connections and Spiritual Life Classes (mentioned below).       

For more about Life Groups and other Up Connections, please click here.

SPIRITUAL LIFE CLASSES 

To supplement the learning that takes places in a Life Groups, we also offer Spiritual Life Sessions.  Spiritual Life Sessions are classes and courses that are designed to help you go to the next spiritual level in your life with God and others.   Classes are ongoing and meet in various places in the upcounty area on Saturday mornings and also during weeknights.  If you're interested about attending a class, please contact us.

Some of the classes and courses are as follows: 

Spiritual Life 101:  TCU Upclose (a first step class for everyone)  

This is an introductory class to help people gain an overview of the basic teachings of the Bible and our mission as a church.  We encourage everyone to take this class.  It's interactive and intended to be a first step for anyone who wants to explore membership with Upcounty Church.  If you would like to register for the next class, please contact us.

Spiritual Life 102:  The Basics of Christianity

Learn the basic teachings of the Bible and how to begin to live them out in your life and experience.  The format will be either a multi-session class or one-day seminar.    

Spiritual Life 201:  The Basics of Spiritual Growth

What does it mean to grow spiritually as a Christian?  We experience growth when the spiritual life that the Bible talks about happens freely and naturally in our own lives at work, with family and with others.  The Bible lays out some key principles that will help you experience life the way God intended.  This multi-session class or one-day seminar will cover these spiritual growth principles in an interactive format.

Spiritual Life 202:  Spiritual Practices for Daily Living

Learn how to do basic spiritual practices such as prayer, studying the Bible, silence, solitude, worship and more.  It's a multi-session class that includes a day trip to a local spiritual retreat center.  

Spiritual Life 203:  Jesus In Person

As we understand how Jesus lived and loved, we too can begin to live life the way the way God intended - more and better life - and then pass it on to others.  The format will either be a multi-session class or a one-day seminar.     

Spiritual Life 301:  The Wired For a Purpose Workshop 

God has uniquely wired us as followers of Christ for a life of serving and caring for others.  Discover how God has W.I.R.E.D. you and begin to live it out with others.

W – Working Spiritual Gifts

I – Individual Style

R – Real Talent

E – Experience

D - Desire

SPIRITUAL LIFE COURSES  (courses are usually six to twelve weeks)

New Testament Survey – get an overview of the 27 books of the New Testament.

Old Testament Survey – get an overview of the 39 books of the Old Testament.

How to Study the Bible – learn how to study the Bible for yourself.

Practical Theology – get an overview understanding of the essential historic teachings of Christianity.

Lay Counseling Topics and Techniques – learn how to become a lay “encourager” and help others deal with basic spiritual, emotional and relational issues.

Discipleship – learn how to pass on life with God to others.

Apologetics – the rational, reasonable foundation for believing in Christianity.