Under "Care of Members" in the Discipline, is stated, "the pastor in cooperation with the Church Council (The Administrative Board) may arrange church membership in groups designed to involve the membership of the church in its ministry to the community. Each group should have a leader and should be no larger than ten to fifteen families."

For more intimate interacting we have divided our class system into six sectors, each having a captain who is responsible for keeping the class leaders in his/her sector abreast of the activities that require their involvement. The sector captains are also responsible for advising the Director of any difficulties that may exist within classes.

Classes should meet for the purpose of uplifting one another through bible study and prayer; spiritual nurture in the home; care and support of members and to help new members become involved in the total ministry of the church.

God has commanded that we love one another as he has loved us and that we nurture one another.

The Spiritual Fellowship Class System offers us the opportunity to reach out to our members and neighbours. Being a member of a structured class gives a sense of belonging to an extended family with whom they can share and who will serve with them.

Our goal is to place all families and individuals in a class geographically with a class leader who will make contact and get to know his/her members by name.

We feel that strengthening the class system will serve to keep members focused on Jesus' commandment to love on another as he has loved us, so that when changes take place, members will be able to communicate with their class leaders re their concerns and hopefully get correct information.

We hope that class leaders share concerns and needs of their members with the Pastor, thereby, making it easier for the Pastor to minister to individuals as needed.

In an effort to update profiles on church members, a new more informative form has been implemented.

Included in our budget this year (2005) are funds to be used by sectors to hold one or two meetings a year so that all the classes in each sector can meet together so that they can get to know one another.

We have been attending the new members class so that we can get to know them and they can get to know us. This makes them feel more comfortable knowing a name as well as a face.

Quarterly, we have a reception for new members who receive the Right Hand of Fellowship after completing all of the new members classes. The reception is held after the 11AM worship service.

The Spiritual Fellowship Class System luncheon is held in October to increase more interaction between sector members.

We pray that as we continue to strengthen our SFCS, we will grow in our spiritual commitment to Christ's teachings in furthering God's will at Springfield Gardens United Methodist Church.

"Share each other's troubles and problems and so obey our Lord's command.
Galatians 6.2 (The  Living Bible)