Open the Bible With Us This Week
Lutherans believe God does his work through his Word. He speaks to us in the Bible, and through it he creates and strengthens faith. That is why studying Scripture together is part of an ordinary week at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School, not an extra for a few experts. Our classes are led by our pastor, our DCE and members of the congregation, and every one of them welcomes visitors, neighbors and people who are still asking questions. Pick the time that fits your week and come as you are.
Sunday Mornings: the Christian Education Hour
From September through May, we worship at 8:00 and 10:30 on Sunday mornings. The hour between them, starting at 9:15, is our Christian Education Hour, when adults head to Bible class and children go to Sunday School. From June through August there is one service at 9:00, and classes follow at 10:15. If you are new, stop by the Welcome Center when you arrive and a greeter will point you to the right room. Adults, youth and children each have a class during that hour.
Walking the Exodus
Fellowship Bible Study
Exodus is the story of God rescuing his people: Moses at the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt, the first Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea and the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. It is also the book the rest of the Bible keeps returning to, because the Passover lamb points ahead to Jesus, whose death sets us free. You are welcome to join partway through.
Life and Ministry of the Messiah
How did Jesus’ call to follow him turn the world upside down? This eight-lesson video study, the third volume of Ray Vander Laan’s That the World May Know series, was filmed on location in Israel: Herod’s palace fortress at Herodion, the cliffs of Masada, the ruins of Qumran, and the Galilee towns where Jesus taught. The class watches a video lesson together and talks it through with a companion study guide, which has the Scripture passages, discussion questions, maps and short personal studies for the week between. Seeing the world Jesus lived in makes his parables and his call to discipleship much easier to understand.
Youth Bible Class
Our youth are reading Exodus too, a few chapters ahead of the adults. Alongside the reading, the class is building Sanctuary: The Wilderness Tabernacle from Bible Bricks one week at a time. It is a 1,342-piece LEGO-style model of the tent where God lived among his people in the wilderness, and its instructions carry Bible verse references, so the build follows the plans God gave Moses in Exodus 25–40.
Week by week the courtyard, the altar of sacrifice, the basin for washing, the veils and the Ark of the Covenant take shape. Seeing the pieces go together helps students understand why God gave such careful instructions, and how each part points to Jesus, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
Sunday School
Children are in the Word on Sunday mornings too. Sunday School begins at 9:15 in the gym, with a class for toddlers and preschoolers and a class for kids in 1st through 5th grade. It means the whole family can learn at the same hour, then head to the 10:30 service together.
Our classes use Enduring Faith, a Bible curriculum from Concordia Publishing House, the publisher of our national church body. It walks children through the whole Bible in three years and traces God’s plan of salvation from beginning to end, pointing every story to Jesus, their Savior. The youngest learn what happened in each Bible story, well enough to tell it back at home. Older children dig into the setting of the story and learn to see sin and forgiveness in it, and how it points to Jesus.
Vacation Bible School, Advent devotions and ideas for faith at home are on our Children and Families page.
During the Week
LifeLight In-Depth Bible Study
An in-depth study of one book of the Bible at a time, meeting at Immanuel since 1997. Each study runs nine weeks, books are provided, and a $10 donation is appreciated but never required. A new study of Obadiah, Jonah and Micah begins Thursday, November 19, which makes it an easy time to start.
Lutheran Confessions Study
An evening class reading Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, the 16th-century statements of faith that explain from Scripture what Lutherans believe and why. It suits anyone who wants to give a clear, gracious answer for their faith, or who simply wants to understand what makes a Lutheran church Lutheran. Copies of the book are available.
LWML Women’s Bible Study
The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, the women’s organization of our national church body, meets each month for Bible study, a meal and good company, and to support missions near and far. Women of every age are welcome, whether you have been at Immanuel for fifty years or are visiting for the first time.
For Students in Grades 5–12
Youth Night
Students share a free supper cooked by adults from the church, then open the Bible together and stay for games. Friends are always welcome, whether or not they go to church anywhere.
Every School Day at Martin Luther School
God’s Word in the Classroom
Our Bible study doesn’t stop on Sunday. At Martin Luther School, students from 3 years old through eighth grade open God’s Word every school day in their own classrooms. Scripture is part of the daily rhythm of learning, taught by teachers who share the same faith our congregation confesses on Sunday morning.
Questions About Bible Study at Immanuel
Do I have to be a member of Immanuel to join a class?
No. Every class on this page is open to anyone, whether you belong to Immanuel, to another church, or to no church at all. Immanuel is a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and you can read what we believe before you come.
I’ve never really studied the Bible. Where should I start?
Any class is a fine first step. If you want the big story, the Sunday Exodus class begins with one of the best-known rescues in the Bible. If a weekday morning suits you better, LifeLight starts a new nine-week study several times a year, and the first session of a new study is an easy time to join.
What should I bring?
Just yourself, and a Bible if you have one. LifeLight and the Lutheran Confessions Study provide their books, so you do not need to buy anything before your first visit.
Where do the Sunday classes meet?
Pastor Ramstad’s class meets in the Fellowship Hall at the church. Bill Ideker’s class meets in the Martin Luther School Conference Room, near the gym, the Youth Bible Class meets in the Youth Center, and Sunday School for children meets in the school gym. If you are not sure which way to go, stop by the Welcome Center and a greeter will point you there. Parking, doors and what a Sunday morning is like are all on our What to Expect page.
Is there something for my kids?
Yes. Children go to Sunday School in the gym during the 9:15 hour, with a class for toddlers and preschoolers and one for 1st through 5th grade. Youth have their own Bible class in the Youth Center at the same time, and students in grades 5–12 have Youth Night on Wednesdays. See Children and Families and Youth Ministry. Families at Martin Luther School are always welcome in any of our classes.
Come Study God’s Word With Us
Questions? Call the church office at (417) 624-0333. We would rather you asked than wondered.
Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2616 S Connecticut Ave, Joplin, MO 64804. More ways to grow together: Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, and all of our ministries.