ADULT SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Welcome back to another fun year of Adult Spiritual Growth. Each facilitator has painstakingly rummaged through the many options available, and I believe each one has selected a terrific book or study for their particular group. If you have not taken one of our classes, it is important to note that the Monday Discipleship class is more biblical in tone, while the Tuesday Morning class is a bit more eclectic. The Wednesday evening Drop in, Discuss, Discover class does not require any reading – just videos and discussion. The ongoing Women’s Bible Study speaks for itself but continues to one of our more popular classes. We hope you will check us out and join in. We would love to have you.
Blessings,
Eileen M Brogan
The Bible with and without Jesus : Participant Guide
by Amy Jill Levine and Marc Brettler
Monday Evening Discipleship | Susan Samuel & Tami LePage
September 21 – October 26 | 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Annex
The Bible with and without Jesus (participant guide), by Amy Jill Levine and Marc Brettler is a 6-week class with a DVD guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22. Comparing various interpretations – historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, illuminating the Bible’s ongoing significance.
Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian
by Paul Knitter
Tuesday Morning Class | Bruce Hale
September 22 – October 27 | 10:30 am –12:00 pm | Annex
This 6-week class, Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by Paul Knitter is this fall’s class selection for Tuesday morning. This book narrates how esteemed theologian, Paul F. Knitter, overcame a crisis of faith by looking to Buddhism for inspiration. From prayer to how Christianity views life after death, Knitter argues that a Buddhist standpoint can encourage a more person-centered conception of Christianity where individual religious experience comes first, and liturgy and tradition second.
You Were Made for This Moment: Courage for Today and Hope for Tomorrow
By Max Lucado
Wednesday Evening Class | Drop in, Discuss, Discover | Eileen Brogan
September 16 – October 14 | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm | Annex
God never promised us a life without trials, but he does promise to be with us as we walk through them. Trust that he can redeem your struggles for a mighty purpose. You, friend, were made for this moment.
In this 5-week video series You Were Made for This Moment: Courage for Today and Hope for Tomorrow author Max Lucado will help you:
Put your hope in the God of grand reversals, trusting that God will right every wrong.
Cultivate courage for your challenging times by leaning on the God who redeems and restores.
Discover your role in God's story by exploring how God can use your experiences and circumstances to join him in his holy work.
The Book of Ephesians
By Apostle Paul
Thursday Morning Class | Women’s Bible Study (WBS) | Donna Motyl
September 17 – October 29 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Annex
WBS will begin the new year studying Ephesians. Paul authored the book of Ephesians to affirm the Ephesian believers in their faith. The main focus is of being “in Christ.” When someone places their trust in Christ and his finished work on the cross it should affect the way they live. Everything should flow out of their position in Christ. Studying Ephesians will help us as believers know how to live out this reality – that we are in Christ.