In January, Becky Sechrist will be starting a daytime covenant group.  This will be a group of people who agree to meet weekly for a five-month experiment on using a group of people to help hold us accountable to enriching our spiritual  lives.  We’ll share together, read together, pray together, and serve together.  If you are interested in being part of this group, please contact Becky this fall.

Have you ever wondered why all those books are in the Bible and how they got there?  Or why we read the Old Testament at all?  How do you get through a worship service with wiggly children?  Are the United Methodists really all that united?  We’ll be exploring these and many other topics on periodic Wednesday evenings.  Begin by coming to supper at the church at 5:30.  We’ll sit together and have a time to talk, and if you are running late, it’s no big deal.  When the food gets put away at 6:30 we’ll explore the topic for the evening, concluding by 7:30.  Child care is offered during that entire time, and dinner is inexpensive.  Each class is independent, so come for the topics that interest you. 

September 29 – What’s in the Bibl

Monday evening Bible Study will start again on September 20, from 7:00-8:00.  We’ll start out by studying the letters of Paul through Nov. 22.  Nov. 29-Dec. 20 will be a study of the book of Isaiah, a book of the Bible that is quoted (and sung!) often in preparation for Christmas.  Jan. 24- Mar. 7 will begin an exploration of heaven and hell, and Mar. 21-April 18 will be a Lenten study on the meaning of the cross.

Please sign up in the Fellowship Hall for the study on Paul so Becky Sechrist can send out reading assignments to you before the first class. 

We’ll be holding Sunday morning forums once a month this year in October, November, January, February, March, and April at 10:30.  Our theme for the year is “The Wisdom Within,” utilizing the wisdom within our own congregation.  October 10 will feature members of a mission team that went to Guatemala and November 14 will be looking at the changing face of the family, from the grandparents’ perspective.  Other topics will include Nancy Carlson on working in the book industry, living abroad, and GLBT perspectives on the world and the church.

Our book group decided on two books to read and study this year. We will meet for the first time on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 10:30 AM (the Sunday after Welcome Sunday).

We will start with MEMORIES, DREAMS AND REFLECTIONS by C.G. Jung and when we are finished, we will continue with THE CASE FOR GOD by Karen Armstrong. Bob Anderson has agreed to facilitate our discussion of these books. New members are welcome and encouraged to attend our lively discussions!

TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY meets on Tuesday mornings from 9:30–11:30 AM, September - May.  We study a wide variety of different topics.  For this year, we will be looking at the different ways we enrich our spiritual lives.September 14 is our welcome meeting, and Sept. 21-Oct. 19 we will be studying the sacraments of communion and baptism. Future classes will discuss the role of music, worship, prayer, stewardship, fasting, social justice, Bible study, and friendships.

The Upperroom, has developed a "Spiritual Types Test."
This quiz is meant to help you learn about yourself, see how you compare with others, and have a little fun.
If you're interested discovering your Spiritual Type this is the resource for you.  Check it out HERE. Let the fun begin!

Hearts of Hope is a spiritually-based support group for parents, families, and friends of GLBT persons where everyone will feel safe and welcome. Maybe a family member or friend has revealed him or herself to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The revelation of your loved one’s sexual orientation or gender identity can bring up a range of responses. Some people find themselves repressing their feelings while others may be flooded by over-whelming emotions. One common experience is the need for a period of adjustment to come to a new understanding and relationship with your loved one.