Adult PROGRAMS


  • sUNDAY aDULT eDUCATION


    Spring 2021 adult Classes begin on january 10th at 11:15am

    We are currently offering two adult classes via Zoom:

    First Samuel

    Standing between the erratic times of Israel being ruled by judges and Israel’s emergence as a strong and united kingdom is the rise of the prophet Samuel and Israel’s first king.  This book of the Old Testament can be divided by the three main characters:  Samuel, the one who represents God’s presence and word throughout Israel; Saul, the first king of Israel who struggles to follow Samuel’s advice at crucial times; and David, who is anointed Saul’s successor years before he actually becomes Israel’s second king in Second Samuel.  The political and military escapades abound throughout this book and remain within the rule and power of God’s covenantal and delivering hand. Join Rev. David Elton each Sunday as we read and discuss First Samuel, beginning Sunday, September 13 at 11:15am.

     

    Jesus and the Disinherited

    To kick off the new year, you’re invited to join Pastor Kara and discover one of the key texts that helped undergird the Civil Rights movement: Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited. In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900–81) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower—it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God's justice prevail.

     

    Class Schedule

    Jan 10 Introduction

    Jan 17 Chapter 1: Jesus--an Interpretation

    Jan 31 Chapters 2 & 3: Fear & Deception

    Feb 7 Chapter 4: Hate

    Feb 14 Chapter 5: Love


                                The Sabbath


    Once Lent begins, Kara’s class will switch gears to another classic of the mid-20th century,


    The Sabbath, by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Hoshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication in 1951—and has been read by thousands of people of many faiths seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the enormously influential idea of an "architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time. Judaism, he argues, is the religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals."


    This class begins on February 21 with the Prologue and Chapter 1: A Palace in Time.


     

  • men's koffee klatch

    Sorry, this group is currently on hold due to COVID-19

     

    Thursday 9:30am - 11:00 am         CE Building Lounge

    All men of United Church are invited to coffee, refreshments, and fellowship!  There are no lesson plans, no required or suggested topics, no devotions, no leaders, but there is a lot of fun!  Hosting duties are passed around within the group.  The wit and wisdom shared cover all sorts of topics and the discussions have proven extremely interesting, informative, and supportive.  We laugh a lot!  See you there!

  • Monday book study

    Monday 11:00am  – 12:30pm          Meeting Online via Zoom


    All women of the church and their friends are welcome to attend this group (currently meeting via Zoom).  The books for discussion are selected by the group.  The group is currently reading Madeline L'Engle's second book in her Genesis trilogy "A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob."
    In this book for the curious, spiritual seeker, Madeleine L'Engle offers relevant lessons drawn from the life of Jacob from the Old Testament. Here, the son of Isaac becomes a spiritual companion to L'Engle, equipping her to deal with earthly and psychological struggles. Throughout her journey, L'Engle offers contemporary answers to questions that burden modern day readers and believers.
    With her customary fearlessness and candor, she broaches such topics as the significance of angels, redemption, sexual identity, forgiveness, and the seemingly constant conflict between good and evil. 


    1/8 Chapter 4

    1/15 Chapter 5

    1/22 Chapter 6

    1/29 Chapter 7

    2/5 Chapter 8

    2/12 Chapter 9

    2/19 Chapter 10

    2/26 Chapter 11

    3/5 Chapter 12


    If you're interested in joining this group, please contact Pastor Kara or the Church Office.




  • Women's Friday Morning Group

    Friday 10:00am - 11:30am          Meeting Online via Zoom


    All women are welcome to come try out our Friday morning group!  We are largely comprised of women of The United Church, although not exclusively, and you are certainly welcome to bring a friend with you!  We spend time each week in study and, equally as important, in fellowship and prayer.


    On January 8, 2021 the Friday group will begin our exploration of Bishop Michael Curry's Love Is the Way. As the descendant of slaves and the son of a civil rights activist, Bishop Michael Curry's life illustrates massive changes in our times. Much of the world met Bishop Curry when he delivered his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Here, he expands on his message of hope in an inspirational road map for living the way of love, illuminated with moving lessons from his own life. Through the prism of his faith, ancestry, and personal journey, Love Is the Way shows us how America came this far and, more important, how to go a whole lot further.

     

    Reading Schedule (subject to change)

    Jan 8 Introduction & Chapter 1

    Jan 15 Chapter 2

    Jan 22 Chapter 3

    Jan 29 Chapter 4

    Feb 5 Chapter 5

    Feb 12 Chapter 6

    Feb 19 Chapter 7

    Feb 26 Chapter 8

    March 5 Chapter 9

    March 12 Chapter 10

    March 19 Chapter 11

    March 26 Chapter 12

     

     

    Please contact Pastor Kara or the office if you would like more information or links to join these discussions.


  • conversations at aspen ridge

    This meeting is currently on hold due to COVID-19


    Join us every third Wednesday of the month at 10:00am for coffee and conversation with our friends who reside at Aspen Ridge Lodge Assisted Living Facility.  Aspen Ridge Lodge is located at 1010 Sombrillo Court in Los Alamos.