Adult Classes

Reading Bonhoeffer Together

Facilitated by Keith Lewis

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is without a doubt one of the most recognizable Christian Martyrs of the 20^th Century.  However, there is more to the man than we usually think about when it comes to his theology, his writings, his German identity, and his defiance of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Third Reich.  In the modern era, we are quick to use his name when we find that it easily suits our needs or we wish to appear relevant. While we do so many times out of ignorance, we also run the risk of tarnishing his legacy and impact at a time when his witness and his call to discipleship are most important.  Join us as we study his life, review his sermons, read his well-known book The Cost of Discipleship and ponder how his legacy inspires us to live out our lives in a way that reflects our devotion to Jesus Christ.

This class meets via Zoom on Monday nights at 6:30pm beginning on August 30th.

If you’d like to join, please contact the Church Office or Pastor Keith.

The Gospel According to Mark

Facilitated by David Elton

We will spend 16 weeks this winter/spring semester reading and discussing the evangelist’s writing in the earliest gospel of the Bible known as the Gospel According to Mark.  The class will examine one chapter each week in Mark, a gospel that’s without a birth narrative, moves at a rapid pace, is the shortest of the four gospels, and has two different endings.  Among numerous themes in Mark, the call and challenge of being a faithful disciple is emphasized in almost every chapter.  Join us for this journey through the Gospel of Mark through this semester and Lenten season.

If God...

Facilitated by Kara Windler

Pastor Kara will be leading discussions of two books this semester: If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk by John Pavlovitz and If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? by Angela N. Parker. If God Is Love takes an "honest look at how the beliefs we hold can shape our relationships with God and our fellow humans - and [seeks] to make sure that love has the last, loudest word." Pavlovitz is an engaging author and each chapter is filled with both humor and theological depth. We'll follow this book with Parker's If God Still Breathes. "Drawing from her perspective as a Womanist New Testament scholar, Dr. Parker describes how she learned to deconstruct one of White Christianity’s most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. As Dr. Parker shows, these doctrines are less about the text of the Bible itself and more about the arbiters of its interpretation—historically, White males in positions of power who have used Scripture to justify control over marginalized groups." These two books challenge readers to examine their theological assumptions, to consider the consequences of those assumptions and, hopefully, lead to deeper lived faith and faithfulness.

If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk

1/16 Introduction

1/30 Chapters 1&2

2/6 Chapters 3&4

2/13 Chapters 5&6

2/20 Chapters 7&8

2/27 Chapters 9&10

3/6 Chapters 11&12

3/13 Chapters 13, 14 & 15

3/20 Chapters 16, 17 &18

If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?

4/10 Introduction

4/24 Chapter 1

5/1 Chapter 2

5/15 Chapter 3

5/22 Chapter 4 & Conclusion