Category Archives: Adult Christian Education

Book Club Style Bible Study — Date Corrected

On Thursday, July 6, 2023 (time to be announced), I plan to lead a book club-style session on God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships by Matthew Vines. The book sets out a biblical case for affirming gay and lesbian men and women—and, by extension, the entire LGBTQ+ community.

As I’ve said before, the argument that the United Methodist Church is having over the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ folks is not a matter of biblical authority; it’s a question of biblical interpretation. This book presents the case for an LGBTQ+ affirming reading of the Bible. I think it’s vital that those who want to be an affirming church for queer people know the biblical reasons for doing so.

There will be copies of the book available in the back of the sanctuary. You can also order copies online from all the usual places, including my favorite locally owned bookstore in Council Grove at flinthillsbooks.com. (I couldn’t find any copies at the Dusty Bookshelf website.)

Bible Study Schedule

At the suggestion of a well-respected local educator, I’ve drafted the following schedule for our Bible study on Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans.

Session 1 (Wednesday, November 9, 2022): “Introduction”

Session 2: “The Temple” and “1. Origin Stories”

Session 3: “The Well” and “2. Deliverance Stories”

Session 4: “The Walls” and “3. War Stories”

Session 5: “The Debate” and “4. Wisdom Stories”

Session 6: “The Beast” and “5. Resistance Stories”

Session 7: “The Water” and “6. Gospel Stories”

Session 8: “The Sea” and “7. Fish Stories”

Session 9: “The Letter” and “8. Church Stories”

Bible Study: God’s Faithfulness

This evening, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 7 p.m., we’ll have a Bible study on God’s faithfulness. You can attend in person in the parlor or you can join us via Zoom at bit.ly/3AOWXnf. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go here.

Link: bibleproject.com/explore/video/faithful/

A Book Study on the Bible

Our next Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study will be on Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. The plan is to start Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 7 p.m. 

From the publisher:

“If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she embarked on a journey to better understand what the Bible is and how it’s meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it can change you, too.”

The book is available at all the usual places, and copies have been ordered so you can pick one up at church. The suggested donation is $14, but feel free to give whatever you can or just take one.

Bible Study: God’s Loyal Love

This evening, Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at 7 p.m., we’ll have a Bible study on God’s loyal love. You can attend in person in the parlor or you can join us via Zoom at bit.ly/3AOWXnf. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go here.

God’s Anger and Wrath — Corrected

At this Wednesday’s Adult Bible Study (October 5, 2022), we’ll be talking about what the Bible says about God’s anger and wrath; but we’ll be doing so in the context of God’s character as “slow to anger.” It’s a great lesson that helped me think through some of the most challenging passages in scripture. So I hope you’ll join us even if you haven’t done so before.

As usual, we’ll be meeting at 5:15 p.m. 7 p.m. You can attend in person in room 200 or join us via Zoom at https://wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. 

If you want to watch the video ahead of time you can go to: https://bit.ly/3deVkCh.

You can download the transcript as pdf here.

And you can download the study notes as a pdf here.

Background for World Communion Sunday

Holy Communion joins us in Christian unity. This sacrament invites us to focus on the holiness of communion with God and one another. On World Communion Sunday – United Methodists, in conjunction with other denominations and believers worldwide, participate in communion to recognize our unity in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This universal and inclusive connection is the foundation of the special offering for World Communion Sunday.

Your donations support racial and ethnic students in achieving their educational goals and transforming communities. In 2021, World Communion Sunday offerings awarded 242 scholarships and grants. Your generosity continues to provide scholarships, grants, mentoring and training for leadership development. The needs exceed what we can fund and your gifts can further growth and success.

Fifty percent of the offering provides scholarships for graduate students from the U.S. and other countries.

Thirty-five percent supports racial and ethnic scholarships for students pursuing ordained ministry (deacon or elder) and includes a mentoring program.

Fifteen percent funds Ethnic-In-Service Training Grant for leadership development, recruitment, training, and retention of ethnic United Methodist persons in leadership positions in every level of the church and its ministry.

The United Methodist Church, the world and our communities are in a time of transition. Now, perhaps more than ever, we are called to extend healing and hope which will guide us to becoming a new creation in Christ. Through our gifts and support, we can invest in talented, qualified students from around the globe to transform the world as witnesses for Christ!