Registration Closes Sunday, September 12, Sign Up Today!!
At LAUMC, we value and pursue connection, compassion, and courage – that all may flourish. It’s who we are. It’s who we continue to become. To be followers of Jesus is not a static state or destination reached; it requires ongoing exploration, learning, and reflection with ourselves and others. Our growth opportunities provide ways for you to tap into connection, compassion, and courage in ways that make sense to you.
Here’s what’s happening for this fall “semester”, which begins the week of September 12th
and concludes in mid-November.
How the Bible Actually Works
The Bible is ancient, ambiguous, and diverse. This makes it a book with rough patches, but these very obstacles make the Bible worth reading, valuable in ways we sometimes forget to look for. Join a small group to engage with this book over 8 weeks. Discuss questions like…
- What is the Bible, anyway?
- What are we supposed to do with a book like this?
- Isn’t the Bible’s wisdom old and outdated?
- I’ve tried, but the Bible doesn’t help me make sense of God. Is the Bible supposed to help my faith or create a problem for my faith?
The September worship series & sermons will also address this theme.
Format: Small group discussions
Facilitated by: Varies
Day/time: Varies
Cost: Purchase book on your own
The Changemaker Experience
Jesus was a compassion-driven changemaker but what does that mean for us? Over 8 weeks we will learn the basics about making change in the areas of ourselves, our faith, and our communities while discovering valuable skills and tools around empathy, creativity, and collaboration. The Changemaker Experience is for people who are curious about changemaking, but aren’t quite sure what it is all about, as well as those who already are feeling a nudge toward a particular work of change and aren’t quite sure what to do about it. Be part of an energetic community of people living out their faith in action.
Format: Interactive workshops
Facilitated by: Changemaker Initiative leadership team
Day/time: Monday evenings 7-8:30pm
Cost: $15 for materials
Faith & Racial Equity: Exploring Power & Privilege
Do you want to learn how to seek racial equity within your family, church, and community? This JustFaith course is an 8-session program that includes Scriptural grounding, reflection on past and present racial injustices, and conversation about how power and privilege have contributed to racial inequity. The program includes wisdom from racial justice leaders and tools to help you discern action steps for seeking racial justice.
Format: Readings, videos, and small group discussions
Facilitated by: Jan McDaniel and Yvonne Murray
Day/time: Sunday’s at 8:30am or Thursday’s at 7:00pm
Cost: Purchase books on your own
The Bible: Behind the Scenes
Whether it’s the fact that a wedding celebration lasted multiple days or that the people in the Bible believed disease was spread by evil spirits, the world of the Bible was very different from 21st century America. Because of that, many of the most profound messages of this ancient text can be missed when we read it without that contextual cultural knowledge. Join Pastor Jeremy as he takes us behind the scenes in both the Old and New Testaments to see old passages in new ways by learning cultural concepts that can be applied whenever you engage with the Bible.
Format: Lecture teaching
Facilitated by: Pastor Jeremy Steele
Day/time: Wednesdays, 7-8pm
Cost: None
“To practice courage, compassion, and connection is to look at life and the people around us, and say, “I’m all in.” -Brene Brown