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School of Christian Living Resumes Jan. 9

Posted by Robb Serna on Monday, December 17th, 2018 in All Church

We believe that faith deepens when we engage together in learning and discussion about who God is and how we are called to live. You are invited to engage meaningful content, wherever you are in your faith journey, and deepen your walk with Christ through a regular, intentional, authentic community space. The next School of Christian Living session begins January 9 and goes for seven weeks, ending February 20. Each evening starts at 6:00pm with dinner together, followed by several class options at 7:00pm for youth and adults. Children are supervised during the class hour, and those youth who are in choir may come just for dinner before or after their rehearsal time. Select one of the following classes to attend:

Survey 103: I Saw God at the Movies: Movie Class (ends February 27, without dinner on the last evening)

Application 103: Good Grief

Theology 103: Faith You Can Give Away (This class has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date)

Bible Literacy 102: A Historical Introduction to the New Testament

Read the full class descriptions here. Whether you are new to exploring your faith or a long-time practitioner, we invite you to find something of interest.

Dinner costs $10 for adults and $5 for children, up to a maximum of $25 per family. Please register online for the class/dates that interest you so that we may prepare dinner quantities.

New School of Christian Living Session Begins

Posted by Robb Serna on Monday, November 12th, 2018 in All Church

We believe that faith deepens when we engage together in learning and discussion about who God is and how we are called to live. You are invited to engage meaningful content, wherever you are in your faith journey, and deepen your walk with Christ through a regular, intentional, authentic community space. The next School of Christian Living session begins November 28 and goes for four weeks, ending December 19. Each evening starts at 6:00pm with dinner together, followed by several class options at 7:00pm for youth and adults. Children are supervised during the class hour, and those youth who are in choir may come just for dinner before or after their rehearsal time. Select one of the following classes to attend:

Survey 102: The Hopes and Fears of All the Years

Application 102: Improving Listening, Improving Relationship

Theology 102: What Is Advent? A Deep Dive Into the Christian Calendar

Bible Literacy 102: Analyzing the Bible: Sharp Tools for Digging In the First Time

Read the full class descriptions here. Whether you are new to exploring your faith or a long-time practitioner, we invite you to find something of interest.

Dinner costs $10 for adults and $5 for children, up to a maximum of $25 per family. Please register online for the classes/dates that interest you so that we may prepare dinner quantities. If you prefer, printed registration cards will be available soon.

(Re)Introducing the School of Christian Living

Posted by Robb Serna on Tuesday, September 11th, 2018 in Adults, All Church

We believe that faith deepens when we engage together in learning and discussion about who God is and how we are called to live. Starting October 3, the Deepening Faith committee and Ministry Team are excited to reintroduce an older LAUMC concept, the School of Christian Living, as a new opportunity to deepen your walk with Christ through a regular, intentional, authentic community space. You are invited to engage meaningful content, wherever you are in your faith journey.

The School of Christian Living will be held on Wednesday evenings, 6:00–8:00pm. Each evening starts with dinner together in Creekside, followed by several class options for youth and adults. Children have their own programming during class time, and those youth who are in choir may come just for dinner before or after their rehearsal time. The classes last for a session of several weeks, followed by a short break before the next session of classes begins.

Session Schedule:
October 3 – November 14
November 28 – December 19
January 9 – February 20
March 13 – April 10
May 1–29

Whether you are new to exploring your faith or a long-time practitioner, we invite you to find something of interest in the class offerings. Courses fit into the areas of theology, Bible, practical application, and a survey class for drop-in participation. Some courses will have no homework and no prerequisites, others will involve some homework, while a few will be part of a series and require that you have taken an earlier class in the series before participating.

Dinner costs $10 for adults and $5 for children, or $25 per family. Please register for the classes/dates that interest you so that the organizers may get a total head count for dinner and plan the room size for each class. Check out the schedule for the first session and register online, or look for course catalogs and paper registration cards at church.

JustFaith Class, Sept. 11

Posted by Robb Serna on Friday, August 31st, 2018 in Adults, Serve & Social Justice

JustFaith is an intensive, small-group process for faithful Christians looking to deepen their commitment to care for vulnerable people and our planet. Many LAUMC folks have taken the class and recommend it highly. The next class will meet on Tuesdays, 9:00–11:30am, starting September 11. Space is limited so that participants can have a meaningful small-group experience, so please register for the 24-week class. Contact Perrie Erickson to register or to learn more about JustFaith.

Invitation to Explore Changemaking

Posted by Robb Serna on Monday, May 21st, 2018 in Adults, Changemaker Initiative

What is changemaking, anyway? The Changemaker Initiative team invites you to explore various aspects of changemaking to learn the many ways we can all be compassion-driven changemakers. Come to one event or several—you choose. More opportunities will come later in the summer and fall. For more information, contact Lay Director Kim Jones.

Exploring Changemaking and the Arts: The Power of Origami
Wednesday, May 23, 10:00–11:30am, Room 8
See and engage in examples of how art has changed individuals and communities for good. Hear Nancy Jenks tell an incredible story of how folded paper has provided clean water. Fold some paper yourself to help with this project!

Exploring Changemaking and Faith
Wednesdays, May 30, June 6, and June 13, 10:00–11:30am, Room 8
Using Ashoka’s Empathy 101 curriculum and Biblical texts, come see scripture in a new way. The sessions, led by Kim Jones, stand alone, so attend any number you are able.

Exploring Changemaking Skills
Thursday, June 7, 7:00–8:30pm, Room 8
Strengthen empathy through a participatory workshop with active listening led by Susie Buchholz, a psychologist. Please let Susie know if you plan to come so that she can prepare adequate materials.

Exploring Changemaking: The Solution Finders Mindset
Thursdays, June 14 – July 5, 7:00–8:30pm, Room 8
In a world where our sources of information focus more on the problems, our abilities to find strategies that solve those problems are weakening. We can find ourselves struggling to retain our own hope and inspiration for a better world. This four-week discussion group will expose you to news of what people around the globe are doing to improve the world by using a tool called Solutions Journalism. Come learn how to find solutions-driven stories on topics that interest you and engage in basic changemaker thinking by analyzing how people are responding to problems. What are their ideas? What’s working? What’s not working? If you have a laptop or tablet you are welcome to bring it with you. Contact group leader Melissa Allison with questions.

God, Church, #MeToo

Posted by Robb Serna on Wednesday, April 18th, 2018 in Adults, All Church

Are you caring for yourself in the wake of the #MeToo Movement? What is the #MeToo Movement? Is this movement bringing back painful memories and emotions? How does #MeToo impact you? How does it relate to justice and mercy? These are just a few of the topics that will be covered on Thursdays, April 26 – May 17, at 7:00pm in a four-week series titled God, Church, #MeToo. Clinical psychologist Dr. Gabrielle Lou will facilitate an exploration of the healing process, self-care, and the importance of prayer. All are welcome. Contact Director of Congregational Care Patricia Parfett for more information.

Take Control of Your Medical Care

Posted by Robb Serna on Wednesday, January 10th, 2018 in Adults

On Thursdays, January 18 – February 8, 7:00–8:30pm in Creekside C/D, our Congregational Care ministry is holding a series of conversations on taking more control of your own medical care. Sessions include two screenings and discussion of the Nightline video “Being Mortal,” trained Advanced Care Planning educators explaining how you can put your own decisions in a legal written form, and documenting how you want to be remembered in your memorial service. The video will be screened and discussed twice on January 18, once at 10:00am and again at 7:00pm. Contact Bob Olah with questions.

Invitation to New Testament

Posted by Robb Serna on Wednesday, January 10th, 2018 in Adults, All Church

Come explore the writings of the New Testament on Wednesdays, January 17 – March 14, 7:00-8:30pm in the Garden Room. The group will look at how the early church took ownership of and was shaped by the story of Jesus, learned how to develop as disciples, and created communities of faith. The study is accessible for those with little prior Bible experience. This class includes manageable daily reading assignments and a weekly gathering to watch a video and discuss the week’s lessons. Contact facilitator Bob Olah with questions. Register for the class on our groups portal.

God Is Still Speaking, Aug. 6 – Sept. 3

Posted by Robb Serna on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017 in All Church, Worship & Music

The “canon” of the Bible was closed long ago. But neither creation nor God’s word stopped once that original story was told! In this final month of summer, we will explore some of the ways God continues to speak to us, in ways we can hear now. Come for the sermon and worship service at 8:00am or 9:30am, and/or come for a deeper study of the day’s text at 11:15am with Senior Pastor Kathi McShane.

August 6: God Is Still Speaking … In the Words of Poets
Poetry offers meaning on many different levels. Readers can consider the intentions and circumstances of the poet as well as the ways a poem speaks to their own experience. This process of reading poetry parallels the way we read scripture. Senior Pastor Kathi McShane will give the message. Holy Communion will be served.

August 13: God Is Still Speaking … In the Stories We Tell
Associate Pastor Sam Lewis will preach.

August 20: God Is Still Speaking … In the People Around Us
Associate Pastor Jon Visitacion will give the message, with scripture from Acts 2:5-18.

August 27: God Is Still Speaking … In a Starfire Trip to the United Kingdom
Minister of Music and Worship Arts Dirk Damonte will preach, sharing about the recent trip the high school youth choir took to the UK.

September 3: God Is Still Speaking … In the Work We Do
Pastor Kathi will give the message, themed around Labor Day and with scripture from Genesis 4:1-5 and Galatians 2:19-20. Holy Communion will be served.

Being Mortal: Screening and Discussion

Posted by Robb Serna on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 in Adults

If you are aging or dealing with aging parents, come to a video screening and discussion about what people really care about when aging. Screenings will take place on Thursday, March 9, 10:00–11:30am and Thursday, March 16, 7:00–9:00pm in Creekside Main. The group will watch Being Mortal, the PBS video of Atul Gawandi’s book by the same name. This thought-provoking video shows the dilemma that we all face, as patients and caregivers, when confronted with the kind of care we want at the end of life. It helps introduce the kinds of conversations we all need to have to ensure that the medical system respects our desires, rather than those of a somewhat impersonal medical system. After the video, there will be a group discussion.

You may come in person or participate online via our livestream page on either date. The discussion will be led by Dr. Bill Buchholz. Contact Bill for more information.

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