Youth Morning Sunday School is Back!
Beginning this Sunday from 10:30am-11am (between the two services), a new Sunday School class for Junior & Senior High will begin in the Youth Room. This will be a fun and fast moving adventure to explore and discuss bible stories and current events relevant to today’s youth. The class will be led by Tim Lloyd. Questions, contact tmlloyd53@comcast.net or davidmere@gmail.com.
Fellowship Groups
Youth Fellowship
Open to all youth in grades 7-12
Sundays, 6:00 pm, Rooms 1 & 2
Supper, recreation, special programs
additional activities include trips, retreats, lock-ins, service projects,
and fellowship events with
other church youth groups
Contact: David Mere
St. Mark's Quilters
Open to all ages & genders
Wednesdays, 1 pm, Room 10
Contact: Rosalie Neel
Parent's With Young Children Dinner & Game Night
Childcare provided!
3rd Friday of every month
6:30 pm, Room 8
Lady Solitaires Outings
2nd Friday of every month
Open to all single women
Events and times vary
Contact: Marty Cochran
XYZ (Extra Years of Zest)
Dinner & Discussion
Open to men & women age 55+
4th Friday of every month
5:30 pm, location varies
Contact: Carle Crawford
(UMW)
United Methodist Women
A community of women
whose purpose is to know God
and to experience freedom
as whole persons
through Jesus Christ.
Activities include
monthly fellowship "Circles",
charities, and global ministries
Contact: carlelinda@sbcglobal.net
Bloomington Area
Methodist Men
A community wide group
providing resources and events
to help men, both young and old,
to grow in Christ,
so that others may come
to know Christ.
Contact: George Rusnak
Monthly Book Clubs
Sponsored by different groups
Dates & times vary
Event held in the church library
Contact the church office
preschool & elementary classes
We will be using a new curriculum this fall called Rock Solid: Building a Heart of Faith. Rock Solid will invite children to lay a solid biblical foundation and construct a personal relationship with God. The corner-stone of Rock Solid is Matthew 7:24, the story of the wise man who built his house on rock. It includes multi-sensory activities, crafts, stories, and games, supplemented by an interactive web site at www.iamrocksolid.com.
With Rock Solid, children will be invited to have a personal faith experience with God. They will come to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God and take his message to heart, following where their faith leads them.
11am Children's Sunday School
4th, 5th, & 6th Graders
Bibles are the lens through which we develop our world view. Learning how to use the Bible in a comfortable, relevant way helps our children in their spiritual formation. The upper elementary Sunday School class (4th, 5th, & 6th graders), will start off the school year with an eight week “Learning to Use My Bible” study that is designed to help them make the Bible their lifelong companion. Children will receive their own personal Bible as they participate in this study.
Nomads
Sundays, 9:30 am, Room 10
The focus of the Nomads adult class is very broad, but is mainly centered on Christian fellowship and mutual support in trying to deepen our understanding of Jesus’ message, how it evolved from “gospel” into “Church”, and how that message would be expressed in our town in the 21st century. We are currently reading a short book for social workers, educators, and others, entitled A Framework for Under-standing Poverty, which examines the financial, emotional, and spiritual aspects of living with few or no resources (~4 wks). Beginning in September, the next discussions will center around the book The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus,
by Amy Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt
University Divinity School (~8 wks). For more information, contact Tony Mescher.
Pilgrims
Beginning in September
New Serendipity Bible Study
Sundays, 9:30 am, Room 13
For many years the Serendipity Bible has been the chosen resource for bible study groups. It contains over 30,000 life-changing discussion questions that cover every passage of Scripture. The questions help groups dig deeper into the meaning of a passage, and reflect on life applications. Open to all adults. Ken and Pat Shidler are sharing the teaching.
New Opportunities
Sundays, 9:30 am, Room 12
This is an adult Sunday School class, open to all men and women. We are currently doing a short survey of the Bible. We plan to follow up this fall with more in depth Bible studies. Sandy Harlan and Harold Lindman are sharing the teaching.
Journaling
Sundays, 9:30 am, Room 15
Join us as we study the spiritual practice of "Journaling", researching and recording our questions and thoughts-who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming-as we rediscover the wonder of our lives and relationship with God. This Sunday School class is open to all adults. You do not have to be a writer to join the class. Simply come, listen, and reflect. Contact Wanda Hibbitts for more information.
Disciple
Beginning September 17
Wednesdays, 7:15 pm
Room 10
Disciple Bible Study is designed for serious adult learners who want to know the background and content of the total Bible. A multi-year resource, the first year is titled “Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study”, which is an introduction to all the books of the Bible in 32 sessions. Later years look at particular books in depth. Weekly participation requires 2 to 3 hours of reading in the Bible itself and an hour of textbook reading (both at home at the learner’s schedule), plus a 2 hour class session at the Church. The learning group will be limited to 15 persons. Bob Epps will facilitate the 2008-2009 study.
Sisters
Wednesdays, 7 pm, Room 15
(AS OF OCT 2, SISTERS IS MOVING TO THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 6 PM)
Sisters is a series of Bible studies produced especially for women by the United Methodist Publishing House. This open-ended series invites women to delve into the Bible with a curriculum and setting that provides an opportunity for discussion and the formation of relationships with other women. Each study is authored by a woman of faith. The group meets Wed. evenings at 7:00 pm in room 15. For more information and a copy of the current study book, contact the church office. You do not have to be up-to-date on the readings in order to join the meeting. Childcare is available upon request. For more information contact Lisa Miller-Maidi.
Men's Discussion Group
Every Other Wednesday
6:30 pm, Room 1
Participation in this discussion group is by invitation only. Please email your interest and questions to the church. Someone will respond to your inquiry.
Conversations On Life
Fridays, 12:15 pm, Room 15
This is a special discussion group for Men. The group explores books that dissect Christian doctrine and philosophy, and evaluates its relevance in a 21st century world. Starting in September, they will begin reading Original Sin: A Culture History by Alan Jacobs. Whether or not we believe in original sin, the idea has shaped our most fundamental institutions-our political structures, how we teach and raise our children, and perhaps most pervasively of all, how we understand ourselves. In Original Sin, Alan Jacobs introduces us to the world of original sin, its origins, its history, and its proponents and opponents. He leaves us to answer one of the most important questions of all: Are we really, all of us, bad to the bone? For more information, contact Wain Martin.