ADULT CLASSES
For more information on our Christian Formation offerings, please email christianformation@christchurchnewbern.com​.
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LECTIONARY CLASS
Sundays, 9:45 to 10:50 am, Pelletier Room
Leader: John Harper
Sunday School Classes are currently on Summer Break. We will return the Sunday after Labor Day.
Participants in this class will review the lectionary for the week ahead. There are questions to answer for each reading. There is usually a discussion about how all of the readings are connected each week. This class will meet Sundays in the Pelletier Room and is led by John Harper. Books are available at the Reception Desk.
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RECTOR'S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesdays from 11am to noon, Pelletier Room
Leader: The Rev. Paul Canady
The Rector's Bible Study is currently on Summer Break. Hope you will join us in the fall on Wednesdays at 11 am in the Pelletier Room. Reach out to the Rev. Paul Canady (paulcanady@christchurchnewbern.com or 252.631.5861) for more information.
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WOMEN'S BOOK STUDY
Tuesdays from 10 to 11am, Second Floor Living Room
The Women’s Book Study meets on Tuesdays at 10 am in the 2nd Floor Living Room. Women of all ages are invited to attend. We open our time together with prayer requests, prayer and then read the book aloud. We stop periodically during the reading to discuss the author’s ideas. There is no homework nor expectation of reading ahead. Of course, you can if you would like.
The Women’s Book Study is currently reading Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline by Lauren Winner. Copies of the book are available for purchase at the reception desk ($15.00). Winner writes and lectures widely on Christian practice, the history of Christian America, and Jewish-Christian relations. After her conversion from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity, Lauren Winner found that her life was indelibly marked by the rich traditions and spiritual practices of Judaism. Whether discussing attentive eating, marking the days while grieving, the community that supports a marriage, candle-lighting, or the differences between the Jewish Sabbath and a Sunday spent at the Mudhouse, her favorite coffee shop, Winner writes with honesty and insight. Join us Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 in the 2nd Floor Living Room, as we set out to discover how we might incorporate some of these practices into our lives, and how they might transform our view of the world and God. Women of all ages are invited to attend. We open our time together with prayer, followed by reading the book aloud, and discussing. No preparation is necessary. You can join the group at any time. Contact the Rev. Suzanne Hood (suzannehood@christchurchnewbern.com) for more information. This book study is led by Phyllis Fox and Susan Hoyt.
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CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER GROUP
Mondays at 11 am, Pelletier Room (Zoom option available)
Leader: Rev. Barbara Bornemann
Study Book: Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God by Cynthia Gourgeault
When we encounter struggles and challenges in our daily life, we yearn for the good news of hope to pull us through our difficulties. As we journey through the wellsprings of hope, we’re invited to grow in our understanding of how we perceive this gift in our lives. Do we see hope through the lens of desired results, or do we see it through the lens of trust? Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Mystical Hope, says, “In our usual way of looking at things, hope is tied to outcome: ‘I hope I get this job’ or ‘I hope my mother gets well.’ The Bible introduces us to a different kind of hope that has its source not in events but in the mercy of God, a lifeblood of compassion connecting our heart to God’s heart and the heart of all creation.” You are invited to come and participate in the weekly Contemplative Prayer group which will explore and study the book, Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God. During each session, we will support one another in our pilgrimage of prayer and our search for a deeper understanding of God’s gift of hope. Let us trust that in the search itself, we open ourselves to God’s transforming love.
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY (EfM)
Coming Soon
Leader: Edna Marie Thomas
This class involves deep thinking and a lot of reading on your own. Readings of the Old and New Testaments, the history of the church and theology will allow you to dig deeper than most other classes. EfM is a four-year program that can be taken with gaps between years. The class will prepare you for any and all ministries you will serve in at Christ Church.
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