Beginning Sunday, March 9, 9:30–10:30 a.m.
The Adult Christian Education Committee has been working on a wide array of opportunities for adults for this new season. Please check out the class descriptions below and make your plans to participate in these engaging opportunities! NOTE: Zoom links will be found in the Sunday morning email.

• The Present Word Class, 9:00 a.m., Room 124 and Zoom – The Present Word is an in-depth Bible study for adults that dives deep into God’s Word, studying the Bible over a six-week period and focusing on a specific theme each quarter. The winter quarter, “A King Forever and Ever,” explores the broad sweep of biblical teaching about God’s reign and connects to Jesus as the earthly exhibition of the divine Kingdom. Beginning with key moments in the history of David’s ancestors, Unit I highlights Jesus’s birth as the “Son of David.” Unit II is a four-week study of psalms that extol the reign of God, while Unit III gives a New Testament look at Jesus’s teaching on “Life in God’s Kingdom.” Unit I, “Jesus, the Heir of David”; Unit II, “Our God Reigns”; Unit III, “Life in God’s Kingdom”. Facilitators: A Variety of Class Members and Guests. Contact Heather Ferguson if you have any questions.

• The Lectionary Café, Salem Room, is a warm, welcoming gathering of folks seeking to engage more deeply into the Lectionary text (scripture focus) for each Sunday. The group shares an informal and lively discussion which seeks to draw deep connections between God’s intentions for our daily lives and our practices for a more faithful life together.

• Parents’ Conversation and Coffee, Room 126 – After getting children settled into their Sunday school classes, parents are invited to gather in Room 126 on the first floor for coffee and conversation. This is a great time to get to know other parents and compare notes on the joys and challenges of parenthood. On the first Sunday of the month we will have a special speaker, video, or other resource for deeper conversation on faith formation in the family and related topics. Other Sundays will offer free time to connect and maybe even share “best practices” in this amazing thing called Parenthood!

• Lenten Congregational Book Discussion – Join us March 9–April 13, on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in-person (Ardmore Room) or Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom as we read and discuss Hard & Holy Work by Reverend Mary Alice Birdwhistell and biblical scholar Tyler Mayfield. Are we paying attention to the holy ground beneath our feet? Where do we see burning bushes in our world today, and what are they calling us to do? Do spiritual encounters in our lives have holy consequences in the world around us? Many of us want to understand how to integrate our personal spiritual lives more actively with our engagement in working for justice and the liberation of the oppressed and marginalized. Hard and Holy Work provides a space for just that, helping readers participate in Lent in a new way by becoming attuned to God’s boundless presence in our world and waking up to and taking action for God’s justice through exploring stories from the book of Exodus that have inspired the work of liberation for centuries. Click here for the weekly videos. Books are available for purchase in the Gallery Hall for $15.

The Complexity of Our Mental Health, coming later this year
Have you heard the mental health statistics about our nation, state, and community, our children, youth, young adults, adults and older adults? This series will shed light on the mental health complexities facing so many of us while offering suggestions on how we can break through the stigmas to a place of compassion and empathy to all. We will have expert speakers each of the 5 weeks. For more information watch for email updates. Planned topics:

• The Big Picture of Mental Health and Trends in NC & W-S
• The Mental Health of Our Children, Youth and Young Adults
• The Mental Health of Our Parents
• The Mental Health of Adults and Older Adults
• The Mental Health of W-S and B.E.A.R. Team

Questions? Contact Heather Ferguson.