ADULT CLASSES
Adult Sunday School Classes are currently on Summer Break. We will return after Labor Day.
For more information on our Christian Formation offerings, please email hannahhutchens@christchurchnewbern.com.
SUNDAY MORNING CLASSES
LECTIONARY CLASS
Sundays, 9:45 to 10:50 am, Pelletier Room
In this weekly class, key questions from a study guide kick off the discussions. Typically, discussions focus on what the readings may have meant to listeners in ancient times and what they mean to us today. They also focus on how readings are connected and on the meaning of unusual names, places, and events.
WEEKDAY OPPORTUNITIES
RECTOR'S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesdays from 11am to noon, Pelletier Room
Leader: The Rev. H. Paul Canady III
Join us as we explore The Bible with and without Jesus. This is a six-week series from esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler. We will take a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. We will explore the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross. There is a book to go along with the video series we will be using (though not necessary to the conversation). If you’d like they book, they are available at the front desk for $15 (there is also a Kindle edition available).
No prior Bible wisdom or knowledge needed! We’d love to have you there!
Questions? Reach out to the Rev. Paul Canady (paulcanady@christchurchnewbern.com or 252.361.5223 – office) for more information. You can also join the Realm group https://tinyurl.com/CCNB-RBS to receive communications about the weekly gatherings.
WOMEN'S BOOK STUDY
Tuesdays from 10 to 11am, Second Floor Living Room
The Women's Book Study will begin a new book in May. We will be reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This classic book, which features the letters of a devil to his nephew -- a novice demon, is both funny and serious and is an engaging account of temptation and the triumph over it.
Join us Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 am in the 2nd Floor Living Room. 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.
Books will be available for purchase at the Reception Desk. This book study is led by Phyllis Fox and Heather McCloud Huff.
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER GROUP
Mondays at 11:30 am, Pelletier Room (Zoom option available)
Leader: Rev. Barbara Bornemann
When: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM on Mondays
Sign Up: Email pastor.bornemann@gmail.com
Meets In Person & On Zoom: In person: Pelletier Room, upstairs at Christ Church
Leader: Rev. Barbara Bornemann
Two Study Books: Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality and The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery. Both books are by David G. Benner.
In our self-reliant era, most of us recoil from the concept of surrender to a power or authority outside ourselves. But surrender need not be seen as threatening, especially when the Divine One to whom we surrender is the epitome of goodness and love. The next session of the Contemplative Prayer Group will explore two small books that focus on the theme: “Letting Go: The Path to Spiritual Surrender.” During the first weeks, the group will study David S. Benner’s book, Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality. During the last weeks, we will explore the topic of surrendering to self-love as we study Benner’s second book, The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery. Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and mystic, speaks to the spirituality of self-discovery: “There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find God, I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find God.” Come and join the Contemplative Prayer Group as we support one another on our path of surrendering to Divine love and self-love.
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY (EfM)
This class covers the basics of a theological education in the Old and New Testaments, church history, liturgy, and theology - with a strong emphasis on theological reflection. 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. For more information about local groups, contact Diocesan EfM Coordinator, Lisa Richey, at piergazer@gmail.com, or visit the Diocese's EfM website.