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
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 back. This Easter Season we are working our way through 1st John. The Sunday Epistle readings in the season of Easter come from there. Hope you will join us 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.
This winter and spring the Women's Book Study will be reading Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler. Copies of the book are available for purchase at the reception desk ($15.00). Bowler is an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke Divinity School. This memoir details the emotional, spiritual, and physical journeys she took after being diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at age thirty-five. Kate was stripped of certainty only to discover that without it, life is hard but beautiful in a way it never had been before. Join us on Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 am in the 2nd Floor Living Room, as we explore uncertainty in our own lives and the gifts God has for us in the midst of it. 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.
Join us 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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