We are excited to share in collaboration this Advent with our neighbors at St. Paul UMC and Martin UMC, with the joint publication of Into the Neighborhood, a daily devotional guide. This guide invites us to ponder the birth of Christ as a holy experience of neighboring. As Jesus, the Word made flesh, moved into our neighborhood, we are invited to move into the neighborhood around us: to see more clearly opportunities for connection; to act in compassion; to come alongside others right where they are; and to expand the community so that all may know the gift of God’s love.
Small Groups
As a part of our Advent experience, you are invited to join in a small group to share in conversation around the daily devotional. A variety of groups will meet at different times throughout the week beginning November 26. To sign up, visit www.fumchurst.org/advent-groups to find a group that works for you.
Opportunities to Connect:
Wednesday Morning Group: An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith
An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor
Wednesdays beginning August 16, 10-11 a.m., Isham 103
This weekly group loves exploring a wide range of topics together! From spiritual practices to social justice, and from prayer and scripture to biography. In August we’ll begin reading and discussing An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.
Wesley 124 | Isaiah
Isaiah
Sundays at 9 a.m., Wesley 124
October 1-November 19
Many of the verses of Isaiah are familiar to us as beloved passages we read and sing each Christmas and Easter season. But Isaiah is more than just a holiday reading. Isaiah speaks of God's relationship to the prophet, the people, the kings, and the servant. Isaiah's message invites us to explore God's personal character and develop a deeper understanding of the living God, the Holy One of Israel.
Interpretation Bible Studies (IBS) offers solid biblical content in a creative study format. Forged in the tradition of the celebrated Interpretation commentary series, IBS makes the same depth of biblical insight available in a dynamic, flexible, and user-friendly resource.
We have 20 copies of the text. If you’re interested in joining us, stop by W124 and pick up a copy of the text.
Advent Study: Heaven and Earth by Will Willimon
Sundays at 9 a.m., Wesley 124
November 26-December 21
Watch out. God is on the way.
It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.
In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.
Participants should purchase their books from the favorite seller.
To join these studies, email .
*NEW* The Gathering: The Enneagram
Sundays, 9-10 a.m., Wesley 103
The Gathering will be a space for short-term studies. Any and all are welcome to join for the length of a study. The first will be a six-week, in-depth study on the Enneagram.
*NEW* Senior Adults Bible Study
Thursdays, beginning September 28, 10-11 a.m., Wesley 105/106
Donna Baumgartner and Joe Motley, Facilitators
Donna Baumgartner and Joe Motley will facilitate this weekly group, taking a deeper look at scripture. The first month’s study will focus on scriptures related to ‘Sabbath’, taking in scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments.
Weekly topics:
- Collective Work, Collective Rest.
- Sabbath as a Palace in Time.
- The Redemption of Creation.
- Celebrating Sabbath.
CLICK HERE for Young Adult Ministry info and events.
Meet Mike Farrell
Mike is a long-time member of the church. His wife, Lisa, is a lifelong member of our church. They are blessed with four children and three beautiful grandchildren.
Men's Covenant Group
For almost six years, our Friday morning Men’s Covenant Group has gathered to share our faith journeys with one another.