The Big Questions Group has started back and will meet every other Monday (so March 6, 20, April 3, etc.) 5:30pm at Eluvium Brewing in Weaverville, which has a full dinner menu. This series will be focused on Community: What is it? And how do we know if it’s good? We’ll be using a great study entitled, Called to Community. (Check it out HERE.)
Anyone’s welcome to join the conversation!
Tuesday Talks is now “Big Questions”
...and we’re starting back up with a great new book: Scandalous Witness: A Little Political Manifesto for Christians by Lee C. Camp. We’ll think about questions like: What exactly is Christianity? When Martin Luther King Jr. said that the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, how could he make such a claim, and do we really think it’s true? And what do we mean when we say that Christianity is necessarily political?
If any of that sparks an interest for you, our first meeting is July 26th at 5:30 pm at Yellow Mug Coffee Lounge on Main St. See you then!
Tuesday Talks Resume Feb. 1 (every other week)
Tuesday Talks is starting back online on February 1st at 6 pm. We’ll be reading a great book together called “Imposters of God,” which you can purchase here. If you’d like to have a copy purchased for you and left at the church to pick up, please let the office know.
Click this link at the meeting time: Tuesday, February 1st 6 pm
New Wednesday Bible Study Topic – Your Best Active Life
Over the last 6 weeks, we had good Bible study discussions about Building a Spiritual Life. Now we’ll start talking about how to put that into practice—what we do and how we do it. God doesn’t want us to run ourselves ragged with activity and anxiety, but also not to shut ourselves off from the world completely. So what does a healthy middle ground look like? For the next 5 to 6 weeks we’ll work on developing Your Best Active Life. Wednesdays at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome!
Attention Sunday School Teachers & Small Group Leaders
Mid-Week Bible Study – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
In chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encourages us to live out the good characteristics he's talked about in the letter already. Basically, it all boils down to living a life that pleases God and loves other people. Having those as our attitude priorities will help us lead our best lives.
(To start the 1 Thessalonians series from the beginning, click here to watch the first introductory video.)
Click here to read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.
Mid-Week Bible Study – 1 Thessalonians 2:9-14
Paul continues mentioning good character traits of Christian example. In these verses he encourages hard work and the kind of supportive encouragement that good fathers have. So how can we be inspired, like the Thessalonians were, to demonstrate good characteristics like that, and have loving relationships in our own lives?
(To start the 1 Thessalonians series from the beginning, click here to watch the first introductory video.)
Click here to read 1 Thessalonians 2:9-14.
A Word from the Pastor – “The First Step in Building Peace”
Matthew 10:26-39 always sounded strange to me, because I always pictured Jesus as sweet and smiling, maybe some kids crawling on him, preaching about God’s love and encouraging more peace. And yet in Matthew 10, Jesus announces, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’” That doesn’t fit with the warm fuzzy image of Jesus we’ve put in our heads. What’s going on?…. [click on View Post above to keep reading]
Movie Discussion -- Just Mercy
The film Just Mercy invites everyone, especially those in the church, to confront the unjust nature of our nation’s criminal justice system. The film provides a sobering glimpse into how race, class, and systemic sin affect verdicts. Upon graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan Stevenson moved to Montgomery, AL, to provide legal defense for those awaiting execution on death row. Instead of choosing a comfortable lifestyle, he chose to serve the “least of these.” His faith inspired him to use his education and commit his life to serve a population that most of society ignores. The film follows Stevenson’s mission to free Walter McMillian, an Alabama death row inmate wrongfully convicted of murder.
During the month of June, Warner Bros. is making Just Mercy available to rent for free. We invite you to watch the film anytime during the month and then join us for a discussion on June 28 guided by Cindy T. It is open to everyone in our church family and anyone you would like to invite. (Sign-in info will be provided later.)
You can stream the movie for free online at Redbox and Amazon. If you do not have internet access and would like to view the movie on DVD, let Regina know and she can coordinate a free rental for you.