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Part II, led by Elizabeth Steele, will discuss the “branches,” options for the future of our church and our community. Schedule to be announced.

http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/augsep2007/moyers-ucc-is-challenged-to.html or the video at http://www.ucc.org/synod/video-archive.html

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A new Companions in Christ Study entitled “The Way of Prayer” will begin Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7pm.
This will be a 10-week exploration of different forms of prayer
practices. Prayer will be explored through music, dance, gazing,
sailence or acts of service. Anyone interested in learning more about
prayer or deepening their prayer life is encouraged to attend. For more
information or to reserve your book for the class, contact Keslinn.

The father
of our own Anna Jacobsen will be speaking in the Albertson Room of the
DorÈ Theater at Cal State University on Monday evening, February 26, at
7 p.m.

Douglas Jacobsen is Distinguished Professor of Church
History and Theology at Messiah College, Grantham, PA, and one of the
country’s foremost scholars of the Pentecostal movement. His topic
will be “Pentecostalism: Past, Present and Future.”  An estimated 25%
of Christians worldwide are part of this growing movement.

He is
author of Thinking in the Spirit:  Theologies of the Early Pentecostal
Movement (2003), Gracious Christianity (2006), and editor of A Reader
in Pentecostal Theology:  Voices from the First Generation (2006).
Books will be available for sale and autographing after his
presentation.

Admission is free, and parking is free in lots B and C only.

Do you realize that Jesus consistently played with children, but taught adults? Weíve fallen into a reverse pattern in Protestant Christianity, emphasizing Christian Education for children, and
having small numbers of adults in classes.

Yet most adults say theyíd like to know more about their faith and the Bible. Rev. Mahoney has just announced the sequence of Sunday morning adult studies for this next year, and hopes you will join her weekly in the Fireside Room Sundays at  9 a.m. beginning September 17th.

September 17th through October 29th
7 week study on the book of Job    

November 5th through December 17th
First 7 week session of book of Luke

January 7th through February 18th
Second 7 week session on Luke

    
February 25th through April 8th
7 week study of the parables of Jesus

April 15th through May 20th
6 week study of the Lordís Prayer

Living the Questions.

The web page for Living the Questions introduces it this way:

People know that at its core, Christianity has something good to offer
the human race. At the same time, many have a sense that they are alone
in being a “thinking” Christian and that “salvaging” Christianity is a
hopeless task. What is needed is a safe environment where people have
permission to ask the questions they’ve always wanted to ask but have
been afraid to voice for fear of being thought a heretic. Living the
Questions is a 12-week DVD and web-based small group study exploring
beyond the traditions and rote theologies in which so many people and
local churches seem to be stuck.î

Themes for the study include:

Each weekís meeting will last two hours (plus a half-hour if the group
is sharing a meal together). There will be 20-30 minute videos for each
session which will include conversation, sermon clips, comedy/satire,
lecture excerpts, and spiritual exercises for practical applications
(including different forms of prayer and meditation, movement, walking
the labyrinth, etc). Since the overall theme is that of faith as a
journey, not a destination, the Living the Questions web site will
offer resources for continued exploration, including downloadable
expanded study guides, extra video resources, and links.

Living the Questions will help youth, adults, seekers and “church
alumni/ae” alike in discovering the relevance of Christianity in the
21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today’s
world. If youíre ready to begin a great adventure, fill out a
registration form available in the narthex.  Sessions will be offered
on various days and at various times in response to registrations
received

Beginning Thursday, March 2nd (and repeating on Sunday mornings, beginning March 5th), Rev. Mahoney will lead the Lenten study, ìA Clearing Season.î  
The Thursday morning class will meet from 10 to 11 a.m., and the Sunday
session will be from 9 ñ 9:45 a.m.  Both classes will be held
in the Fireside Room.  Please call the office if you need to purchase a book (cost is $10.50 each).

Pacific School of Religion has started an “e-newsletter” called the Progressive Christian Witness. You can sign up to receive it by e-mail or visit the website.

more…

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Bruce Jones will be our host speaker during February for the Wednesday Night Program. A wonderful dinner is served each Wednesday in Plymouth Hall at 6 p.m. and then we will gather in the Chapel at 7 p.m. for a four-week series that is appropriate for adults and Sr. High Youth. The topic for February is ìThe New Testament and Early Christianity.î

Please sign up for dinner on
the display board in Plymouth Hall or RSVP to the church office. Then
enjoy a spirit-filled enrichment program for the whole family at 7 p.m.
Nursery care is available, Real Buddies meet in Room 7, Junior High meet in Room 6, and High School and Adults will be in the Chapel. See you there!

Of course you do! Join us on Sunday mornings in the Fireside Room at 9
a.m. as our video series explores many of the classic questions of the
Christian faith and experienceówe just completed ìWho is God?î

Now weíll turn our attention to:

• ìWhat good does prayer do?î
• ìWhatís God Got to Do with Evil?î
• ìWhatís Being Good Good For?î
• ìWho Needs Organized Religion?î
• ìWhat Matters Anyway?î

See you this Sunday!