Adult Education
Living Our Faith
“Living Our Faith” stands as the core theme for our work and witness as a Christian community. Classes offered by members of the professional staff as well as lay people and invited guest leaders help both to challenge and deepen our faith and to strengthen our witness. Our offerings fall into five broad areas:
Foundations of Faith
Explorations in Scripture, the history of Christianity, and the rich and varied theological traditions that are our heritage—as well as those of other religions and religious communities.
Faith and Life Practices
Courses and workshops exploring prayer and meditation (weekly lectio divina, gathers for centering prayer, etc.) as well as forms of body movement and energy work (Reiki, Shiatsu, Craniosacral; dance; the use of the labyrinth; seasonal midweek communion services; understanding the Enneagram, etc.); we join in various activities with our interfaith partners to deepen our faith and life.
Arts and Spirituality
Programs exploring creativity and creative practices (e.g., writing as spiritual autobiography; photography; painting, etc.); occasional meetings to discuss films; talks and programs led by area artists; the congregation’s music program (including the adult choir and handbell choir) and the annual Friends of Music series. Among other activities, the church hosted a visit by Rinpoche and Tibetan monks in 2019 who created a Peace Sand Mandala in the sanctuary.
Health and Wellness
Courses, workshops, and events offering experiential learning to facilitate appreciation of what it means to be embodied people.
Justice and Social Witness
Explore challenges facing us, both within our community and in the wider world. We have focused on matters of racial justice, climate change, the call of peacemaking, and the witness of faith in our daily lives. We also host a rotating forum on “faith and public issues,” which explores state and community concerns as well as issues of national importance. And consider attending courses and circles of conversation (e.g., the “white privilege” curriculum), which utilize online and printed resources of our denomination, the United Church of Christ. In these ways, we seek to live out the covenant that joins us as a church with other communities of faith and those who share our commitment to acting with compassion. Together, we can bring God’s reign to Earth.