Adult Education

Let Adult Education enhance your spiritual growth! Our mission is to provide information, challenge, and discussion to assist in your response to the world from a grounding of faith.

Each Sunday we offer two ongoing Study Groups (generally six to eight weeks long), and a Forum (usually a single week on a topic, though sometimes they form a short series).  These studies relate to a variety of biblical, theological, personal, social, environmental,
or political issues. 

We value diversity in opinion, and covenant to build an atmosphere of
respectful discussion of various viewpoints.

Education programs begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings.

Study Groups

August 29 – October 3

(Classes will skip September 26 to allow attendance at the Visiting Scholar forum.)

“Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson.
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of an elderly Congregational minister in Iowa as he reflects on his life for his son.  John Ames explores theological ideas, spirituality, life in community, and the day-in day-out business of living.  Naomi Peterson will help the group dig into the art and messages of the novel.  This class will meet in the Fireside Room.

“Making A Home For Faith:  Nurturing the spiritual life of your children,” by Elizabeth F. Caldwell.
Many parents know what they don’t want to do spiritually to their children, but are more vague about how they do want to develop their spiritual lives.  How do you expand family God-consciousness beyond table-grace or bedtime prayers?  How do you answer in age appropriate ways when children ask questions like, “Why did God make the sky blue?” or “Where is Grandma since she died?”  How do you navigate interfaith families, your own open questions, or stuff your kids pick up from their friends or TV?  This book provides guidance, and the discussion with other parents will provide encouragement, as you seek to raise spiritually informed and healthy children.  Facilitated by Ruth Lieurance and Jillian Harrison.  This class will meet in the north Adult Education room.

October 10 – November 14

  “God’s Echo: Exploring Scripture with Midrash,” by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.
Children’s writer Rabbi Sasso explores “midrash,” an interpretive approach to the Bible that seeks to explore the layered implications of a story through attention to its metaphorical meanings.  In this book for adults, Sasso explores a variety of Biblical texts, recounts some traditional rabbinic midrash on them, shares her own stories, and invites the reader to explore their own imaginative contribution to the tradition.  (Facilitators TBA.)

Rabbi Sasso will be the guest speaker for a special lectureship at First United Methodist Church on November 9 at 7:00 p.m.,
speaking on “Nurturing Spirituality in Children.” 
See www.fcfumc.net/sandysasso for more information.

“Einstein’s God:  Conversations about Science and the Human Spirit,” by Krista Tippett.
Based on thirteen interviews from her “Speaking of Faith” radio program, Tippett explores intersections between science and religion.  The interviewees come from a wide variety of disciplines, including cosmology, medicine, psychology, and mathematics, and have come to varied faith responses.  Facilitated by Ken Freese.

Forums

(Meet at 10:00 a.m. in the West Forum Room)

  August 29:  Nasir Jalal
A Pakistani Christian who often worships with us will speak about the issues of his native country
and its relationship with the U.S.

September 5:  “Ranked Voting”
Wanda Mayberry will share a proposal for electoral reform
which may be placed on the spring 2011 city ballot.

September 12:  Candidate Forum
Larimer County Commissioner candidates Adam Bowen (D) and Lew Gaiter (R).

September 19:  Candidate Forum
Colorado House District 53 candidates Dane Brandt (R) and Randy Fischer (D).

September 26:  Visiting Scholar Program:
Dr. Katherine Turpin, Iliff School of Theology
"Creating Meaningful Rituals and Celebrations"

October 3:  Candidate Forum
Larimer County Sheriff candidates Dell Bean (I), Jay Harrison (D), and Justin Smith (R).

October 10:  Ballot Issues Forum
By the League of Women Voters.

October 17:  Candidate Forum:
Colorado House Districts 52 & 49:  John Kefalas (D-52) and Karen Stockley (D-49). 
(We have invited Republican candidates Bob Morain (R-52) and B.J. Nikkel (R-49),
but they have not yet confirmed their participation at press time.)

VISITING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

DR. KATHERINE TURPIN

Associate Professor of Religious Education, Iliff School of Theology

September 26, 2010

Forum:  10:00 a.m.

Light luncheon following the second service

Lecture:  1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

$5 suggested donation for lunch and lecture

10:00 a.m. Forum: Creating Meaningful Rituals and Celebrations. 

We will explore how we draw on our faith traditions to create personal celebrations that draw our attention to the purposes and joys of our lives together as individual families, between friends, and as a church community.  Participants will have a chance to share the rituals and celebrations that they have found most significant in their lives and discover resources for crating holy moments with the people we love.

1:00 p.m. Lecture:  Faithful Living in Consumer Culture.

As a system of shared meanings and practices, consumer culture informs our values, our sense of vocation, even our cultural style of marking holy days.  We will talk about how this formation works in our day to day life and explore how its influence can be countered or diminished in our individual, family, and congregational lives.

 About this year's speaker:

Katherine Turpin is Associate Professor of religious education at Iliff School of Theology. Her areas of research and teaching include the development of vocational imagination in adolescents and young adults, the practice of religious education in intergenerational contexts, and teaching religion in higher education.   A committed layperson in the United Methodist Church, she also served as Director of Christian Education at Trinity United Methodist Church in Atlanta, GA.  She is mother to three young children who keep her honest about teaching faith formation while living in a consumer culture.  Her publications include
Branded:  Adolescents Converting from Consumer Faith (Pilgrim Press, 2006).