Adult Education
St. Paul's strong Adult Education program offers a variety of short- and long-term classes throughout the year. We seek to feed the minds of those hungry to know more about God, the church, and the world. Our opportunities are developed by Meg Baker, Director of Christian Education, in close collaboration with the pastors and lay leadership.
Taste & Sing
Next up:
December 17, 2024
12:00 noon - 1:00 PM
Octagon Room
Our casual time of food and song is held at 12:00 noon in the Octagon, September-May, usually on the third Tuesday of the month.
With Meg Baker on piano and Erin Steele leading the singing, we’ll sing some hymns suggested by the group. Feel free to request your favorites! Then we enjoy a short program on a featured composer, lyricist, or theme, offering a deeper dive into the stories behind our worship songs. The program for December is: Christmas Carols!
No musical experience needed!
Our time together culminates with fellowship over a tasty lunch for a $5 donation. Each meal is lovingly prepared by Ginny Hagberg.
Virtual Study Groups
Drop-in ANytime or Join Now!
During most of the programming year, we offer some form of adult study opportunity each week. All of these studies are designed to no-prep, no-stress, and free-of-charge (some with optional study guides available for those who wish to dig deeper). Participants may attend on a regular, occasional, or a drop-in basis.
Each session is held through the Zoom meeting platform. If you have never zoomed before, have no fear. Zoom makes it easy to participate online from your computer, by cell phone, or by your home phone.
For more information, please contact the Minister of Spiritual Care and Formation, Dr. Meg Baker, at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933, ext. 104. If you are interested in setting up an independent small group for study, prayer, or support and would appreciate some guidance, Meg is also available to help you get started.
Zoom STudy for Advent:
The Christmas Letters
Wednesdays Nov. 27-Dec. 18, 2024
4:00-5:00 PM by Zoom
In this come-as-you-can drop-in study for the four weeks of Advent, we will use The Christmas Letters by Magrey deVega to guide our discussion. (This is the same text used by the in-person study group led by Pastor Sheridan.)
In The Christmas Letters, author Magrey deVega invites you to hear about the miracle of Christ’s birth from those who first told the story. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, contain the first attempts by the church to understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. They point us to the origins of what we believe about Jesus, fully human and fully divine. By reading New Testament letters, Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians, you’ll come to know the meaning of Christ’s coming like never before.
Wednesday Bible Study:
Sermon Safari (Ongoing)
Wednesday Bible Study: Sermon Safari
Wednesdays
4:00-5:00 PM by Zoom
NOTE - we are taking a break from our usual content during Advent to focus on the Christmas Letters study. The Sermon Safari will return in January!
Please join us for this weekly come-when-you-can Bible study on Wednesday afternoons. The Sermon Safari drop-in Bible study participants view and discuss a different sermon each week. Some of our previous sessions have featured sermons from Brian McLaren, Diana Butler Bass, Adam Hamilton, and Barbara Brown Taylor.
For more information on the Wednesday gathering, or to receive the Zoom link, contact Dr. Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org.
Advent Study 2024
The Christmas Letters
The Christmas Letters: Celebrating Advent with Those Who Told the Story First
12:00-1:30 PM
Sundays, December 1, 8, 15, and 22
Led by Rev. Sheridan Allmond
$15 - includes the book and a light lunch
Registration deadline: November 25, 2024
You may or may not know the story of your birth. If you do, there is something special about hearing your origin story again and remembering how it all began for you. That’s why we observe Advent: to celebrate how it all began for us.
In The Christmas Letters, author Magrey deVega invites you to hear about the miracle of Christ’s birth from those who first told the story. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, contain the first attempts by the church to understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. They point us to the origins of what we believe about Jesus, fully human and fully divine. By reading New Testament letters, Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians, you’ll come to know the meaning of Christ’s coming like never before.
Click the button for the secure online registration and payment form.
REGISTER for The Christmas Letters
To register by cash or check, please use the sign-up in the Narthex. Checks should be made payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Advent Study" in the memo line.
The Upper Room
St. Paul's continues to receive our usual shipment of paper copies of The Upper Room daily devotional guide.
If you would like The Upper Room mailed to your home address, or know someone who would, please contact Erin Steele at stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org and provide the name, mailing address, and whether you prefer the pocket-size or large print version.
To receive a single copy without being added to the on-going mailing list, please phone Meg Baker at 301-933-7933 ext 104.
Helpful Bible Guides and resources
The American Bible Society provides many free Bible resources to help you engage in God’s Word and encounter the God of the Bible.
Opportunities abound on their website, https://bibleresources.americanbible.org, where you can subscribe to the Daily Bible Reading and access topic-specific resources, such as Bible background and context, practical applications for daily life, and short studies on each book of the Bible. Helpful tools are also available, such as “Getting the Most Out of Your Bible Reading,” which offers tips and prompts to deepen your reading experience.
Allow the Scriptures to speak to you as you read the Bible each day. Engaging in regular “dialogue” with the biblical text reveals new understandings about God, and about yourself.
Click HERE to download the most recent Daily Bible Reading Guide. The two-page layout is designed to be printed and folded as an easy-to-carry pamphlet.
WE Gather Together: Virtual Small Groups
Now Forming!
In this time of isolation, we are working to organize opportunities for congregants to participate in “virtual” small group gatherings either by phone or online. Some of you may want to meet together just to be in community, others may wish to focus on prayer or Bible study, and still others may be interested in some sort of online adult study. We hope you will be a engage with our faith community in this way. To find out more, please contact Meg Baker at mbaker [at] stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104.
