Adult
The adult Sunday School class
meets immediately after Friendship Hour.
This puts the starting time usually at 11:15 and
finished by 12:00. Youth are also welcome to
attend.
Adult
Sunday School is a study of scripture and ways to
grow closer in relationship with God, each other
and ourselves. All are welcome to attend as
well as to teach a class. There are no tests
or grades, only opportunities for learning,
prayer, sharing and spiritual growth.
In
addition to the post-worship adult education,
various Bible Studies, Religion/Spiritual
Enrichment, and Life Skills courses are offered in
the evening.
The
following is a listing of current and recent topics.
Green Church
“God
saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good.”
-Genesis 1:31
Consider this:
- By 2050, it is estimated that more than 9
billion people will fill the earth.
- About half the world’s population live in
poverty, and at least one fifth are severely
undernourished.
- Biologists predict that fully half of all
species on earth may be gone in the next 50 to
100 years.
- 90 percent of the earth’s glaciers are
melting.
Signs of earth’s environmental degradation are in
the news. You need only to turn on the TV, open a
newspaper, or read online about the devastation
wrought by the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or
of the countless natural disasters that are plaguing
developing and developed countries around the globe.
We know that as a species humans are guilty of
exerting relentless pressure on our planet’s
resources.
So what does it all mean for Christians, and how
can we help?
From May 23 to June 20, join us, for
our new Sunday school series,
GreenChurch, which answers these
questions in ways that are both hopeful and
engaging. Citing Scripture and science, author and
United Methodist pastor Rebekah Simon-Peter
challenges us to consider our role in the care of
Creation and to help save the earth for future
generations.
Adult Christian Education –
Spring 2010

click here to download
supporting documents
“Enough”
By Adam Hamilton
Description:
“T’is the gift to be simple, t’is
the gift to be free…” 19th
century
Shaker song
Money has great power in our lives
and, when used wisely, it helps us meet our goals,
provide for our needs, and
fulfill our life purpose. In recent years, many of
us ignored the wisdom of the past when it came to
managing and
spending our money. Credit card debt soared,
savings rates plummeted, and our home equity
became
something to be tapped into and spent rather than
a source of security in retirement. We felt an
insatiable desire
for more. And we found ourselves spending tomorrow’s
money today in order to have what we
hoped would satisfy. The result of all of this was
not greater happiness and satisfaction, but
greater stress and
anxiety.
Enough is
an invitation to rediscover the Bible’s wisdom
when it comes to prudent financial practices. In
these sessions
are found the keys to experiencing contentment,
overcoming fear, and discovering joy through
simplicity and generosity. Each session is
designed to help participates understand how
changing your
relationship with money can improve you life.
Methods & Materials :
This four session video and book
study features the following topics:
Dates Sessions/Topics
April 18 Session 1: When Dreams
Become Nightmares
April 25 Session 2: Wisdom and
Finance
May 2 Session 3: Cultivating
Contentment
May 9 Session 4: Defined By
Generosity
Author :
Adam Hamilton is
pastor of the United Methodist Church of the
Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the
country’s most dynamic and distinctive
congregations. He
is a sought after speaker on leadership, ethics,
marriage and the spiritual life. He is the author
of ten books
from Abingdon Press including Seeing
Gray in a World of Black and White, Making Love
Last a Lifetime: Biblical
Perspectives on Love, Marriage and Sex and
Twenty-Four
Hours That Changed the World.
Adult
Sunday School
Special Lenten Study
Beginning February 21, 2010
24
Hours That Changed The World
by
Adam Hamilton
Description
No
single event in human history has received more
attention than the suffering and crucifixion of
Jesus of Nazareth. In this Adult Bible Study, Adam
Hamilton guides us through the last twenty-four
hours of Jesus' life. Each session is designed to
help the participate experience and understand the
significance of Jesus' suffering and death in a
way you have never done before. Whether a
long-time Christians or simply curious about the
story of Christ's crucifixion, you are invited to
join us in retracing the last 24 hours of Jesus'
life.
SESSION TITLES
The Last Supper
The Garden of Gethsemane
Condemned by the Righteous
Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate
The Torture and Humiliation of the King
The Crucifixion
Christ the Victor
The
program that supports this product includes a DVD
that contains session video filmed in the Holy
Land. A hardcover book and a paperback devotional
book are available (but optional) to support this
Lenten study.
Adam Hamilton is pastor of the United Methodist Church of the
Resurrection, one of the fastest growing, most
highly visible churches in the country. Named by
PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly as one of
the top “Ten People to Watch,” Hamilton is the
author of Enough, Seeing Gray in a World of Black
and White, Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic,
Confronting the Controversies, Making Love Last a
Lifetime, Unleashing the Word, Leading Beyond the
Walls, Christianity and World Religions, and
Christianity’s Family Tree.

Spring 2009
Adult
Christian Education Offerings
Adult
Sunday School meets on Sunday from 11:15am –
Noon
March 22 Personal Finance
Management
March
29 Personal Finance
Management
April 5 Palm
Sunday - No Sunday School
April
12 Easter
– No Sunday School
April
19
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations:
Radical hospitality
April
26
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations:
Passionate worship
May 3
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations:
Intentional faith development
May
10
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations:
Risk-taking mission & service
May
17 Five
Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Extravagant
generosity
Life Skills – Personal Finance
Management
Living
in today’s economic environment has affected
everyone. Mike
Johnson will help us understand how we can cope
with these changes.
Both short and long term personal financial
management will be addressed.
Religion/Spiritual Enrichment –
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations
Radical
Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional
faith, Development, Risk-taking Mission and
Service, and Extravagant Generosity. People
are searching for a church shaped and sustained by
these qualities. The presence and strength of
these five practices demonstrate congregational
health, vitality, and fruitfulness. By repeating
and improving these practices, churches fulfill
their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the world.
After Easter, Pastor June Smith will conduct a
sermon series on the Five Practices of
Fruitful Congregations. The Adult Sunday
School program will reinforce her efforts with a
review and discussion of each weekly message.





CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP
Repeated
by request
Four
Week Group
Mondays,
May 12, 19 and June 2, 9
7p.m.
until
8p.m.
This
form of silent, imageless prayer using a mantra or
prayer word is rooted in the Gospel, the letters
of St. Paul and originated with the early Desert
Fathers of the 4th century. A Benedictine
monk, Father John Main has rediscovered this
ancient prayer tradition for contemporary men and
women. Today there are over 800 Christian
Meditation groups around the world.
You
don't have to already know how to
meditate.
Newcomers
are welcomed to the group.
The one hour meeting includes quiet music,
a short talk on meditation, 25 minutes of silent
meditation, followed by a question and answer
period.
For
further information, contact Heather Kahn at 248-225-7769.

Six
Week Group
Mondays,
February 11 through March 17, 2008
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP
A
Christian Meditation Group meets at
Novi
United
Methodist
Church
each Monday from February 11 through
March
17, 2008
from
7p.m.
until
8p.m.
This
form of silent, imageless prayer using a mantra or
prayer word is rooted in the Gospel, the letters
of St. Paul and originated with the early Desert
Fathers of the 4th century. A Benedictine
monk, Father John Main has rediscovered this
ancient prayer tradition for contemporary men and
women. Today there are over 800 Christian
Meditation groups around the world.
Newcomers
are welcomed to the group.
The one hour meeting includes quiet music,
a short talk on meditation, 25 minutes of silent
meditation, followed by a question and answer
period.
For
further information, contact Heather Kahn at 248-225-7769.
January
27, 2008. Fasting, one of the Lenten
traditions.
This class looks at the
Judeo-Christian history of fasting and how it can
help us walk more closely with God and each other.
Can it be more than giving up food?
Is there a place for fasting on our
contemporary faith journey?
December
2 thru 23 Advent Study
Four week Advent Study.
Discussion led by Heather Kahn. For Advent,
we will read and discuss the book, "Rejoicing
in Hope" by James A. Harnish. This book
explores the Christmas story through the
experiences of characters from the Book of Luke,
each of whom finds joy in hope: Elizabeth and
Zechariah ("The couple Who Expected the
Unexpected"); Mary (The Girl Who Obeyed the
Unseen"); Joseph ("The Husband Who Kept
the Faith"); Simeon and Anna ("The
Witnesses Who confirmed the Hope").
This four week study provides
one lesson for each week of Advent. Each
lesson includes a reference to a key passage of
Scripture, a brief reflection, questions for
discussion or reflection, a brief prayer, and a
focus for the coming week.
Each chapter is complete and
self-contained, so you will benefit from each
week's study even if you can not make it to all
four.
Sept 16 thru Oct
28, 2007. Book
Study led by Pastor June.
A Book Review of Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church by Wes Roberts and Glenn Marshall, from Amazon.com :
"If you are a Christian pastor, lay leader, or "pew potato" who is tired of hearing that "bigger is better," this book is for you! In a straightforward and engaging style, the authors write about defining the "success" of Christian ministries not in secular terms, but instead measured against Biblical standards-what a novel idea! In order to reflect of the Biblical meaning of "success," we are challenged to examine the Bible carefully to see what the early (i.e. before it became institutionalized) Christian church looked like."
Our study will be led by Pastor June M. Smith, Sundays from 11:15 to 12:00, with social time afterward - if the class
chooses. It is NOT necessary to attend all six (6) weeks.
This class is designed for all people, young and seasoned, long-time member or new, pew potato or lightly fried.
Here is the tentative schedule:
9/23/07 - Chapters 1 & 2: It's Not About The Old Ways - It's About The Much Older Ways,
It's About Authenticity - Not Size
9/30/07 - It's About Making Disciples - Not Simply Recruiting Volunteers
It's About a Calling - Not a Career
10/7/07 - It's About Character - Not Credentials!
It's About Community - Not Just Management
10/14/07 - It's About Trusting God - Not Technique
It's About Following the Spirit - Not Mere Strategizing
10/21/07 - Its About Serventhood - Not Power
It's About Fruit - Not Achievement
10/28/07 - It's About Listening - Not Just Preaching
It's About Love - Not Being Right
It's About Our Triune God - Not Us.
The
Book of Esther
Beginning
May 6 and concluding on May 20th, Heather Kahn
will be teaching about and leading discussion on
the Book of Esther.
April
29
Anna
Graf will teach on a topic to be announced.
Learn
about other Religions
April
22. Dr. Betz King will teach us all about
Wicca.
Caring
for the Earth
April
15. Adult Sunday School will be taught by
Howard Kahn, who will lead a discussion of Earth
Day and how our United Methodist Principles apply.
Walking
The Labyrinth
April
1. Today’s Adult Sunday School will be
taught by Paula Grisell-Goldstein.
She will be providing in-depth information
about the labyrinth and its significance at this
season. Plan
to experience the labyrinth on Friday, April 6
from
6
– 9 p.m.
in Memorial Hall.
Personality
Types and Prayer
Beginning
Sunday,
January 14, and for four consecutive Sundays, Rev.
Phil Seymour will teach a class on Personality
Types and Prayer for Adult Sunday School.
Ongoing
classes in "Basic Training, The Basics of
Methodism"
Special
guest presenter on Oct 22. The religion of
Islam.
Dr. Soraya Orady, representing the Islamic Education and Resources Network, will present at our adult
Sunday school on Oct 22 at 11:15. She will be using a
PowerPoint presentation and so we will be meeting in the sanctuary.
This is an important part of our diversity theme,
so we hope for a very high attendance.
Jesus taught us to love our neighbor. To
love our neighbor, we must get to know our
neighbor. Please be there.
New
Adult Sunday School Class Begins Sept 24
Rev. John Kershaw will begin a new series
today that we’ll just call “Basic Training”.
The focus will be defining Methodism and
what it is we believe.
There will be lots of discussion, use class
members’ favorite scriptures to make the various
points. It
will be a very interesting series and all adults
are welcome to be part of the class.
Adult
Sunday School Starts Sept 17 With a New Study
Lectio Divina is a way to approach the Bible devotionally by
believing that, because it is God's inspired Word,
it is a living text that has something to say to
each individual believer. By entering deeply
into the text of God's Holy Word, God will be made
known to us, speak to us and shape our lives.
This class will provide an opportunity to
experience this ancient method of developing
friendship and communion with God.
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