Adult Spiritual Growth Ministries
St. Andrew offers a variety of spiritual growth opportunities for adults. Most of our groups blend fellowship with study. Professional childcare is always provided on Sunday mornings and can be arranged for any other groups that need it. See full descriptions below for the following groups.
| Sunday Morning Opportunities | During the Week / Month |
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WINGS (Women in Need Gaining Strength) St. Andrew United Methodist Women |
Christian Issues
Sundays, 10-11 a.m. in Adult Room #2
The Christian Issues Class is a discussion class open to all adults that uses the United Methodist weekly publication "FAITHLINKS." This paper covers current issues with a Christian perspective. It always includes appropriate Bible verses and the UMC perspective. Each Sunday a facilitator lifts certain passages from the publication and the group discusses the issue. The "FAITHLINK" for each Sunday is emailed to the members. Members feel comfortable with each other and freely express their opinions and share their concerns. The group has an outreach component, which is collecting pocket change each week to be sent to Operation Classroom in Liberia. The group meets to learn and share with each other.
Contact: Dan Soposky and Marilyn Neie
Know and Grow
Sundays, 10-11 a.m. in Adult Room #1
The main focus of this group is Bible studies. We have taken different methods such as study guides of authors for many books of the Bible and videos with guided follow-up. We have done some books from Max Lucado and others with guided lessons. Open and shared discussion is our main format. All of our studies are based on scripture and most of the time scripture is read pertaining to the current study. We try to meet on a social basis at least once per year as a class to decide the following year’s lesson plan. We tend to share the leadership with different people on about four to five topics per year. This group is interested in increasing our social gatherings.
We are beginning a six week study The Reason For God by Timothy Keller. This DVD series will cover topics such as Isn't the Bible a Myth and How can God Be Full of Love and Wrath at the Same Time?
Contact person: Kim Schwartz
Fresh Faith
The New Fresh Faith Series is meeting from October 23 to November 27, 2011 in the Intersection. Each week the class will discuss one chapter from the book, If Grace is True, by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland. Books will be provided for all participants.
The purpose of this class is to keep our faith energized and our connection to God strong. We read and discuss thought-provoking books related to issues of faith. Our discussions are lively and meaningful. This class is currently offered twice a year, upon the conclusion of each St. Andrew Orientation Class. While our newest members are invited to share this class, it is open to the entire congregation. We all need a fresh start from time to time! Are you looking for a fresh take on Jesus and what it means to live the kind of life he teaches us to live?
Contact: Barb Jones
Methodism: Our History and Beliefs
Sundays, 10-11 a.m., Adult Room #3
Marshall Martin, St. Andrew member and former United Methodist missionary, is leading a series on a variety of topics in 2012. The series will began on January 8, with a five Sunday study titled “Methodism: Our History and Beliefs.” Come and join a lively discussion. Learn more about who we are as United Methodists and what it may mean for our future relationship with God and our contemporary society. Topics will include: early American experience, the 19th century movement, the 20th century: globalization and mergers, doctrines and belief.
Contact: Marshall Martin
CrossRoads Leaders Book Study
Sundays, 4-5:30 p.m. in the Conference Room
This group, open to anyone in the church, alternates between reading a book of the Bible and a faith-based contemporary book. Our current text is The Year of Living Like Jesus. We meet to discuss the chapter assignment for the week. Not meant to be a scholarly study, but rather a discussion-based study that involves informal Christian conversation, fellowship and prayer time as well. This is not the group for you if you want to debate theological fine points and memorize long portions of texts. On the other hand, if you want to read and discuss Scripture and contemporary books with a small group that loves to laugh and cares about each other – it might just be the group for you. Note: After we finish a book in the Bible/other book, we often take a 2-4 week break before starting the next study. It is recommended for joiners to start with us when we begin a new book or scripture study. New studies are announced in the bulletin.
Contact: Pastor Pat Sleeth
WINGS (Women in Need Gaining Strength)
Wednesdays from 7-8:15 p.m. in Adult Room #1
We are currently using Running Nowhere in Every Direction as our study material. This refreshing Bible study encourages women to listen to God speak to them in the midst of life's everyday stresses, so they can stop running and start walking somewhere with God.
We meet to provide the women of St. Andrew (especially those who work or can’t meet during the day) an opportunity to form community through a small group and learn something about God, his Word and how it relates to our lives. The group is encouraged to read the study material ahead of time, but we read all of the material in class as well so outside work isn’t required. Members of the group share the leading of discussions. We welcome new members at any time.
Contact: Janet Dietz or Pamela White
Oasis
Fridays from 9-11 a.m. (between September-May) in Adult Room #2
Did you make a New Year's Resolution to get more involved at church, and find new friends here? The Friday Morning Bible Study for Women, "The Oasis" will help you keep that resolution. It starts on January 13, at 9:15 AM. If you've been looking for a way to build relationships with other women and explore what God might have in mind for you, please join our group. Our name grew from the refreshment and renewal we gain each week as we share our lives with each other, learn, laugh and "getaway" from our hectic lives and grow our faith and friendships. Child care is provided, as are great breakfast snacks. We will be continuing our study "Imagine Life God's Way" by John Ortberg. It is about the parables, and relates them to the struggles we face in our own lives and the promise that God offers us every day. Each chapter stands alone, and covers a new idea, so newcomers and those already involved will be on the same basis. Our group is for every woman at St. Andrew, and their friends are welcome too. "The Oasis" is calling you!
Contact: Cathy Potter
Disciple Bible Study
Fall 2011 schedule to be announced
St. Andrew Men’s Group
The second Saturday of each month, usually in the Intersection
The men’s group has a three-fold purpose: growing our faith in Jesus Christ, performing service projects at St. Andrew and in the community, and building strong relationships among the men of St. Andrew.
Contact: John Chapman, Dean Brusnighan or John Baldwin
St. Andrew United Methodist Women
The second Tuesday of each month, 7-8:30 p.m. in the Conference Room. (Note that we are not meeting in January or February.)
We are a group of women who are concerned with the mission field locally, nationally, and internationally. We come together to learn about what we can do to help others to have better lives. We try to cover a range of missions. We have studied about women and children who have been abducted both here and other countries and used as slaves. We have had discussions about how we can reach out to women who are trying to start small businesses. We find a variety of ways we can help in the community from providing cookies to Cary Home and to LUM to making gifts for Tippecanoe Villa. We have been gathering material and pillow cases to make pillow case dresses for Haiti and elsewhere. We also support our own St. Andrew community when food is required for a funeral. We are always looking for new women to come and join us!
Contact: Dorothy Taylor
Echoes of the Gospel Book Club
Every six weeks or so on Sunday, 6-7:30 p.m. in Adult Room #1. See bulletin and newsletter for exact dates.
“Echoes of the Gospel” is St. Andrew's book club for adults of all ages and teens who are interested in reaching and discussing the books. We read a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction, suggested by the participants. However, we try to look at these books from our faith perspective, and the books always have some relevance to our faith. About once a year, we have a special meeting devoted to picking books for the next year. Each person comes to that meeting with one or more suggested books. Well in advance of each regular meeting, we pick one book from the list of suggestions to read and discuss at the upcoming meeting. For each meeting, we have a discussion leader (usually the person who suggested that particular book), and participants try to read the book in advance of the meeting. We talk about the book -- whether we liked it, what it meant, how it relates to our faith, anything that particularly spoke to us -- and we have snacks, sometimes related to the theme of the book. “Echoes of the Gospel” started in 2005, when Lafayette first began the One Great Read program, and the first book discussed by the group was Fahrenheit 451, the One Great Read choice for 2005.
We are always happy to have newcomers and people who want to just check out the group. While we have many members who read pretty much every book and come to almost every meeting, we have others who come when they can and come even if they didn't have time to read the whole book. Not everyone is comfortable leading the discussion, but we would still like to have you participate at whatever level is right for you. It's a fun group, a good place to get to know some other people from the church, not too big, not too small.
Contact: Shirley Olson
Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University
Are you tired of being broke? Are you and your spouse paying for Christmas in July? Is there too much month left at the end of the money? Do you argue with your spouse about where the money goes? Then this course is for you. During this 12 week course, you will learn God’s way to secure your financial future. This is not a get rich quick course. It is an informational plan on money management. A call-out meeting is set for January 6 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Andrew and classes are scheduled to begin January 23 and continue for 12 weeks. Child care is provided.
Contact: Dan Soposky
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