What Does a Progressive Christian Believe? A Guide for the Searching, the Open, and the Curious by Delwin Brown will be the topic of discussion in the Open Door Sunday School Class beginning September 11, 2011 at 9:15am.

Brown is dean emeritus of Pacific School of Religion and former Professor of Christian Theology at Illiff School of Theology.  In this insightful book, he makes clear what Progressive Christians do and do not believe.  He also makes it clear what Progressive Christians do in the life of faith while leaving room for the diversity that comes with the label of “Progressive Christian.” As Rev. Troy Sims has said of this book, Brown shows us how to be black and white about the fact that the world is varying shades of gray – everything is NOT black and white.

In seven points, he retrieves the value of the bible, affirms the presence of God intertwined in all of creation, and breathes life into the creeds (imagine that!) by taking them to the logical conclusion that God is not only incarnate in Jesus but humanity and all of creation! He grounds a view of humanity in the Genesis story of co-creation and the twin commandments to love God and others as ourselves.

For more information about the class or study,
contact Tammy Sparks (tammysp@sbcglobal.net or 940-781-4821).

Join the Open Door Sunday School Class for their new book review, Such Is Life: A Close Encounter with Ecclesiastes:

• Begins Sunday, June 12, 2011
• 9:15am
• Rm 2-R of Rec. Lobby (basement area of the Education wing)

Though some twenty three centuries have passed since an anonymous Jewish sage calling himself the Proclaimer (Qoheleth) set down his thoughts about life, they are strangely in tune with today’s secular age. Its surprising, therefore, that they ever found a place in Holy Scriptures. Lloyd Geering has brought Ecclesiastes to life by ingeniously composing imaginative dialogues with the sage, which show that he was a free thinker, a humanist, and an existentialist. In fact, this biblical heretic essentially undermined the rest of the Hebrew Bible by finding no discernible thread of purpose in the universe or in human existence, and by proposing that though Nature operates in ever-repeating cycles, much of human life is determined by sheer chance. The role of the sage, as Ecclesiastes saw it, was not to pass on gems of eternal wisdom, but to goad us into thinking things out for ourselves in our search for meaning in life.

Twenty people joined together on January 22, 2011 to build 72 feet of wheel chair ramps for people in our community!  Thirteen of these volunteers were from the new Aldersgate Sunday School Class!  Other Sunday School Classes represented were The Journey, Genesis, and Open Door!  Check out the pictures below!

Will Barksdale (The Journey), Brandon Vaughn (The Journey), Dustin Hays
Not shown: Emily Hays

Mike Rose, Amber Schacter, Ashley Tate (7th Grade), Jammie Wilbanks, Susan Tate, Brittany Tate (4th Grade), Brian Coons, Jake Truette, Cindy Carss (Genesis)
Not shown:  Gary Schultz, Troy Sims

Alan Ballard (Open Door), Patricia Stroderd, Tim Kramer
Not shown: Kevin & DeEdra Folmar

Join the Open Door Sunday School Class (meets in Rm 2-R of Rec. Lobby) for the study of Bernard Brandon Scott’s book, The Trouble with Resurrection: From Paul to the Fourth Gospel beginning January 30. By examining the resurrection stories in chronological order of their being written, this book prompts readers to consider:

* What does the New Testament really say about the resurrection;
* What is the influence of Judaism on Christian belief in the resurrection;
* How did the resurrection become the central belief in Christianity;
* Why did early Christians choose to believe in the resurrection; and
* Why is resurrection not the right word.

For more information about the Open Door Class or this study, contact Gary Sparks (940-696-3151 or wfsparky@sbcglobal.net).

The Children’s & Adult Sunday School Classes of FUMC are each taking part in a food drive to benefit Interfaith Ministries.  The Adults began a competition among classes on Sunday, October 31, 2010.  Here are the current stats:

The first number is the number of items collected.  The second number is “pro-rated” based on the number of members in the respective class.  Check back each week to see how each class is doing.

The Children begin their drive on November 7, 2010, and each week they are looking for different items that are of special need by Interfaith.  Here is what children should bring each week:

• November 7:  Pork ‘n’ Beans
• November 14:  Peanut Butter
• November 21:  Jelly
• November 28:  Canned Fruit

For more about the Adult Food Drive, contact Rev. Troy Sims (tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

For more about the Children’s Food Drive, contact Rev. Lydia Pellikan (lpellikan@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x272).

The Open Door Sunday School Class study of The Roman Empire and the New Testament by Warren Carter begins September 12, 2010.  This study will look at Roman society, culture, law, politics, religion, and daily life as they relate to the study of the New Testament.  It will show how different authors of the New Testament chose to respond to the Roman Empire in different (often opposing) ways.  Join them in Room 2-R of Rec. Lobby!

The book costs $16.  For more information, contact the class president, Gary Sparks (wfsparky@sbcglobal.net or 696-3151).