There are several upcoming offerings in our Faith Enrichment ministry, happening Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. If you are not familiar, Faith Enrichment is our ongoing program aimed at helping our community grow in faith through intentional learning and practicing our Faith. It is as important to our growth as attending weekly Worship.
This Sunday finishes our eight week study, "Introduction to the Old Testament," in which we surveyed the OT to get a sense of the biblical history and tradition of which we are benefactors through Jesus, who was Jewish. We consider ourselves sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We understand that the new covenant, written on the heart rather than on stone, as described by Jeremiah (31.31-34), describes our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, made manifest through the Holy Spirit.
Looking forward as we grow together through Faith Enrichment, several offerings present themselves. For two weeks, August 20 & 27, I will offer a New Member Class. This experience is aimed directly at those who are active in the life of the congregation, but have yet become members. We will explore membership and invite persons to officially become members of NBUMC during our service on September 10.
September 10 will mark the beginning of two Faith Enrichment opportunities. Karen Tutak will begin a six-week study of “Ruth.” Karen is busily scouring used book sources for the subject book in an attempt to provide each participant with a resource at less than new price. I will offer a study of the gospel of “Mark.” Rather than using a study resource, we will closely read and study the work verse by verse.
Other offerings are in the works, including a study of Healing, and further Biblical studies. We will also have a dedicated Advent Study to close out the year and prepare for the festival of Christmas.
Not related to Faith Enrichment as much as the Membership vow of “service,” please mark Saturday, September 30 on your calendar as it will be an all-church clean up day. You may remember we had a couple of clean-up days in the Spring. September 30 will mark the day we move the identified discard to a dumpster, placed for that event. What fun, eh?
Sunday, we complete our three-work study of Jacob in “Genesis” as he prepares to cross the Jabbok river and meet his estranged brother Esau after an almost 20 year period. In one of my two favorite passages from the OT, Genesis 32.22-31, we see Jacob preparing for the meeting. But first, he must undergo a basic paradigm shift in his life. Please share the morning with your fellow NBUMC’ers. As always, we are also available live on FaceBook.
See you Sunday,
Paul