Register Now for Tuesday Night Lights
Progressive Christian Adult Education at UUMC

Tuesday Night Lights community education classes are back at University UMC on May 3, 10 & 17, 2016. Cost is $20. Classes meet weekly on Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8 pm, and free childcare is available by reservation one week in advance.

For more information, contact Diana Dworin, Adult Education Director, at info@uumc.org

Scroll to the bottom of the page & click on "register now" to enroll

 
Who is Our Neighbor? A Focus on Syria & The Refugee Crisis

As the daily news depicts the tragic stories of the bombings and pilgrimage of the Syrian refugees, have you ever stopped to think who they are and what they have truly left behind?  Did you realize Syria was one of the first democracies in the world?  Or that Aleppo, one of the most recent cities to have been destroyed, had flourished both economically and politically since the 18th Century B.C.? Come join UUMC as we host our Syrian American friends and neighbors to discuss what it was like growing up in a modern Syria with its rich history and culture.   Our friends will provide some first-hand experiences that will help sort the facts from the headlines regarding the flight of the refugees from the Middle East, the strict requirements for entry into the U.S. and some of the misconceptions of their faith.

Class Meeting Dates: May 3, 10 & 17. Facilitated by UUMC members Lee Ann and John Musler.

Rethinking God: Finding God Again Through Jesus' Abba 

How do we affirm God in the modern age? Is there room for God? This is the question that United Methodist theologian John Cobb takes on in his latest work, “Jesus’ Abba.” In this class, we will explore Cobb’s argument that when we give the God of Jesus (Abba) a serious hearing, we find a God that as moderns we can affirm enthusiastically and worship wholeheartedly.

Class Meeting Dates: May 3, 10 & 17. Facilitated by Senior Pastor John Elford, Tuition includes Cobb’s book, “Jesus’ Abba: The God Who has Not Failed.”

In The Beginning: A UUMC Study on the Book of Genesis

What’s up with Genesis? How might a progressive Christian read this foundational text? If we take our scriptures seriously, we cannot ignore this book which stands as the gateway to our Bible. In this six-week discussion-oriented class, we will review some of the ways Genesis has been read and critiqued in the past. Then we will bring our own life experiences and perspectives  to bear as we work our way through the text, with insights along the way from scholar Karen Armstrong. Through varied language, puzzling and difficult texts, and complicated characters, Genesis refuses to offer easy answers to some of life’s most enduring questions.

Class Meeting Dates: May 3, 10 & 17 (Part Two) Facilitated by Rev. Victoria Bailey. Tuition includes Armstrong’s book, “In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis” (NOTE: If you were enrolled in the first session of this course, you are automatically enrolled in this session at no additional cost)