Where
Holy Cross campus and homes of members and friends
800 West Lake Drive
Athens, GA 30606
Driving Directions
What
In any small group, there will be opportunities to
(1) learn new things,
(2) connect with other people,
(3) grow in your spirituality,
(4) laugh heartily or cry safely,
(5) make a difference, and
(6) be touched by the Holy Spirit.
What Else
* Groups come together for eight gatherings and one celebration event. Each group also engages in a community service project and a congregation service project.
* Group gatherings, on average, last for 90 minutes. (60 minutes for “LITE” groups.)
* Groups consist of 10 to 12 participants. (Six to eight for “LITE” groups.)
* Participants may participate in one group of their choice (two during the summer semester).
* The first two weeks are “drop/add,” i.e. participants may try out a group before committing.
* At the end of the “drop/add” period commitment is made with a small group covenant.
* Some groups require additional study or resource materials. Scholarships are available.
* Some scholarship resources are also available to assist with child care expenses. Please contact Pr. Hahn at PastorHahn@HolyCrossAthens.com or Ann Steging at AnnSteging@Hotmail.com.
Where
Holy Cross campus and members' homes
800 West Lake Drive
Athens, GA 30606
Monday
2:00 – 3:30 PM: “Bible Study 2.0: Not Your Mama’s Bible Study!” -- Anyone can benefit from reading the Bible, which is full of the epic stories of good versus evil. Just as reading good literature engages our mind, studying the Bible can be intellectually and emotionally stimulating. The Bible teaches through negative examples what not to do. It also teaches through positive examples on the meaning of generosity; loyalty; and forgiveness. The Bible offers encouragement. A Bible study with other people can create stronger bonds and an environment of camaraderie. Most important, Bible study reveals the true nature of Jesus Christ. These benefits, identified by writer Gayle Trotter, are at the heart of this small group which is “not your mother’s Bible study.”
5:30 – 7:00 PM: “S4 --“Students, Supper, and Scripture Study” – You don’t have to be a student or faculty at UGA but it may help because this group is held at the Presbyterian Student Center on Lumpkin St. After sharing a supper and fellowship, participants in this group will delve into the Word of God in such a way that reveals its relevance for and application to life today. (This group is offered in partnership with the Lutheran Campus Ministry at UGA.)
Tuesday
2:00 – 3:30 PM: “Friedman’s Fables” -- Rabbi Friedman was a pulpit rabbi for 20 years. He noticed that the people he encountered as a pastor had a lot in common, much of it related to the way they tried to change other people. In the latter stages of his much too short tenure (he died suddenly in 1998) he spent his energy consulting with mostly non-profit groups about how they operate and what they do to sabotage their own best efforts. He wrote his "Fables" as a way to tell their story so that people could engage with it. You will never forget some of them. We will read them and use a syllabus that helps point us towards the "point" of the fable. (Also offered on Wednesday at 1 PM.)
4:00 – 5:30 PM: “Cake Decorating and Creative Celebrations” -- Cakes are usually a sign of celebration. They mark special events. They signify community, joy, and delight. (And a little indulgence.) This group teaches you the basics of cake decorating. You will also learn about, and from, times of celebration in the Holy Scriptures. The first couple of sessions will focus on the basics of cake decorating. The remaining weeks will be spent in actual cake decorating. There will be a little preparation between sessions to assure a satisfactory outcome.
7:00 - 8:00 PM: “Come Pray With Us”
Building on the wisdom of James 5:16--“The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much in its working”—this group invites you to deepen your knowledge of different types and modalities of prayer and to put that new knowledge into practice right away.
Each week focuses on learning and practicing a different type of prayer, such as “Simple Prayer,” “Prayer of Examen,” “Meditative Prayer,” “Praying the Word,” “Prayer of Adoration,” “Intercessory Prayer,” Prayer for Christian Harmony,” and “Taize’ Prayer.” This group includes the opportunity to participate in a field trip to attend a live Taize prayer service.
Wednesday
10 – 11:30 AM: “Caring and Creative Quilting” – A baby carrier tied around a mother’s back, a market display spread on the ground and piled with vegetables, a sack for transporting those goods to market, a sunshade, a shawl, and—most importantly—a constant reminder that someone, far away, cares a lot: these are the result when you make a blanket or quilt and donate it to Lutheran World Relief as a participant in this small group.
If you like to sew, this group is for you. If you cannot sew, but can cut fabric and tie knots, you are welcome. Put your talents to good use, learn, laugh, and build or deepen friendships.
Thursday
10:00 – 11:30 AM: “Friedman’s Fables” – Same as Tues., 2 PM
5:00 -6:30 PM: “Faith Today: Dietrich Bonhoeffer” – Lutheran pastor, insightful theologian, and courageous Nazi resister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, has much to teach to 21st Century Christians in matters of faith and life. Recently six letters, written by Bonhoeffer, were published for the first time in “Letters to London.” These letters were written to one of Bonoeffer’s confirmation students during 1935-1936. Bonhoeffer discusses “faith today as a beginning.” This small group will explore the significance of “beginnings” by using this little book and other significant writings on this subject.
6:30 – 8:00 PM: “Learning to Walk in the Dark.” -- “Come inside now, it’s getting dark.” Many of us have heard this exhortation from our mothers when we were young. Many mothers still instruct their children that way so that nothing bad will happen to them in the dark. After all, the dangerousness of the dark is like the law of gravity: No one can exactly say how it works, but everyone agrees on it.
What if, however, that is not the whole truth? What if a lot of good “stuff” happens in the dark? A careful look at Scripture, for example, reveals that a lot of good takes place at nighttime. A lot of spiritual enrichment and growth can come from learning to walk in, and live with, the dark—be it spiritual, physical, social, or emotional darkness.
Loosely based on Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, “Learning to Walk in the Dark,” this group will explore various themes from the book: biblical references to good “stuff” that happened in the dark; the meaning of the imagery of light and dark in the Bible; various ways to experience the dark creatively; the three stages of twilight, the spiritual enrichment that comes from learning to live with the dark. Group participants will be given the opportunity to go on field trips.
Friday
10 –11:30 AM: “Sins of Scripture” – A professor at Columbia Teachers College wrote, “…an essential element in adult learning is to challenge our own ingrained perceptions and examine our insights critically. Adults learn best when faced with a ‘disorienting dilemma.’”
This class will explore the Bible, a book considered to be the very “Word of God,” and as such authoritative, inerrant, and infallible; it is a book that assures us that we are not alone in a cosmic universe, a book of hope and inspiration. But as the Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong contends in his publication, The Sins of Scripture, it is also a book that has spawned unspeakable atrocities, discrimination, and exclusivity and has distorted the truth of Christianity and the love of God. Some have asked, “Can Christianity survive without the Bible?” Bishop Spong asks, “Can Christianity survive with it?” -- If you are ready for a candid look “behind the curtain,” willing to step a bit beyond your comfort zone and able to keep an open mind, this group is for you.
7:00 – 8:30 PM: “What in the World?” – In a safe, friendly, and conversational environment, participants in this group will have the opportunity to explore what may be called “current social issues.” The focus will be on understanding issues better, looking at an issue from more than one angle, exploring issues from a faith perspective, and learning to suspend final judgment until everyone has been heard and plenty of facts are in. Participants are invited to suggest issues for exploration and will be encouraged to do their own research and share information with other participants. The goal is that group members will learn from and with each other (instead of trying to convert each other), to laugh and to pray together.
Saturday
6 – 7:30 PM: “Shared Supper Is Better Supper” – Similar to what is known as “supper club,” participants in this group will gather for fellowship and a meal. The weekly menus will be determined by participants who will also take turns, in groups of three or four, preparing the meal for the week. Participants are encouraged to focus on easy, healthy, inexpensive and tasty—although that is not an absolute requirement. (Participants will have the final say.) Depending on the number of participants, members of this group may end up helping to prepare two meals but enjoying eight. What a deal!
7 – 8:30 PM: “B2-W2: Bible and Beer--Wine and Whatever” – In addition to feasting on God’s Word, celebrating each others’ successes, and offering encouragement for each others’ challenges, participants in this group will sample beers and wines from selected regions of the world. However, drinkers of soft drinks, tea, coffee, or water are also welcome. Make new friends or go deeper with your existing ones.
Sunday*
10 – 11:00 AM (*LITE Group): “Parents’ Roundtable” -- This LITE small group is about connecting! It is especially designed for parents with children participating in the Faith Learning Hour. The aim of this group is that parents will connect with each other through conversation and laughter and connect with God through Bible lessons and prayer. Parents will be enabled to connect with their children by studying the same Bible stories that are being taught in the classrooms! Thus, families can continue their faith conversations in the car, at home, during the week with all family members starting in the same piece of Scripture! In addition, this group offers the sharing of parental joy, challenges, and wisdom as well as the opportunity to gather with other Christian parents in a safe environment.
10 – 11 AM (*LITE Group): “Important and Relevant Stuff” – This is a LITE small group designed especially for members and friends of Holy Cross who live at a significant distance from the Holy Cross campus and cannot participate in other small groups. Participants will have significant input on the selection of the topics. (As a LITE group, enrollment is limited, and group time is one hour.)
6:30 – 8:00 PM: “Learning to Walk in the Dark” – Same as Thurs., 6:30 pm.