Thursday & Sunday - "Radical Renovation" : A 7 Session Lenten Study

Join Pastor Michael for a seven session Lenten study.

Radical Renovation is a powerful image of what can happen in our lives during the season of Lent. Just as a house can be rebuilt after it has fallen into disrepair or devastation, author James A. Harnish says, so God can enter in to our brokenness and completely rebuild our lives, so that we can become the kind of people in whom the living Christ can take up residence, and through whom the loving purpose of God can become a tangible reality in this world.

"Radical Renovation" starts Sunday, February 14, 2010 and runs through Sunday, March 28, 2010 .

The class meets Sunday mornings at 9:00 am and Thursday mornings at 10:00 am in Pat's Place.

All are welcome

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Great Decisions

Great Decisions 2010 is under way!

Become a more informed citizen of the world! Join us for nine thought- provoking and lively discussions on Global Issues and US Foreign Policy in the “Great Decisions” discussion series. The 2010 topics range from U.S.-China security relations to the Global Financial Crisis. Your experience as a citizen of the world and your concern for its future are all that's necessary to participate in and contribute to the discussions. First Church of Palo Alto is proud to host the Great Decisions Series again in 2010 as we’ve done for almost thirty years.

The Great Decisions Briefing Book, published by the Foreign Policy Association, can be purchased at First Church or at any of the sessions for $20 per book. It includes helpful articles and background for pre-reading and future reference.

When: The series runs for 9 weeks from January 31, 2010 through March 29, 2010. Discussion sessions are held on Sunday Mornings from 8:30am to 10:15am and again on Monday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. We'll have a pair of sessions for each topic, on Sunday and repeated on Monday. We're also having a "ninth session" this year to focus on the question -- How do we as people of faith respond?

Where: All sessions will be held in Kohlstedt Hall of the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, 625 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto.

More info: For questions or to purchase a briefing book please contact Felice at fswapp@gmail.com or 650-283-4343.

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Sunday Mornings - Bible Study With Rick

Rick Allen leads a spirited and informed discussion of lectionary texts every Sunday morning at 9:00 am in the Patio Room.

Conversation flows from the historic Scriptures to the times in which we live and the issues we face: as a people, as a church and as a nation.

All are welcome. Drop in!

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Wednesday Evenings - Bible Study with Ken Shafer

Join Ken Shafer every Wednesday evening for Bible Study.

This study group meets at 7:00pm in the Patio Room.

We are going through the Bible sequentially, with one chapter in the Old Testament and one chapter in the New Testament.

Any questions and discussions about the Bible are fair game.

Ken likes to present biblical background to the passages under discussion, and especially in the Old Testament, to provide insight on who wrote the particular passage, and what was the author's point of view.

Anyone is welcome to attend, and join the discussion, even if you missed the reading assignment.

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Thursday Evenings - Bible Study with Robert Hamerton-Kelly

Pastor Robert Hamerton-Kelly returns to FUMCPA with his Bible Study class that has been meeting in this areas for more than 30 years.

There are currently about 10 regular members, all are very friendly and eager to welcome new participants. One can start at any point in the study because the discussion is informal and wide-ranging, without any targeted outcomes or any requirement, except perhaps the willingness to be open and prepared to discuss.

The class meets in the Wesley Room every Thursday evening from 7:00pm - 8:00pm.

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Feminist Christian Reading Group

Through conversations about books and our lives, we practice a Christianity that supports the flourishing of women and all people in mutual respect and joyful celebration of the uniqueness and variety of God's gifts.

We seek to understand how our Christian tradition has marginalized women and made it difficult to see women as truly made in God's image. Through lively and heartfelt dialogue we are revitalizing and transforming our tradition, including expanded images of the Divine, inclusive language, and female spiritual role models. As we explore these themes we support each other in discovering how they influence and inform our lives and our worship. We have been meeting since 2002.

We meet the first and third Mondays each month at 7:30pm in the Wesley Room. Consider joining us

Newcomers are very welcome.

For more information contact Mo Olson or Sandra Florstedt.

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