“It’s Going to Rain, Noah! … How Long Can You Tread Water?”
What Can You Do to Carry You through the Storm?

How to Build an Ark

A six-week seminar and workshop
on Developing Personal Communities
Tuesday evenings • May 15 through June 19, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Facilitated by Jim Manchester

St. John’s MCC
805 Glenwood Avenue • Raleigh NC
www.StJohnsMCC.org

It may not seem like it is raining very hard right now. But let me assure you – your storm or challenge is coming. Many, many people are in the midst of a storm that is so strong that they cannot see a safe end. Some storms approach so subtly that people don’t even know they are in one! Some people have become so accustomed to living in tragedy that they don’t realize that it is time to do something about it before life becomes a disaster.

Taking a lesson from the story of Noah’s Ark in Genesis, this seminar and workshop will show you how to deal with your current challenge or impending disaster. You may be dealing with issues of

• Substance abuse
• Co-dependency
• Excessive or compulsive pleasure
• Loneliness
• Financial concerns
• Professional or personal conflicts
• Stormy relationships with family, partners, and sometimes-irresponsible friends
• Arrogant self-centeredness
• Or anything that keeps you from living a full and happy life with lots of genuine, loving friends.

Because of the nature of this class, you need to attend the first session and as many sessions as you can thereafter. Materials will be provided for you when you come to the first session on May 15th. So we can be sure we have enough, please register by clicking here.

Register for "How to Build an Ark"

Click here to download the PDF Poster for the class.

Let me ask you something. Are you able to ask for what you need, want, or prefer and do it clearly, directly, and honestly? Can you, when under stress, state your own beliefs and values without becoming adversarial? Are you able to appreciate people for who they are … the good, the bad, and the ugly and not for what they give back? Do you see these characteristics in other people more than in yourself? If your first thought to this last question is “yes,” then Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash A Revolution In Your Life In Christ is an intense study we encourage you to take part in. On Tuesdays, beginning at 6:30 pm, the Tuesday Night Bible Study Class will focus on this groundbreaking book authored by Peter Scazzero. Scazzero, who firmly believes “it’s impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature,” stresses the importance of a biblical integration of emotional health, a relationship with Christ and the practice of contemplative spirituality. If you desire to engage in deeper ways with God, this is a study you don’t want to miss! Join us and find out how YOU can have a closer relationship with God, be better disciple of Jesus Christ and live a more abundant spiritual life. Contact David Ray if you need a copy of the book. Cost is $14.

an 8-week Bible study of the book of Revelation
for God’s Rainbow People

When we look at Revelation with new eyes – with the eyes of God’s Rainbow People – we see it in a whole new way. We find the dream of an embattled people for which there is much hope. We leave behind the condemnation and judgment that so many would use to abuse us.

Our last session for this particular study will be on Tuesday, February 28th, when we will conclude with a study of the first three chapters of Revelation.

Ask yourself, “What parts of these chapters trouble you?” and “What memories do those thoughts stir in you?” We will share our thoughts in class.

We meet in the Sanctuary at 6:30 for Tuesday Night Bible study. Bring your Bible. You’ll need it.

The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley
Pastor B. Boone, Facilitator

“Life is relationships; the rest is just details,” says Gary Smalley. This life-changing book study will unravel the DNA of human relationships: we are made for three great relationships – with God, others, and ourselves – and all relationships involve choice. Gary exposes a destructive relationship dance that characterizes nearly every relationship conflict, and he offers five new dance steps that will revolutionize relationships. This newly formed class meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. We are teaching it all over again! Join us!

The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley
Pastor B. Boone, Facilitator

“Life is relationships; the rest is just details,” says Gary Smalley. This life-changing book study will unravel the DNA of human relationships: we are made for three great relationships – with God, others, and ourselves – and all relationships involve choice. Gary exposes a destructive relationship dance that characterizes nearly every relationship conflict, and he offers five new dance steps that will revolutionize relationships. Class starts on Tuesday, September 14th, at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary.

Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway
view it at St. John's MCC on Tuesday, August 3rd, at 6:30 pm.

Tuesday Night Bible Study is returning from vacation
on Tuesday, August 3rd at 6:30 pm, with a special showing of Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.
Featuring our Faith In Action Theme Song: “Seasons of Love.”

Even though this study has already started, you may join us anytime!

In the year 2000, Bruce Wilkinson introduced a tiny book, called The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking through to the Blessed Life, which focused on just one verse in the Bible. Since that day, millions of people have discovered how to harness the amazing power of God to expand their influence in the world.

“Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from hurt and harm!’ And God granted what he asked.” (1 Chronicles 4:10 – NRSV)

Do you wonder what life would be like if more people saw the power of God in your life? As just one, almost insignificant person in a very large family, Jabez initially believed that his life wouldn’t amount to much. But God changed all that.

Search this small but very powerful passage of scripture to learn how Jabez’ life changed during Tuesday Night Bible Study. Learn how to tap into the same power of God to increase your territory. We will continue the study on Tuesday night, June 16th starting at 6:30 in the St. John’s MCC Sanctuary.

Discounted copies of The Prayer of Jabez and the Bible Study Guide are available at Quail Ridge Books & Music in the Ridgewood Shopping Center at 3522 Wade Avenue in Raleigh. Ask for the Jabez Bible study books at the counter and tell them you are with St. John’s MCC. Please click here for a Google map to the store. Your discount will already be figured into the price of the books. (Please note that this is a change from previous information.)

Then, join with Pastor B in the study of The Prayer of Jabez on Tuesday nights. All are welcome!

The regular Tuesday Night Bible Study WILL be held tonight, Tuesday, Feburary 2nd, as we continue our study of The Gospel of Inclusion. However, you are encouraged to use your own judgment as to whether or not it is safe for YOU to travel.

Please click here for more information about the study.

- Pastor Belva

The Gospel of Inclusion
Tuesday Night Bible Study

Here is your chance to understand how it is possible that God could truly love you. When Pastor Belva first introduced The Gospel of Inclusion, by Carlton Pearson, to St. John’s people, it made an impact that continues to this day. We talk about the concepts presented in Pearson’s book almost every week.

Now, you can go to the source by taking Pastor Belva’s Tuesday Night Bible Study class, The Gospel of Inclusion.

The study begins on Tuesday, January 12th, beginning at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. Copies of the book may be purchased at many local bookstores and on Amazon.com.

If you have any questions about the study, please see Pastor Belva or talk with any of the many Saints who have studied this book with her. You can also see a review of the book on the St. John’s MCC Community Website.

Please join us! All are welcome!

Professor Gordon Kaufman said, “We may find a certain security in believing that ‘our’ way is the only way. This is a natural part of any cultic religious experience. Far greater faith is required, however, to seek and trust that which you accept as infinite, beyond your comprehension, and subject to change. Today, this just may be the challenge of an educated and thinking Christian – to retain a faith ‘in the face of mystery.’”

This is the week that we wrap up the Living the Questions series of Tuesday Night Bible Study. We meet at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. All are welcome!

Tradition or Transformation?

In the history of the Christian church, people have become quite comfortable with the “traditional” view of their faith. From the earliest days, the practice of Christianity changed from being a radical new way of thinking and reacting to a predictable ritual that occurred Sunday after Sunday.

But that is NOT what Jesus preached at all. Jesus was all about transforming and empowering one’s life into a new creation – not hanging on to old fears, hatreds, and habits.

That’s what we will talk about this week in Living the Questions, our continuing series of discussions during Tuesday Night Bible Study. We meet in the Sanctuary on Tuesday night beginning at 6:30. All are welcome.

The Heart of Jesus’ Ministry: Compassion above All Things

Jesus was not primarily a teacher of correct beliefs or right morals. In fact, many of his teachings were contrary to behavior that was considered “correct” or “moral” in his day. Instead, he was a teacher of a way of life that transforms people from legalistic rule-followers into compassionate disciples who always put people first.

During our Tuesday Night Bible Study on December 8th, we will learn the “Secret Name of God” and what it means for our lives as we continue our discussion of Living the Questions. We will hear some of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers and find a better understanding of how we relate to God and how God relates to us. Join us as we continue with Part III of the Living the Questions series starting at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. We will give you all the materials you need to engage in the study. All are welcome.

It is no surprise that for Tuesday night, December 1st, the Tuesday Night Bible Study group that is studying Living the Questions will meet at Temple Beth Or so we can participate in the World AIDS Day Interfaith Worship service. Our discussion of “Compassion – The Heart of Jesus’ Ministry” will continue the following week in the Sanctuary at St. John’s MCC.

Intimacy with God

What does the word “Prayer” mean to you? Is it kneeling in church or at your bedside? Is it a mumbled phrase? Is it an eloquent speech before many other people? Is it a simple blessing before a meal?

It can be all of those things – and none of them. Prayer is “being intimate with God,” and it happens in all kinds of ways.

We will tackle “Prayer” when St. John’s MCC continues our study of Living the Questions during Tuesday Night Bible Study on Tuesday, November 24th, beginning at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. We will hear some of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers and find a better understanding of how we relate to God and how God relates to us. Join us as we continue with Part III of the Living the Questions series. We will give you all the materials you need to engage in the study. All are welcome.

The Incarnation of God in Jesus

So, how would you respond to John Shelby Spong’s statement taken from his book, Saving Jesus?

“The virgin birth story is no longer taken literally. But the fact is that in the life of Jesus we still believe that there was a literal experience of a living God. Maybe that forces you to rethink God, and if we can stop thinking of God as a great big parent figure up in the sky – a supernatural being who is external to life – and begin to think of God as the life power itself, the power of love itself, the ‘Ground of Being,’ as Paul Tillich described it; which is always emerging in you and me and which emerged in Jesus of Nazareth in some remarkable kind of way.”

Just how important is the virgin birth to your relationship with God?

Those are the questions we will tackle when St. John’s MCC continues our study of Living the Questions during Tuesday Night Bible Study on Tuesday, November 17th, beginning at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. We will hear some of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers and find a better understanding of how we relate to God and how God relates to us. Join us as we continue with Part III of the Living the Questions series. We will give you all the materials you need to engage in the study. All are welcome.

Being a person of faith demands balancing spiritual pursuites with action. In a society which is often unjust, inequitable, and whose very structures are responsible for generating untold suffering and pverty, we are compelled to pursue social justice as an expression of hope in realizing a better world.

St. John’s MCC continues our study of Living the Questions during Tuesday Night Bible Study on Tuesday, November 10th at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. We will hear some of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers and find a better understanding of how we relate to God and how God relates to us. Join us as we continue with Part III of the Living the Questions series. We will give you all the materials you need to engage in the study. All are welcome.

“Imagine a place where mercy resides, love forms each heart, compassion is lived out with grit and determination. A place where lavish signs mark each path barrier free. Imagine a place where skin tones are celebrated like the hues of tulips in springtime. … Imagine a place where people no longer kept watch through the front window to determine whether the welcome mat would remain on the porch. Such is the work - the journey - the destination - in the kin_dom of God.”

The good news of the gospel tells of a radical hospitality where boundaries, barriers, and walls are overcome by a grace that knows no bounds.

St. John’s MCC continues our study of Living the Questions during Tuesday Night Bible Study on Tuesday, November 3rd at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. We will hear some of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers and find a better understanding of how we relate to God and how God relates to us. Join us as we begin Part III of the Living the Questions series. We will give you all the materials you need to engage in the study. All are welcome.

Dead Man Walking is a 1995 film based on the book of the same name, which tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean C.S.J., who establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet, a prisoner on death row.

As a part of our discussion, Living the Questions, Sister Helen Prejean has given us a new and deeper insight into the meaning of “justice with compassion.” The Tuesday Night Bible Study group will view Dead Man Walking together on Tuesday, October 27, beginning at 6:30 in the St. John’s MCC Sanctuary. All are invited to screen the movie with us.

God gave us a beautiful and complex world in which to live. If we take the time to notice, God’s creation can embrace us with much wonder and splendor. Unfortunately, the world is being stressed by our behaviors, lifestyles, and arrogance. Care for the environment is not only deeply biblical and practical, but increasingly critical – for both the present spiritual life and for our collective future.

We will discuss the our responsibilities to God’s creation during Tuesday Night Bible Study on Tuesday, October 20th, beginning at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary.

We have study materials for you. All are invited.