Adult Ministries - Saint Paul United Methodist Church

Classes

Powerful Goddesses Across Cultures
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in Room 155 (September 4 – September 25)
with Dr. Morgan Palmer and Dr. William Dewey

This four-week course will explore conceptions of the feminine divine across cultures. We will take a thematic approach to studying goddesses associated with wisdom, love, power, motherhood, and fertility. The class will compare a selection of goddesses from ancient Greek and Roman religion, ancient Mediterranean mystery religions, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Some questions that we will consider will include the agency of female goddesses, the impact of misogyny on portrayals of female goddesses, how female goddesses can be empowering figures, the role of women in worshipping goddesses, and parallels between polytheistic deities and Christian conceptions of the feminine divine.

Saint Paul 101
Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in Room 155 (September 8 & 15)
with Rev. Dr. Jane Florence and Pastor Jed Linder

Join Pastors Jane and Jed for this foundational information class on the life and community here at Saint Paul UMC, and the greater connection that we share with the United Methodist Church. This class is especially relevant for newer members and those interested in learning more about our church.

Galatians: Faith and Works
Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom (September 12 – November 14)
with Dr. Dave Moore

In a letter that is called by many “the Magna Carta of Christian liberty,” Paul writes urgently to a church in crisis: what does it mean to live a life of Christian freedom? Join Dr. Dave Moore this fall as he looks at the book of Galatians, where the Apostle Paul puts forth his doctrine of justification by grace; and lest anyone mistake this liberty as permission to ignore the moral code, Paul also reasserts what he perceives to be the true function of the Mosaic Law in relation to God’s grace manifested in Christ.

The Spiritual Child
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in Room 155 (October 9 – October 30)
with Rev. Dr. Jane Florence

Scientific studies show that, “the only thing that science has shown to reliably predict fulfillment, success and thriving is a child’s spiritual development.” Natural spirituality has the greatest influence on overall health, including a reduced risk of depression, substance abuse, and high-risk behaviors in adolescences. Join Pastor Jane in this four-week class to learn more about natural spirituality, how it is different than religion, and what a crucial a role spirituality plays in the first two decades of life. This course will provide parents, grandparents, teachers, children, and youth workers with some practical ways to implement these findings with the children and adolescents in their lives.

Autumn: Finding Sabbath in Nature
October 12 at 1:00 p.m. at Wilderness Park
with Rev. Nancy Flader

As daylight ebbs and temperatures cool, the natural world is preparing for its upcoming time of rest and renewal. Join Rev. Nancy Flader as she leads this inspiring autumnal walk through a creation preparing for a period of rest, or sabbath. Together, we’ll see what the plants, critters, and creatures of our own sacred landscape can teach us about being present and open to the sabbath gifts of slowness, spaciousness, rest, renewal and restoration.

Paine Parlor Sunday School Class
Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

This class meets on Sunday mornings in Paine Parlor at 11:00 to discuss current happenings in our community, our nation, and the United Methodist Church. We will meet on the second Sunday of the month in June, July, and August.

Meditative Sound Bath
Every third Sunday of the month at 12:00 p.m. in the Chapel

Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and other world religions, all share the spiritual practice of using chants, mantras, psalms, and songs to praise the Divine and heal our bodies. Join Rev. Dr. Jane Florence for a monthly Meditative Sound Bath. Along with guided mantras, quartz crystal bowls and other instruments generate sound which can clear your energy centers to promote health and wholeness. Sound baths induce deep relaxation, reduce stress, and promote wellness on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

This opportunity is free and open to the public.

Postcards from Lincoln: A History Speakers Series

Every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary (September 16 – November 25)
Saint Paul is excited to welcome back Ed Zimmer and Jim McKee – as well as our special guest speakers – for the sixth season of our popular speaker series, “Postcards from Lincoln.” This series is open to everyone, and it features some of Lincoln’s most preeminent figures specializing in our great city’s history.

Fall 2024 Series Schedule
September 16 – “Memorial Stadium and Its Predecessors” by David Bristow
September 30 – “Lincoln’s Railroads” by Jim McKee
October 14 – “A Warrior of the People: Susan La Flesche, America’s First Indian Doctor” by Joseph Starita
October 28 – “Arthur Edgren, Charles Stuart, & the Piedmont Neighborhood” by Ed Zimmer
November 11 – “Lincoln’s Historic Department Stores” by Ed Zimmer & Jim McKee
November 25 – “Environs on Nebraska State Capitol, Part II” by Bob Ripley

Make Your Vote Count: The 2024 General Election

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary (October 1-29)
On Tuesday, November 5, America once again returns to the polls to elect its political leaders. To prepare for this momentous occasion, Saint Paul UMC is hosting a speaker series on the many features of our electoral system throughout the month of October. Join us as we welcome local experts to discuss the voting process, the fairness of our elections, the challenges to our democracy, and the grave implications this election has for our state, country, and the globe.

Series Schedule
October 1: “Implications & Impacts of the 2024 Elections: America, Europe, and the World” with Dr. Tyler White
October 8: “Presidential Election: Electoral College & Popular Vote” with John A. Gale
October 15: “The Growing Influence of Money in Politics” with Kate High
October 22: “Nebraska’s 2024 Congressional Districts: Is it possible that CD 1 and CD 2 could be swing districts in the Electoral College?” with Dr. Steve Dunbar
October 29: Panel Discussion featuring Steve Dunbar, John Gale, Kate High, and Tyler White