Trinity United Methodist Church

Previous Long-Term Studies

Disciple 3 - “Remember Who You Are” focuses on the major and minor Old Testament prophets and the letters of Paul. Disciple 1 is a prerequisite to this 32 week course. Class will meet on Thursdays, 9:15-11:15 AM. Cost is $40. Online registry Begins June 2007

Companions in Christ - This spiritual discipline course is taught in segments of five sessions each. The 5 week segments are: Embracing the Journey, Feeding on the Word, Deepening Our Prayer, Responding to Our Call, and Exploring Spiritual Guidance. Begins June 2007

Christian Believer - The goal of Christian Believer is to make available to people the substance of the Christian faith that the church has confessed as a way of connecting to God and living faithfully. Students find new and personal meaning in the creeds of the Church. It’s a 30 week study with daily preparation and weekly two and a half hour group sessions. It integrates Bible study and study of the basic beliefs of the Christian faith. Disciple 1 is a prerequisite to this course. Cost is $40. Online registry Begins June 2007

How to Be a Witness for Christ - Are you ready for an adventure of becoming a witness for Jesus Christ? The journey includes: What is God’s purpose in the world, and how can I be a part of it? Who is Jesus Christ, and how can I know him? Who is the Holy Spirit, and how can I experience the Spirit’s presence in my life? What is the nature and purpose of Christ’s church, and how can I contribute to its work? Whoh am I as a Christian witness, and how is God calling me to respond? This is a 25 week journey with a student journal, discussion and short video clips. Cost is $15. Online registry Begins June 2007

Previous Short-Term Studies

Bible Stuff 101 - Have you ever resolved to read the Bible only to quit when you got frustrated? Would you like to know more about the Bible, but feel your eyes glaze over when you hit long lists of “begats?” This 3-week course during the Sunday School hour will give you some basic tools to read the Bible and interpret it for yourself. Whether you are tackling the Bible for the first time or are a seasoned Sunday School leader wanting a refresher, this course is for you. Led by Dave Barnhart. Meets Sundays, May 4-28, 10-11 AM.

Little Ones Bible Study - Your child, age 2-5, can take part in a special children’s Bible study while you participate in a long-term or short-term Bible study. There is no charge for Little Ones. There is a registration form you should complete for your child. Meets Thursday mornings from 9:00-11:15.

Screwtape Letters - 12 weeks - Screwtape guides a young demon through the finer points of temptation, the weaknesses and foibles of human beings, and the disaster of his patient becoming a Christian. Through this book’s tale by C.S. Lewis, you gain a better understanding of what it means to live a faithful life. Meets on Wednesday evenings. Cost: $10

The Green Book: Being a Good Steward - 4 weeks - Do you want to become more envionmentally friendly and help your family become better stewards of creation? If so, this course is for you. It had rave reviews when it was last offered! Meets Wednesday evenings, 6-7:30. Cost: $11

Women’s Group - 8 weeks - limited to 8 women - Led by Joanna Ware, ALC (Associate Licensed Counselor) on Wednesday evenings. She will begin each session with a short presentation. The remainder of the time will be devoted to exploring members’ thoughts and feelings about the evening’s topic. Possible Topics: What does God want of me? How do I manage stress, or how does it handle me? How do I understand my own needs? Cost: $40

Women’s Study: Stepping Up - 11 weeks - This is Beth Moore’s newest woman’s study taking an in-depth lok with her unique and inspiring way at 15 different Psalms. Meets Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings. Cost: $14

For Parents: The Blessing - 8 weeks - You will find solid and practical advice on how to be a blessing to your children, whether they are of pre-school age or adults. It is a life-changing gift the Bible calls “The Blessing.” Authors are John Trent and Gary Smalley. Meets Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings while children are in choir. (book and workbook) Cost: $12

The Bible Uncensored - 11 weeks - The study will examine some of the most scandalous stories found in the Bible and ask why, exactly, were these stories included in the Bible? What do they tell us about God and ourselves? And why is it that most Christians have never heard them? Meets on Sunday mornings. No charge

The Way of Prayer - 11 weeks - God is always offering us an invitation to be in his divine presence. This course will help you find a deeper sense of spiritual vitality and empower you to pray in new ways. This is a perfect study for preparing oneself for Lent. Meets on Wednesday evenings. Cost: $11

Invitation to Romans - An 8-week study. It would be helpful to have completed Disciple 1 or another Romans study. One of the aims of this study is to invite us into conversation around several key themes: (1) Paul’s emphasis on communal salvation; (2) the centrality of God’s righteousness; and (3) the relationship between Jews and Gentiles and the relationship of both to God. This study uses both Old and New Testament readings. Romans is a guide for living a faithful life in an age of religious pluralism. Classes are one and a half hours each. Cost is $12.

Beth Moore’s Beloved Disciple (John) - John had the God-given gift of seeing a larger picture; his love relationship with Christ profoundly influenced everything he did and wrote. He was uniquely chosen to be the recipient of the Revelation of Jesus Christ - Christ still desires to reveal Himself to His disciples today. Explore the depths of John’s relationship with Jesus Christ, and your own relationship with Christ. The class is 11 weeks, and each session is a maximum of 2 hours. Led by Jan McKaskle on Wednesdays at 6 PM and Janet Bradley on Thursdays at 9:15 AM. Cost is $20.

Mere Christianity - Do minute details seem to crowd out your basic understanding of the Christian faith? Do you ever find yourself at a loss for words in making a basic defense of your faith? Join us as we explore C.S. Lewis’ book for a 12 week study. Led by Gene Donaldson. Cost is $12.

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith - Every generation has to ask what it means to be a Christian here and now, in this place, at this time. Dialogue about Christian faith and its relevance for today using Rob Bell’s book, Velvet Elvis, as a guide. Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill, one of the fastest growing churches in American history. 7 weeks. Cost is $12. Meets Wednesdays, September 19-October 31, 6-7 PM.

Beth Moore’s Loving Well - CLASS IS NOW FULL - With her signature insight and humor, Moore describes different types of people, some easy and some difficult to love. Her message helps you to develop a better understanding of the biblical mandate to love and helps you to develop skills for loving difficult people. This study includes a 45 minute video, discussion and summer fun activities like skits. A 4-week study, 2 hours. Cost $8, includes a Loving Well journal. Wednesday 6-8 PM. If interested in another day, contact Rev. Suzanne Pruitt. We need 10+ folks to make a class. Class will begin the week of June 15.

Max Lucado’s Every Day Deserves a Chance - Suppose you’re having a tough day, and you resolve to give it a chance. You choose not to be a workaholic or worry or fume it away. Instead, you decided to give it a fair shake. You trust more. Stress less. You amplify gratitude and mute complaints. Before long, the day is done and surprisingly decent. So decent, in fact, that you resolve to give the next day the same fighting chance. In such a fashion, good lives are built...one day at a time. Lucado will help give you the tools to make that happen. A 4-week study, 1.5 hours. Cost $14. There is a Wednesday PM class and a Thursday AM class. Class will begin the week of June 15.

The Heart of Discipleship - Do you know how beloved you are by God? Do you need help in becoming more sensitive to hear the deep cries of pain and hope for those who are the least, lost, and the last of God’s children? This 6 week course and a Sunday morning experience at the Church of the Reconciler helps ground our identity and our God-given belovedness, being mentored by Jesus Christ to befriend all of his followers, experience the healing presence of God, and discover the genuine Christian community. Classes are a maximum of 2 hours. Cost is $12.

Max Lucado’s It’s Not About Me - In his book, It’s Not About Me, Max Lucado says it is time to understand that life revolves around God, not ourselves. The God he describes is neither Santa Clause nor a kindly, reassuring grandpa. He is a God of glory and holiness, eternal and unchanging. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We have but one question before each decision, “Will this glorify God?” For example, an athlete asks, “How can I play to the glory of God?” A doctor asks, “How can I treat my patients so that God will be recognized?” Our role, once we have seen God’s glory, is simply to reflect it. The class will be 4 sessions, each one hour in length. We will be covering 3 chapters each week.

Media Vaccine - This is a 6 week course in media awareness. Each week, we watch a video and discuss practical strategies for counteracting the junk values of our consumer culture. Learn how advertising distorts young men and women’s self-image, and discuss how we can create a truly Christian counter-culture.

Lenten Studies - For the six weeks before Easter, prepare for the holiday in small groups led by a Trinity pastor, meeting Sunday or Wednesday evenings during Lent. Class format has reading, reflection, discussion and prayer in small groups. They use the book Prayer Made Easy.

Finance in the Christian Life - This is a four week practical study that helps with family budgeting, planning and savings. Learn what Christian families need to know about handling their resources.

Making Love Last a Lifetime - This 8 week study offers keys to helping you develop a healthy, satisfying and successful marriage. Pastor and author Adam Hamilton draws on insights from surveys and interviews for preparation for this book; from reflections based on 15 years of counseling individuals and couples, and from his own experiences in marriage. Most importantly, he draws on insights from the Bible to help you make love last a lifetime.

Exploring the Way - A 6 week abbreviated study of the Companions in Christ Bible study. Classes meet for one hour. This course will help you to understand and deepen your relationship with God by practicing spiritual disciplines. Stories, scriptures, and exercises will help you connect your beliefs with daily experiences. It is idea both for the novice and veteran alike. 

Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself - An 11-week study based on Galatians 5:22-23 that equips believers to know and live the freedom of a fruitful, spirit-filled life. It will challenge you to pursue the only route to develop these godly character traits: an intimate relationship with the Spirit of God. Classes are 2 hours each.

Invitation to the Old Testament - An 8 week course that invites participants to listen afresh to the various narrators of stories from the Torah, the Law, the Prophets, and the Wisdom writings. Participants will gain a broad perspective of how the Old Testament clarifies God’s call in the Bible and encourages our response. 

Invitation the the New Testament - An 8 week course that covers the story of Jesus as the starting point for understanding the church’s identity and mission. The study weaves ad ialog between that story, as told by Matthew, and the other New Testament writings. You will see how the New Testament writers wrestled with the issues and implications of the story of Jesus for the formation of communities.

The Bible, God’s Revelation of Himself - This 12 week class is a very relaxed and slow-paced study of the Bible beginning with the book of Genesis. The study will help develop and encourage a deeper personal relationship with God by establishing a habit of Bible study and motivating individuals to become better disciples of Jesus Christ. Class is one hour in length. 

Beth Moore’s Believing in God - A 10 week study from the very popular and dynamic women’s leader exploring what it means to know and truly believe God instead of just believing in Him. Classes are two hours each.

The Lucy Show - This 4 week class is based on the old TV favorite, The Lucy Show.

Growing Kids God’s Way - Parenting is the most important responsibility you will ever be given, but it isn’t always simple or easy. As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be happy, responsible, respectful, and successful adults, but getting there can be a challenge. In this 14 week study, through video and discussion, you will learn skills that will enable you to become the parents your children need you to be. In a world that, at times, seems to lack common sense, we as parents must not abdicate our responsibility to raise our children to become who they were created by God to be. Classes are 1 hour in length.

Faith Seeking Understanding - This 14 week in-depth exploration of the basic beliefs of Christianity might just as easily be called, “Becoming a Thinking Christian.” If you’ve ever struggled to reconcile your intellectual understandings of the world with the Christian worldview, or if you’d simply like to go deeper in your understanding of our Christian beliefs, this class is for you. For others, this class will be a great opportunity to be challenged to think about why you believe what you believe. Classes are 1 hour in length.

Making Love Last a Lifetime - This 7 week study offers keys to helping you develop a healthy, satisfying and successful marriage. Pastor and author Adam Hamilton draws on insights from surveys and interviews for preparation for this book; from reflections based on 15 years of counseling individuals and couples, and from his own experiences in marriage. Most importantly, he draws on insights from the Bible to help you make love last a lifetime.

Other Studies

Financial Peace University

13 weeks - This course was designed by Dave Ramsey and teaches people how to get out of debt and stay out of debt, how to manage their money and resources wisely, and how to plan for the future. Each class uses Biblical principles, video, and small group discussion and accountability. Each class lasts approximately 2 hours. Begins January, 2007. For more information, visit http://www.daveramsey.com.  Cost: $90

FOUNDATIONS - Worship Ways

April 13, 20 & 27 with Dr. Andy Wolfe. No charge.

FOUNDATIONS - Bible Stuff 101

May 4, 11 & 18 with Dr. Dave Barnhart. No charge.

FOUNDATIONS - Living With Purpose

March 30 & April 6 with Rev. Tim Tatum. No charge.

FOUNDATIONS - Prayer Made Simple

March 2, 9 & 16 with Rev. Suzanne Pruitt. Cost: $8

Strengths

4 weeks - Are you interested in learning about your God-given talents, gifts, and STRENGTHS for ministry? Join us for this engaging class based on Gallop Poll research. Sunday PM and Wednesday PM. Cost: $12

Alpha Lunch

8 weeks - Do you have questions about Christianity? This course looks at questions like “Who is Jesus?” and “What about the Holy Spirit?” and others. This is an abbreviated version of our fall course, designed as a lunch-and-learn for busy individuals.  Tuesdays at 11.30am. Starts on February 19th!  Cost: $4 for lunch each Tuesday

Membership 101

At Trinity, there are three ways to become a member: making a confession of faith, transferring from another United Methodist Church, or making vows from another denomination. Before you make this important decision, we strongly encourage Membership 101 for anyone who is contemplating membership with our church family. During Membership 101, Dr. Dave Barnhart reviews the covenant that new members make: to build up the Body of Christ with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. Membership 101 happens every second Sunday of the month at 10AM in the Parlor.

Methodism 101

If you are considering membership at Trinity UMC, but are new to United Methodist traditions, we encourage you to attend Methodism 101. This 3-week class is held three times annually, and is led by Dr Andrew Wolfe. There is a total of 3 classes that make up Methodism 101, but each session is a stand-alone class. The topics of the classes are: History, Beliefs, and Practices of the UMC. Read Tidings, our weekly newsletter, for next class availability.

FOUNDATIONS - Taking Inventory - Basic Beliefs

Febrary 3, 10 & 17 with Dr. Mack Chapman. No charge.

Spiritual Gifts Workshop

This is a 4 week, discussion-based class with exercises for spirtual growth. Do you often ponder that it would be fun to get more involved around Trinity? Are you searching for the first step in finding purpose in your life and passions in your heart? Join us as we explore your God-given gifts in a small group setting. This offers a great way for new members to “plug-in” to trinity. Space is limited in this poular course.

Filling Station

This is a Bible study/support group designed for mothers with young children where the focus is on relating everyday life issues to scripture. The group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, January – May, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM. There is a nursery provided.

Alpha

If you are interested in knowing more about Christianity, or if you are visiting a Christian church for the first time, Alpha is the PERFECT course for you.  Offered every fall at Trinity UMC, Alpha is a 10-week course that covers the basic principles of our faith. Alpha is a very open and inviting environment where people are encouraged to ask questions – and no question is too controversial or too dumb!

Alpha meets at 6PM and begins the second Tuesday following Labor Day (September 11, 2007). Participants are assigned to a small group, and eat dinner together. Most nights the group watches a video and then discusses the material. Class is two hours long each week, and dinner and childcare are provided at no cost. To learn more about Alpha, visit http://www.alphausa.org.