Sunday worship is just the beginning! Deepen your relationship with God and connect with others in a small group.
Weekly Groups
Tuesdays With Marc - AM
Join Pastor Marc's group of early risers on Tuesdays at 7:30 am (in person or online) for an exploration of The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's 80th birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? This book captures their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. The book study begins on September 12 and ends on December 19. Feel free to dip in and out as your schedule allows. Click here to sign up.
Tuesdays With Marc - PM
Join Pastor Marc on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm for an online exploration of Brian McLaren's Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It. Learn about a model of faith development (for yourself and your family) in which questions and doubts aren't the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful type of faith. The book study begins on September 12 and ends on December 19. Feel free to dip in and out as your schedule allows. Click here to sign up.
Theology 101
God, creation, Jesus, the cross, the Kingdom of God. What does it all mean? Join in the conversation with Dave Opderbeck and let's find out together! The group meets online on September 20 and 27, and October 4. Click here to sign up for the Zoom link.
Scripture/Sermon Discussion Group
Join us for a deeper dive into the Sunday sermon and scriptures on Sundays at 9:30 am (online or in the conference room) or Wednesdays at 11:00 am (online only). A spirited and prayerful discussion is pretty much guaranteed! Feel free to drop in anytime. Click here to sign up.
Contemplative Practices
Contemplative Practices, which includes Centering Prayer, meets on Sundays at 10:00 am in the West Side Room. Centering Prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation in which we rest silently in the presence of God. It's powerful...and easy to learn. All "levels" are welcome, including newcomers to the practice.
Monthly Groups
Circles of Trust and Group Spiritual Direction
Are you frustrated with the chatter and opinions of others that seem to fill our heads every day? How about setting aside some time each month to practice listening to your own voice, your own God-given insights? Participating in a Circle of Trust or Spiritual Direction small group will offer you this gift. Groups are created each September and meet once a month through June - both in person and via Zoom. Click here to sign up for an online Spiritual Direction orientation on Tuesday, September 12 at 7:30 pm. Click here to sign up for an online Circles of Trust orientation on September 13 at 7:30 pm.
Men's Council
Interested in learning more about Men's Council? The monthly 90-minute meetings begin in October and end in June. Council groups provide love, accountability and support for your spiritual journey, and help ensure that we stay awake to God's presence in our lives. Click here to sign up for an orientation on Thursday, September 28 at 7:00 pm in person or online.
First Thursday Women's Group
On the first Thursday of the month the women of West Side get together at a member's home and enjoy an evening of good food and conversation. It's a great opportunity to catch up with friends and make new ones! Click here to sign up for the next get-together.
Third Thursday Men's Group
On the third Thursday of the month, the guys get together at a member's home to share a meal, enjoy fellowship and build relationships across generations. Click here to sign up for the next get-together.
Retreats
Women's Fall Retreat
Join us on Saturday, November 18 for a day-long (8:30 am to 3:00 pm) retreat at West Side. With The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr as our guide, we'll explore the relationship between the seasons of the earth and the seasons of our lives through reflection, poetry, prayer, meditation and conversation. Our retreat leader will be Pastor Dale Selover, spiritual director and director of The House Next Door, a retreat center providing respite for all who hunger for a safe space and a place of grace. Women of all ages are invited to attend...and bring a friend. Click here to sign up!
Men's Retreat
In a world of taking our lives oh-so-seriously, you're invited to “return to square one and start over like children” at our Men's Retreat at the Warwick Conference Center, October 13 to 15. Consider this a permission slip to explore innocence and ruckus as pathways that support or shatter life. It’s time to shed self-defeating behaviors or beliefs that straight-jacket us from our glorious spontaneity, from abundant life, and keep us playing too small. Our leader will be Matthew Lyda, who is co-founder of Recover the Wild as well as an author, poet and spiritual director. Click here for more information and to sign up.
