Southminster Reads 2025
Each year, the Adult Ed Committee selects a book and invites the whole congregation to read it. We then select a Sunday in September to focus on what people have gained from the book. This year’s selection is “The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World,” by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu. In a moving but very practical way, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Mpho share what they have learned about forgiving in many circumstances both as individuals and as a nation.
**We have purchased several copies of the book for the Southminster Library; if you are interested in borrowing one of these, please see Dan Rasmussen.
Click HERE to learn more about “The Book of Forgiving”.
Sunday Starters 2025 – RETURNING IN SEPTEMBER
Unit #1: Spiritual Practices for Difficult Times
Guest leader Tom Welch of the Franciscan Renewal Center will lead a 4-week class on spiritual self-care during stressful times.
Unit #2: New Insights on First Corinthians
Our resident New Testament scholar Dr. Eka Tupamahu has a new book coming out on First Corinthians, and he will join us to shed some new light on this important epistle.
Calendar:
Jan 12: Spiritual Practices #1 – Click HERE to watch.
Jan 19: Spiritual Practices #2
Jan 26: Spiritual Practices #3
Feb 2: Spiritual Practices #4
Feb 9: I Corinthians #1
Feb 16: I Corinthians #2
Feb 23: I Corinthians #3
Mar 2: I Corinthians #4
Mar 9: Art Show Sunday – NO SUNDAY STARTER
Church Library
Please remember that we have a library for your reading enjoyment and enlightenment. Stop by Room 7 to check out our collection of books on the Bible, theology, and current issues. There are also some reference works on the shelves in the Conference Room. Feel free to borrow (and return) books that you find interesting.
Previous Adult Ed Seminars 2024:
“Constantine & The Beginning of Mystical Christianity” (#1)
What caused some early Christians to head out to the desert or into the mountains to lead lives of contemplation? Pastor Scott presents some of these historic forces at work in the development of Christian mysticism. Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Feb. 18 The Desert Fathers and Mothers (#2) – Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Feb. 25 Julian of Norwich (#3) – Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Mar. 3 St. Francis and Clare of Assisi (#4) – Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Mar. 10 Dark Night of the Soul (#5) – Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Mar. 17 St. Therese of Lisieux (#6) – Click HERE to watch.
- Sunday, Mar. 24 Thomas Merton (#7) – Click HERE to watch.
Making Sense of 2024
July 14 and 21: “The Ballot and the Bible” Click HERE to watch Part 1 Click HERE to watch Part 2
Kaitlyn Schiess has written an insightful book about the role certain Bible passages have played in our country’s political discourse, from the pilgrims to today. We’ll look at some of these passages and the author’s thoughts on how they have influenced our thinking. The full title is, “The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics, and Where We Go From Here.”
July 28: “The Critical Role of Congregations in Protecting Our Diverse Democracy Against Christian Nationalists” Click HERE to watch
Kathie Huddleston will share a video from a conference she attended earlier this year and discuss issues related to the relationship between church and state.
August 4: “The Religious History of Abortion: Patriarchy and the Future of Religion” Click HERE to watch
This new book by longtime Westar scholar Bernard Brandon Scott was inspired by the Dobbs’ decision. It traces the philosophical, theological, and political roots of our present-day debate around abortion and reproductive rights. As you might guess, the word “patriarchy” comes up a few times. We’ll look at the author’s main points and hope to get a better sense of how we got here.
Bible Study on the Book of Genesis 3-part series.
First Tuesday Book Group
Adult Education leads a book study on the first Tuesday of each month with books on Social Justice and Progressive Theology. This is a drop-in club. Some people come every month, and others come when the topic or book is of particular interest. All are welcome to a time of fellowship and lively discussion for readers. Click here to view the 2023-2024 reading list PDF. You can also join our Group on Goodreads.com.
Join us on Zoom Meeting ID: 926 7484 8140 Passcode: 622600
Church Activism – Ongoing
The Adult Education and Mission Committees are working together to encourage new Southminster Activism efforts. Several will be focused on with Sunday Starter modules this year. Activism teams are Gun Violence Prevention; Climate and Environmental Justice; Women’s Health Justice; Immigration Justice; Mental Health and Criminal Justice; and Homelessness and Hunger. Watch the Southminster News for more information or to join a team.
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