Adult Education and Spiritual Growth
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6)
Adult Spiritual Growth classes are held most Sundays
at 9:45 am in the Cindy Bolbach Meeting Room (#103).
Please join us!
Words for the Beginning | Sundays through December 29, 9:45 am to 10:45 am, in the Cindy Bolbach Meeting Room (#103)
What words and reminders do you need to start over this Christmas season? Our worship series this winter reframes the story of Jesus' birth as a new beginning for each of us. During this series, Pastor Billy will lead a weekly discussion of those themes in the companion study journal (physical and digital copies are available for free). Each week, the study journal contains artwork, readings, poetry, and songs to go deeper into the questions of renewal and rebirth. Everyone is invited to take part in this small group opportunity for spiritual reflection and growth. Email billy@fpcArlington.org to learn more.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study 8:00 am to 9:00 am on Zoom — Would you like the opportunity to explore the Bible with a small group? Everyone is welcome at this weekly online Bible study gathering led by Pastor Billy and church members. We'll look at upcoming Lectionary passages (the assigned readings for worship each week) and pay particular attention to the Scripture readings that will not be used for sermons during worship at First Presbyterian (and how they intersect with the chosen sermon texts).
Zoom login information is in each Weekly Word email.
A New View on the Parables of Jesus Fridays, 12 to 1 pm, through November 22 — Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine: Hear the parables for the first time—or with new ears. Share your interpretation. Bring your lunch to the Cindy Bolbach Meeting Room (#103). To get the one-page weekly discussion guide (including text of the parable), contact Gerry Hendershot.
Reformed Contributions to the Ecological Movement - November 20 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Professor Mark Stoll, Professor of Environmentalism and Religion at Texas Tech, will speak on the topic, “Reformed Contributions to the Ecological Movement,” on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7 pm. This is an online address to the nation with follow-up discussion. Register below to receive the link. Also check for a watch party near you.
Professor Stoll will speak in depth on his 2015 book, Inherit the Holy Mountain: Religion and the Rise of American Environmentalism. Religion has been an overlooked motivation for environmental thinking from its earliest days. Individuals with a Presbyterian and Reformed background were at one point the undisputed leaders in environmental thought, art, and action. They achieved many successes and set the stage for those who followed. How did faith energize these stalwarts in their public mission to protect the environment? Are Presbyterians still essential to the movement, yet unnoticed? Could Presbyterians ever regain the energy, clarity and leadership they once had, now that we need them the most? Will members of the Reformed faith be moved again to restore our earthly home, so that all may flourish?
First Presbyterian Church is a Sponsor of The Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington
In 2013, First Presbyterian Church became a sponsoring member of the Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington (RI). The RI is an organization that was established in 2003 "to promote understanding and awareness of the Reformed Tradition among the staff and members of Presbyterian churches located in the Washington area." Its purpose is to help the churches in this presbytery live up to one of the basic principles of the Reformed Tradition – to ensure an educated laity.
FPC Arlington has benefitted from many of the RI programs – the Confirmation Retreat, many of its classes, the annual convocation, and its Company of Teachers. As a sponsoring church of the Reformed Institute, First Presbyterian members are invited to participate in all of the RI adult education programs. RI offers half-day, one day or short series adult education formats during the year for sponsoring church members.
One member of our staff and a member of our congregation serve on the Board of Directors. As members of the Board of Directors, we are involved in determining the programs that are offered, development activities, staffing decisions, etc. We are expected to actively support the programs of the Institute by encouraging our members, friends, and community to participate in their offerings, and to take the things we learn and put them to use in our own congregation.
For more information on the Reformed Institute, visit their website at: www.reformedinstitute.org