Adults

The Lumpkin Class is a discussion-oriented class that studies the biblical passages guided by the Revised Common Lectionary scriptures that inform Sunday worship planning. The class uses the “Connections” curriculum from Smyth & Helwys.

Four Questions: A New Class for Young Adults is a short-term option meeting for seven sessions beginning September 21 and concluding on November 21. Each Sunday, the group will explore the intersection of life and faith today using a format of four questions: A question for checking in, a sentence stem as a thought-starter about the day’s theme or issue, a “What if?,” and a “So what?” 

During the year, our pastor offers short-term studies, often coinciding with holy seasons, like Lent, Easter, and Advent, as well as in the summer. Depending on the particular study, approach and study materials range from discipleship, ethics, in-depth biblical studies, prayer, and personal spirituality. Some studies are offered online, using video introductions for reflection and discussion starters. Recent studies have included: Rowan Williams’ Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life; Amy-Jill Levine’s Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, and That You May Believe:  The Gospel of John, from the Kerygma Program.

Participants read for reflection and conversation one book for each meeting. The group reads quality fiction (Pulitzer Prize winners in some cases), biographies, autobiographies, history, current events, and whatever else may be of interest. Anyone interested in reading and joining the conversation are welcome to attend.

Examples of books read by the group in the recent past include: All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr), The Night Watchman (Elaine Erdrich), The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabel Wilkerson),  King: A Life (Jonathan Eig), Where the Light Fell: A Memoir (Philip Yancey), You’re Not Listening (Kate Murphy), Being Mortal (Atul Gawande), The Sabbath (Abraham Joshua Heschel), The Lincoln Highway (Amor Towles), The Tears of Things (Richard Rohr) and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stephenson). (An extensive bibliography covering books from the last several years is available by request. Write: bguffey@freemasonstreet.org)

The Men’s Book Group meets on the third Mondays of the month, usually at 6:30 p.m. Attend in-person or connect using Zoom (contact the church office for login credentials. Meetings typically last until about 8:00 pm and often include a light meal for those meeting in-person. Participants provide their own books.

The Faith & Creativity Class explores Christian art and the role of the Christian artist in revealing the Kingdom of God. Drawing from such resources as All That Is Made by Geoff Gentry and Bryan Ye-Chung, Art is a Way of Knowing by Pat B. Allen, and It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God, edited by Ned Bustard, and the christian.art website, this fall the class will study the Kingdom of Heaven as revealed by Jesus in the Gospels, and how we might reflect the Kingdom in artwork and in our lives. Students will experience artmaking in various media—drawing, painting, sculpture, assemblage, photography, and videography. Experience in artwork is not required—only a desire to portray that which surrounds us yet often remains unseen. 

Whether gathered for a special evening and Saturday time at Freemason Street or making extended time to get away from town, retreats offer time to discover God’s presence in silence and to join in conversation with God and friends in Christ.The natural beauty, peaceful atmosphere, and hospitality of retreat centers like Richmond Hill and Roslyn Retreat Center, both near Richmond, provide settings for day and overnight that provide a balance of silence, conversation, worship and prayer that make more meaningful living as a disciple in today’s world.

First Friday Day Retreats at Richmond Hill. Founded in 1987, Richmond Hill is an ecumenical Christian fellowship and residential community who serve as stewards of an urban retreat center within the setting of a historic monastery. The mission of the community is to seek God’s healing of Metropolitan Richmond through prayer, hospitality, racial reconciliation, and spiritual development. Also, Richmond Hill offers opportunities for individuals and small groups to come for a day, a night, or series of nights for retreat.

A good way to enter into what Richmond Hill has to offer is to join with the Christian Formation team for a First Friday Day Retreat. The day usually begins by carpool, leaving Norfolk around 7:00 a.m. and concludes with a return to the church by 5:30 p.m. Cost for the day is usually around $40, which includes lunch.

Join with women of the church as they gather in person for conversation, bible study, and prayer. The group meets on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. Join the group this fall as we study 1 Peter with open minds and lively conversations. The group meets in the Conference Room.