Young Adults Schedule:
August 18, 25 & Sept. 1, 8
For all the hurt and pain we experience, you’d think we’d be better at dealing with it — but when we’re hurting, we can often find ourselves becoming angry, self-absorbed, or isolated. And it’s not just our own pain we struggle to deal with. When the people around us are hurting, our own discomfort, fear, or selfishness can prevent us from supporting each other during difficult moments.
Since pain is unavoidable, in this 4-part series, we’ll consider how we can think differently about how we can respond to pain by exploring the Old Testament stories of Job and his friends, Ruth and Naomi, Elijah and a family in need, and Hannah and Eli. Through their example, we’ll see that, when life hurts, we can move closer to each other by just being there, seeking out the right people, responding with love, and sharing our sorrows.
Sept. 15, 22, 29 & Oct. 6
We all have questions about God and our faith, but we don’t always want to talk about them. Maybe we’re afraid of being judged. Maybe we’re embarrassed we don’t have enough faith. Or maybe we know what it’s like to finally build up the courage to ask some of those interesting (and kind of scary) question out loud . . . and be met with clichéd answers and not-so-subtle hints to keep all future questions to ourselves.
But in this series, we’ll discover that having questions doesn’t mean we’re rebellious or running low on faith. When we allow ourselves to explore the questions we’ve always had but were afraid to ask, we might discover God really does have a plan, God really is with us, God really will redeem what’s gone wrong, and God really does answer prayer — but the truths behind these statements are complex, nuanced, and anything but cliché.
Oct. 13, 20, 27 & Nov. 3
Have you ever noticed how the healthiest relationships are the ones we choose to work on constantly? With our families, communities, friends, and even the people in this group – it’s way too easy to accidentally get off course and find ourselves in a misunderstanding or simply losing connection with someone we were once close with. This series may cause you to think about your closest relationships, old relationships that seem beyond repair, or new relationships you want to not only maintain but strengthen.
Connecting well with others can’t be done on cruise control, we have to be willing to put in the work required to connect . . . but what does that look like? We’re going to talk about several practical ways in which we can build better connections even in difficult situations – like when we’re struggling, let’s support each other, at all times, let’s pray for each other, when there’s conflict, let’s reconcile with each other, and when it’s not easy, let’s choose to love each other.
Nov. 10 — NO GROUP
Nov. 17, 24 & Dec. 1, 8
Christmas means family gatherings, cherished traditions, joyful memories, and new connections. But for some of us, the holidays also bring up painful memories and complicated relationships. We sing carols about Jesus’ arrival on the first Christmas bringing hope, joy, and peace, but it’s pretty clear there are still places where hope, joy, and peace aren’t quite complete.
In this 4-part series from the Old Testament prophets and New Testament Gospels, we’ll see how the arrival of the Prince of Peace on the very first Christmas began God’s big story of restoration — for us personally and for the whole world too. That’s why, even in the midst of brokenness, this Christmas can remind us that a broken world can be restored, what’s broken in us can be restored, our hope can be restored, and we have a role to playin God’s plan of restoration.
