Thursday Morning Study Group

On Thursday mornings, people from many different churches in the area come together to study a book, Scripture, and to learn about faith together.

The current book the group is looking at is “Twelve Ordinary Men” by John MacArthur. 

A description of the book from Amazon”

You don’t have to be perfect to do God’s work. Look no further than the twelve disciples, whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Join bestselling author John MacArthur in Twelve Ordinary Men as he draws principles from Christ’s careful, hands-on training of the original disciples for today’s modern disciple, you!

Jesus chose ordinary men–fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots–and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from people who were otherwise unremarkable. The twelve disciples weren’t the stained-glass saints we imagine. On the contrary, they were truly human, all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure. Simply put, they were flawed people, just like us. But under Jesus’ teaching and touch, they became a force that forever changed the world.

MacArthur takes you into the inner circle of the disciples–their selection, their training, their personalities, and their incredible impact. As MacArthur took a closer look at the lives of the twelve disciples, he found himself asking difficult questions along the way, including:

• Why did Jesus pick each of the twelve disciples?
• How did Jesus teach them everything he could in just eighteen short months?
• Can the lessons that Jesus taught the disciples can still influence our faith today?

In Twelve Ordinary Men, you’ll learn that disciples are living proof that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. As you get to know the men who walked with Jesus, you’ll see that if he can accomplish his purposes through them, he can do the same through you.

This study is held at 9:30 every Thursday morning via a hybrid format with some gathered in the Chapel at FPC and others joining via Zoom.

Adult Study

Every Sunday following worship (around 11:15 a.m.), we have a class for anyone high school age and up who is interested in exploring Scripture, faith, and life more deeply.

We’ve studied books such as Courtney Ellis’ book “Uncluttered: Free Your Space, Free Your Schedule, Free Your Soul”. Adam Hamilton’s “24 Hours That Changed the World” (started in 2020 but had to put on pause because of Covid and resumed and finished in 2025).  N. T. Wright’s book “Matthew”. Adam Hamilton’s “The Lord’s Prayer”. Adam Hamilton’s “The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem”. Reverend Jill J. Duffield’s “Appreciate these Things, Eight ways of Cultivating Compassion”, “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus: An Advent to Christmas Pilgrimage” by Andy Langford & Ann Langford Duncan, and “Meeting Jesus on the Road: A Lenten Study”  by Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr. 

We are currently offering an adult study on “The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh” by Bruce G. Epperly.

A description of the book from Amazon:

A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh has inspired, intrigued, and engaged parents and adults, and their younger companions, for ninety years. The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh explores the spiritual dimensions of the Winnie the Pooh stories from a progressive Christian perspective. The stories of Winnie the Pooh and his friends are a gospel in miniature. Winnie and his friends reflect the many faces of following the way of Jesus with faithfulness despite our obvious foibles. Good news abounds as we discover a gentle providence for every season and challenge of life. The anxious Piglet, depressive Eeyore, micromanaging and xenophobic Rabbit, bouncy and live in the moment Tigger, meandering Pooh, the wise but foolish Owl, the immigrant Kanga and Roo, and the child facing the challenges of growing up Christopher Robin all experience the grace of interdependence, grounded in the gentle providence that guides our daily lives, and so can we as we follow the meandering pathways of divine wisdom and creativity. The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh serves as a spiritual companion to Benjamin Hoff’s Tao of Pooh and, while affirming Hoff’s Taoist perspective and its recognition of the importance of simplicity and non-attachment, it goes beyond Hoff’s text in its affirmation of God’s ever-present aim at wholeness and healing and its recognition that the good life involves the interplay of the immediacy of the Tao and the creative wisdom of Divinity. The story as a whole is a parable of grace, interdependence, acceptance, and self-discovery. It is about innocence experienced, innocence lost, and innocence rediscovered, and the possibility that we can cultivate simplicity in the complicated world of growing up. The characters from A.A. Milne invite us to understand the wanderings of Jesus and his disciples in a new way. Each character uniquely lives out a holy adventure and presents parables of holiness in everyday life. In reading the pages of this book, we will find a pathway through the wilderness of life and awaken to a world of wonders. The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh provides a way for parents and grandparents to share the spiritual dimensions of Winnie the Pooh with children and grandchildren and help children experience their gifts.

Occasional Studies

From time to time, another study will begin for all people in the church. One such study was The Faith of a Mockingbird, which took a look at four characters from Harper Lee’s novel and discovered what we might learn from those characters as we seek to become like Christ.

Another study was Matt Rawle’s “The Grace of Les Misérables” which dives into six ideals found in the story—grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope—each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect and relatable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together (perhaps even in spite of each other) out in the world.

The group also did a short three week study on The Nicene Creed because 2025 marked 1700 Years of the Creed being formed. Using the Nicene Creed itself from the PCUSA Book Of Confessions (1999) and two articles about the creed from Theology Matters, which were “The Nicene Creed Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow” written by Joseph D. Small and “The Nicene Creed in Historical Context” written by Jerry Andrews. The group also compared The Nicene Creed to the Apostles’ Creed using “Glory To God: The Presbyterian Hymnal”, making for a very interesting and informative study.

These opportunities will be advertised on Facebook, via email, and in the announcements at worship. If you are interested in finding out more about any of these studies, reach out to us via the contact page or call the church at (308) 632-2131.