Adult Education

Scott Roeder will tell us how he and his wife, Reyne’s, life changed when their son, Jackson, died by suicide seven and one-half years ago. He will describe his family’s journey with Jackson and tell us how he and his wife advocate for mental health, and suicide awareness and prevention in the Central Minnesota community.

What About Advent? We can understand and appreciate Christmas, Easter and even Lent, but what about Advent? Advent (or just the month of December) is the Hurry Up and Wait Season. What does this mean for us? How can taking time out for some active waiting help us find deeper meaning and joy at Christmas? Please come and explore this together with retired Pastor Jan Nairn leading our conversation. Join us in the southeast corner of the Fellowship Hall after worship. Coffee and treats will be waiting for you at the session so please come right in. Please join us!

Laura Douvier, Volunteer, Special Events, and Red Kettle Coordinator for the Salvation Army, will give us an inside look at the Bell Ringing tradition we are all accustomed to seeing every holiday season. What does the Salvation Army do? Who benefits from Salvation Army programs and what does the organization need to continue its work and to improve the services it provides? Join us in the southeast corner of the Fellowship Hall after worship. Coffee and treats will be waiting for you at the session so please come right in. Please join us!

Suzie Rice, Program Manager, Transitional Housing with Catholic Charities, will tell us about the SHY program, share challenges the program has encountered, and the successes she has witnessed. SHY is for homeless youth ages 16 - 24. It offers opportunities for participants to learn basic life skills that enhance independence and self-sufficiency. SHY also assists youth with housing, completing education, employment, and other resources. Come join us and bring your questions!

Loving Your Neighbor Even After the Election As we come hard upon this the 2024 election, it can seem that fear, anger, resentment, and distrust are fraying the bonds that hold us together as a republic. Well-meaning, honest people can disagree about the best way to build and maintain a city, state, and national government, but some of our neighbors, friends, and relatives (to say nothing of professional propagandists operating inside and outside of our country) are not, in fact, well-meaning or honest. How do we balance our duties to both 1) interpret people’s words and deeds in the best possible light and 2) seek and speak the truth, even if doing so is costly or dangerous? How do we live with our neighbors and relatives who want and seek different political outcomes than we do in the aftermath of this year’s election? Join your pastors and fellow Christians on November 3 to talk this through.

“Threats” since 1900: Science, communism, feminism, non-Christians Is the U.S. a Christian Nation? In this last in a series of three, Adult Education will complete its review of the history of the relationship between Christianity and the state. Has American government been, or was it intended to be, officially Christian. (Hint: The answers aren’t always simple.) Dr. Mark Jaede, a retired SCSU history professor, will present. Please join us!

Nineteenth century: Booze, slavery, and scary Catholics Is the U.S. a Christian Nation? The second in a series of three, Adult Education will continue its examination of the history of the relationship between Christianity and the state. Has American government been, or was it intended to be, officially Christian? (Hint: The answers aren’t always simple.) Dr. Mark Jaede, a retired SCSU history professor, will present. Please join us!

From colonies to the Constitution: A Christian founding? Is the U.S. a Christian Nation? In October, Adult Education will present a three-part series on the history of the relationship between Christianity and the state. Looking at three broad time periods we will consider whether American government has been, or was intended to be, officially Christian. (Hint: The answers aren’t always simple.) Dr. Mark Jaede, a retired SCSU history professor, will present. Please join us!

What it Takes to Find Your True Love, by Bonnie (Book Review) Member, Arnie Burzynski, will talk about his five-year marriage to Bonnie and developing honest relationships. He will share how he supported and inspired Bonnie while she wrote her book. Please join us for this thought-provoking session with Arnie.

Prayer: What, Why, When, Where? Member, Linda Schreiber, will explore these questions about prayer and foster discussion about our styles of prayer. Please join us and bring your questions!

Sabbatical Reflections Pastor Tim will present stories and reflections on his sabbatical tour of Italy, including his time in Venice, what he learned about the history of St. Mark’s Basilica, and reflections on the Roman Catholic liturgy he and his wife, Paula, experienced in St. Peter’s square. He will share slides of remarkable art and the stories behind the art that he witnessed in Rome. Finally, Pastor Tim will share what he learned about himself and how that has changed and refreshed his ministry. Please join Pastor Tim and his wife, Paula, for this interesting slide show and story presentation.

In his book, Losing the Will to Live, Arnie Burzynski recounts years when he experienced profound tragedies including the deaths of multiple family members; five by suicide and three due to violent car accidents. Years later, he struggled with severe depression, alcoholism, physical pain, and, on many occasions, the nearly overwhelming desire to end his own life. Yet, Arnie survived and found a path to living life successfully. He has learned to let go of the past and says that he wants to leave the world with something when he goes. Arnie wrote his book to share his story and to possibly help others overcome their struggles. Come meet Arnie and bring your questions.

“What happens after we die?” We will compare common cultural ideas about what comes after death with the testimony of scripture, particularly the promise of new life after death.

“The Process of Dying” - Centra Care Hospice director Paula Lindhorst, M.D. will join husband Pastor Tim in a discussion of the process of dying – the decisions that families face and the role faith plays in those decisions.

Have you thought about what you might like your own funeral to be? Pre-planning is a gift to your children and extended family. James Neppl provided more than 12 years of spiritual care as a hospice chaplain in Central Minnesota before joining Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes as a Pre-Planning Consultant, Resident Chaplain and Celebrant. He will facilitate a conversation in all topics related to planning your own funeral celebration. Join us in relaxed conversations, share your stories, ask questions about end-of-life, and explore the possibilities of ritual and gathering. What is meaningful to you?

Pastor John will introduce the Lenten theme of “We Know How this Ends: Aging, Dying, Death, and What Comes After.” Whether you are confronting the end of your own life or the loss of a loved one, death is a certainty of life that everyone will face. But that certainty does not mean we feel prepared to deal with death and the grief that follows. Bring your questions and insights on these topics and join our conversation.

Join Pastor Maddie Elliott, Executive Director of Luther Crest, as she leads our exploration of the profound influence that camp experiences wield in shaping resilient and faithful individuals. Discover the power of personal growth, community connection and leadership development through heartwarming stories and new research. Uncover the spiritual and moral dimensions that camp activities develop, fostering a lasting impact on values and faith. Join us and bring your questions.

Our own Alex Frederikson will tell us about her work with vulnerable adults. Alex is an Adult Protection Investigator for Stearns County Human Services. She will explain who a vulnerable adult is, the types of maltreatment that the County considers, and how to make a report involving a vulnerable adult. Alex will leave time for questions that you may have. Join us to learn about Alex’s path to her significant work and how her efforts can change the lives of vulnerable adults and their families.

Tracy Schreifels, MS, LMFT, IMH-E®, is an Infant Mental Health Clinical Mentor and Executive Director at Ellison Center. She will explore what Infant Mental Health is and how primary relationships are essential to the early years of development. Because young children’s social experiences and opportunities to explore the world depend on the love, care, and security they receive in primary relationships it is essential that we are support caregivers of young children. Ellison Center is a local nonprofit that supports the health, social, and emotional development of our little ones.

There are many options for care as we grow older. Jodi Danielson, the VP of Sales and Marketing for the Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids, has spent most of her career in senior housing and health care marketing and the past 20 years at Good Shepherd. As such she has acquired a wealth of information about senior housing resources, different levels of care, how much they cost, and how people pay for them. She is passionate about her work with older adults, promoting active aging, and connecting seniors with local resources. Join us as we learn about this crucial part of life. Knowledge is power; learning before the need arises makes sense.