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In addition to Sunday School, we offer several other activities in the realm of Christian education:
TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
(Weekly, 10:00–11:15am)
The group that meets every Tuesday morning is a close-knit group, but
always ready to welcome new members. Our pastor, Steve Hyde, leads the
class, with occasional assistance from Associate Pastor, Bob Turner,
other members of the class, or guest teachers from outside the
congregation. The Tuesday Morning group is known for its inquisitive
and adventurous nature, its biblical scholarship, and the group
members’ loving concern for each other. Many of our Tuesday Morning
participants stick around after the Bible study for an exercise session
and a brown bag lunch.
WEDNESDAY EVENING DINNER & PROGRAM
(Dinner at 6:00; Program at 6:45)
In
the fall and spring, our church family gathers in the middle of the
week to have dinner together, pray, and engage in study and discussion
of various topics.
In September and October, the Missions Ministry holds its annual
Fall Ethics Seminar. Recent topics have included the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, world hunger, and immigration.
The deacons lead a three- to four-week Bible study on Wednesday
evenings, sometimes in the fall and sometimes in the spring. In 2006,
the deacons led a Lenten study of Howard Thurman’s book, The Temptations of Jesus, and the Deacons’ Bible study in October 2007 looked at the subject of stewardship.
Other recent Wednesday evening programs have included a discussion of
spiritual practices members of the Ravensworth community employ to
enrich their experience of God and an exploration of relational
evangelism.
Upcoming Wednesday Evening Programs
Lenten Bible Study Series: Jesus' Last Week
For this year's Lenten study, Senior Pastor Steve Hyde and Associate Pastor Bob Turner will lead a conversation about Jesus' last week on earth as depicted in the Gospel of Mark--from his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his death and burial on Good Friday/Holy Saturday. We will look at the social, religious, and political context of Jesus' activity in Jerusalem, and consider the reasons for his execution and the meaning of his death and resurrection, both for his followers in the first century and for us today.
The study will be designed to be conversational--Steve and Bob will introduce the stories from Mark and their backgrounds, and then will invite others into the conversation to share their thoughts. We will be using Marcus Borg's and John Dominic Crossan's 2006 book, The Last Week, as a starting point, but we hope for and expect the conversation to follow its own course, depending on who is present on any given night.
In response to suggestions the Leadership Council received from their recent evaluation of RBC's Wednesday evening programs, we will be trying some different things when it comes to scheduling. Most of the sessions will still take place on Wednesday evenings, but at a later time (6:45 p.m.) and for a longer duration (75 minutes) than past Wednesday evening sessions. The Fellowship Dinners will begin at 6:00 p.m. The second session, however, will take place on Sunday evening, February 28, at 6:30 p.m. On this night, there will be no Fellowship Dinner, but coffee and desserts will be served. It is our hope that more members of the RBC community will be able to participate if we provide a variety of scheduling opportunities.
Here, then, is the schedule for the Lenten series:
- Wed, Feb 24, 6:45 p.m. -- Sunday: "Triumphal" Entry
- Sun, Feb 28, 6:30 p.m. -- Monday: Condemning the Temple
- Wed, Mar 3 -- NO STUDY (and no dinner); Commission meetings
- Wed, Mar 10, 6:45 p.m. -- Tuesday & Wednesday: Teaching and Confrontation in the Temple
- Wed, Mar 17, 6:45 p.m. -- Thursday: Supper, Betrayal, Arrest
- Wed, Mar 24, 6:45 p.m. -- Friday & Saturday: Trial, Crucifixion, Burial
We hope to see you there!
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Life Together 
