ALO Fall 2015 FINAL

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Central Young Adults

(21-30)

Young Adult Fellowship 7:30 p.m. 1st Thursday of each month

Join this group the first Thursday of the month at 7:30pm for food, fellowship, and

faithful conversation. Members of this group range in age from about 21 to 30, though

all are welcome!

Contact Anna George Traynham ([email protected]) or see the Facebook

group "Central Presbyterian Young Adults" for more information about young adult

activities.

Adult Learning

Opportunities

Fall 2015

Robert Catterall, Chair, Adult Learning Committee

Michelle Hwang, Associate Pastor

Christian Education and Spiritual Formation

Rob Forbes, Coordinator, Ministry of Learning

Central Presbyterian Church

201 Washington St. SW | Atlanta, GA 30303

cpcatlanta.org | 404.659.0274

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First Fall Term September 20 - October 25

The Accidental Theologian: Selected Films by Clint Eastwood 9:45 a.m.

Profound issues of good and evil, life Every Sunday from

and death make the silver screen a palate Sept. 20 -Nov. 1, 2015

for theological reflection Taylor Conference Room

Class: Keystone

Leader: Gary Rowe

Rowe is a Peabody award-winning media producer with thousands of hours of

radio and television productions throughout his career. He has taught media

courses in three colleges and universities and at McAfee School of Theology.

This class is comprised of six sessions that will examine these films, in this order: Un-

forgiven, Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, American Sniper Letters from Iwo Jima, and

Hereafter. All titles are available on Netflix, as DVDs and for $2.99 as rentals through

Amazon. See how an insightful filmmaker is doing in theology. Hosted viewing parties

are encouraged.

Convener: Jean Ellen Jones can be contacted via email at [email protected]

Creation, the Garden, and Desire: A Study of Genesis 1-3 9:45 a.m.

Explore anew the stories of the creation and the Every Sunday from

unraveling of life in the Garden. Sept. 20-Oct. 4, 2015

Class: Logos Greene Room

Leader: Christine Yoder

Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary

Explore anew the ancient stories about the creation and the unraveling of life in the

Garden. We will pay particular attention to Israel's descriptions of God, humanity, and

creation in the ancient Near Eastern context, life in the Garden of Eden, and the role of

desire and its consequences.

Convener: Robert Catterall, can be reached via email at [email protected] or by

phone at 770.291.9305

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Central Men

Men at Manuel’s 7:00 p.m. 3rd Monday each month

Men of every age are invited to gather together at Manuel’s Tavern, 602 North High-

land in the “Eagle’s Nest.” Each month, Brian Bishop and friends host Central’s men

to learn, share, pray, and serve together. This is not an evening presentation to sit

through, but rather, a time to make and deepen friendships in Christ. Every 3rd Mon-

day, Central men head to Manuel’s Tavern for a delightful evening.

1st Sunday Men’s Breakfast 8:00 a.m. 1st Sunday each month

After his resurrection, Jesus prepared breakfast on the beach for his friends. Like

those disciples, we sometimes unexpectedly encounter Jesus and are lovingly nour-

ished. We men gather because we have called each other "friend." Breakfast is just a

vehicle. Location varies.

Contact: Brian Bishop at 404-307-2557 or [email protected].

Xs and Ys (30s-50s)

Thirsty Thursdays 8:00 p.m. 4th Thursday each month

Come drink, chat and relax with the Xs and Ys at Manuel’s Tavern (602 N. Highland)

the 4th Thursday of every month at 8:00 p.m. See the Facebook page “Central Pres-

byterian Xs & Ys” for other gatherings and activities.

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Welcome Lunches

On Sundays October 18 and December 6, members of Central’s staff will offer a Wel-

come Class over lunch from 12:30-2:00pm. If you are new to Central and are curious

about the mission and ministry of this church, then this gathering is for you! It is a

chance to enjoy a free lunch, meet members of the staff, get a tour of the church, and

explore opportunities to connect with the life of the congregation. Childcare is availa-

ble if needed.

For more information, contact Jamie Butcher at

[email protected] or 404.601.3152

Central Women

Rebekah Circle 11:00 a.m. 2nd Monday each month

Rebekah Circle, known in other churches as Presbyterian Women (PW), is open to all

the women of Central. The group, meeting monthly in different members' homes,

engages in Bible study using the PW Horizon's Bible Study. It also supports various

Presbyterian projects, discusses congregational cares and concerns, and enjoys fellow-

ship during lunch, to which everyone brings a sandwich.

Contact: Jane Conyers at [email protected] or 770.948.4717

Women's Studies 7:00 p.m. 3rd Thursday of the month

The Women's Studies Group explores topics of particular interest to women. Meeting

in a member’s home, this intergenerational group shares a meal before moving on to

the evening's topic of discussion. With the help of books, articles, and guest speakers,

the group discusses issues as diverse as women's health, the civil rights movement,

women's role in the political process, artistic interpretations, and women in the Bible.

For topics and locations, visit Central’s website www.cpcatlanta.org.

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The Book of Jonah: Lessons for our Fractured World 9:45 a.m.

Jonah shows us what bigotry and hatred of foreigners Every Sunday from

and enemies looks like to God. Oct. 11-25, 2015

Class: Logos Greene Room

Leader: Robert Catterall

Central member and Bible study enthusiast.

The book of Jonah uses the character of an outrageous excuse of a prophet to show

the leaders and people of Judah just how foolish they looked with their insistence on

isolationism and the exclusion of "the other." It asks the question, "If God loves the

outsider, shouldn't we?"


phone at 770.291.9305

Images of the Church in the New Testament 9:45 a.m.

Every Sunday from

Class: Sojourners Sept. 20-27, 2015

Leader: Beth Johnson The Brotherhood Room

Beth teaches New Testament at Columbia Seminary and has worshipped at

Central since 1998.

We will look at various images of the church in the New Testament--family, body, as-

sembly, flock, and so on--and ask how they inform our own sense of the church and its

life and mission.

Convener: Ed Carwile can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by

phone at 770.788.2224

http://www.cpcatlanta.org

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“Peace with Justice” 9:45 a.m.

Review of the Israel / Palestine struggle Every Sunday for the Month of October

Class: Sojourners The Brotherhood Room

Leader(s): Delegates of the May 2015 Interfaith Peace Builders, Israel/Palestine

Central delegates of the May 2015 Interfaith Peace Builders trip to Israel-Palestine will

share information, experiences and ways to learn more about the conflict, in addition

to specific ways to help do something about it. Some are simple while others are more

difficult. The complex history and politics of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict can begin to

be understood by building a framework based on both reliable data and thoughtful,

personal assessment. This is a one (1) month course that has been broken up into four

topics and which are as follows (In chronological order): Land and History, Zionists,

Occupation, and Non-violent Resistance.


phone at 770.788.2224

“Animate Faith” Series 9:45 a.m.

Imaginative exploration of Christianity’s big questions Every Sunday

introduced by contemporary theologians The Parlor

Class: Faith & Family

Leader: Mary Elizabeth (M.E.) Davis

Central Member

“Animate Faith” is a collection of innovative, artistic videos combining live action with

animation to provoke meaningful conversation about Christian topics such as Jesus,

the Church, the Cross, and the Bible. Each class will be a short video followed by a time

of private reflection and then sharing ideas. As we explore how we answer some of

Christianity’s big questions, we will consider how to share our faith with children and

other adults in our lives.

Convener: Mary Elizabeth (M.E.) Davis can be reached via email at

[email protected] or by phone 404.630.2678.

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Other Learning Opportunities

Bookworms 7:00 p.m.

4th Tuesday each Month

The Bookworms meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. with the ex-

ception of potluck meetings in September and May. On those days, they meet at 7:30

p.m.; no meeting in December. They have no set roster of members, but instead, in-

vite church members and their friends to just "show up" at a meeting when they have

read the scheduled book and want to talk with others about it. The group maintains a

schedule on the church web site and an email list to remind folks of meetings and spe-

cial book events. Readers can get on the list by contacting Jean Ellen Jones. The first

three books for this Fall are: All The Light We Cannot See, by: Anthony Doerr, The Girl

on the Treain, by: Paula Hawkins, and 1491 By Charles Mann.

Contact: Jean Ellen Jones at [email protected].

Hungry Hearts 4:00 p.m. 2nd Sunday each month

Leader: Ellen Phillips

artist and ruling elder has a certificate in Spiritual Development from Colum-

bia Theological Seminary.

The women and men in Hungry Hearts come together to support each other in our

spiritual journeys as well as to explore and learn about various aspects of Christian

spirituality. Our time together includes: centering prayer, group spiritual direction,

discussion of books or topics, good food, laughter, and the sharing of our joys and con-

cerns. We gather in various members homes at 5:00 p.m. We welcome all who would

like to join us.

To participate and/or for more information email Ellen Phillips at

[email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

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Christians and Jews: A Theological Perspective for Today's Church 9:45 a.m.

What is the relationship which God intends Every Sunday from

between Christians and Jews? Nov. 29-Dec. 13, 2015

Class: Sojourners The Brotherhood Room

Leader: George Brown

George is a long-time Central member, recently retired as President of the

Friendship Force, who is married to a Jewish woman, and who has raised two

Jewish children. He is not a theologian but will rely on the PCUSA study paper

for this course.

Christians share a common heritage with our Jewish neighbors. We speak casually

about Judeo-Christian values and pride ourselves in tolerance and acceptance of the

other faith. But do we have a theological understanding of the relationship between

Christians and Jews? This course will trace the troubled relationship between the two

faiths and offer some positive answers that are grounded in contemporary theology.


phone at 770.788.2224

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Both Fall Terms September 20- December 13

What do we mean when we say “God”? 9:45 a.m. Explore the question of how God can be spoken Every Sunday of truthfully or at least with fewer illusions OAC Conference Room clouding the discussion. Class: Issues in Theology Leader: John Huss

In his last year teaching, Convener John Huss seeks to take advantage of his

philosophical, theological, and historical training in what to him, was a 20th

Century “Golden Age” for ecumenical learning. He hopes to ignite one last set

of fireworks.

Required Text: God Without Being, By: Jean Luc-Marion ($15)

The class will seek to examine questions of an authentically and precisely “theological”

nature through the work of an avant-garde Catholic French philosopher/theologian

who seeks to approach his subject —Who, or what is God?—in light of the thought of

Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Derrida, while appropriating and seeking to surpass the

thought of Aquinas, reclaiming a sense of the primacy of theology over philosophy.

Text: God Without Being by: Jean-Luc Marion

Convener: John Huss can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at

404.351.6267

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Second Term November 1 - December 13

Advent Event, Sunday, November 22

No Sunday School Classes

Sabbath as resistance: Saying NO to the CULTURE OF NOW 9:45 a.m.

Every Sunday

Leader: Gary W. Charles The Parlor

Based on a new book of the same title by Old Testament scholar and theologian, Wal-

ter Brueggemann, this course will attempt to reclaim the Fourth Commandment from

centuries of privatized and pietistic interpretations. We will set such traditional ways to

understand “sabbath” against the idea of “sabbath” as economic and political re-

sistance, especially in our restless culture in which “our motors are set to run at brick-

making speed”. Drawing on Old Testament prophetic voices, Brueggemann argues that

work stoppage on the “sabbath” is not as much an act of personal piety as it is an act of

economic resistance to the pressures to produce and to consume. Expanding the con-

cept of “sabbath as resistance,” Brueggemann notes that “people who keep Sabbath

live all seven days differently”.

Come enjoy the musings of a modern prophet and reclaim “sabbath” as resistance!

The Book of James: Is our Faith real? Do we walk the talk? 9:45 a.m. Hear what James has to say about works of Every Sunday from mercy and love – and true faith. Nov. 1-15, 2015

Class: Logos Greene Room Leader: Robert Catterall

Central member and Bible study enthusiast.

The author of the Book of James is not in disagreement with Paul – salvation is found

solely through Christ; however, James is opposed to a popular distortion and slogan-

eering of Paul's words. At the heart of this short letter is a conviction that love of one's

neighbor fulfills the Law.


phone at 770.291.9305

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"And he was called Jesus" - The birth narratives in the Gospel of Luke

As we approach Christmas, we will focus on the 9:45 a.m. narratives of Jesus’ birth in Luke. Every Sunday from

Class: Logos Nov. 29-Dec. 13, 2015 Leader: Raj Nadella Greene Room

Assistant Professor of New Testament and Director of MATS Program, Columbia Theological Seminary.

This three-week series will look at Luke's stories about Jesus' birth and infancy within

their Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. We’ll explore the significance of those tradi-

tions for Luke's audience – ancient and contemporary – by examining the ways in

which the Lukan accounts were juxtaposed with similar stories in those two contexts.


phone at 770.291.9305

Theologies of Disability: Fresh Perspectives and Practical Implications

9:45 a.m. Every Sunday from

Class: Sojourners Nov. 1-15, 2015 Leader: Jamie Butcher The Brotherhood Room Join us to explore theologies of disability. We will hear fresh perspectives from noted

scholars and consider practical implications for ministry. Learn from the insights of

Jean Vanier, Nancy Eisland, Eric Carter, Stanley Hauweras, and Henri Nouwen who

bring fresh perspectives on life in community, creation in the “image of God,” and

Christian discipleship. Share your own stories of limitation or grief, as we consider

practical implications for hospitality.

I. Background

II. Define

III. Theologies

IV. Community

V. Imago Dei

VI. Practical Implications: Two Populations

VII. Aging and Autism Spectrum

VIII. Value contributions

IX. Asked for input

X. Changing world

XI. Why does it matter? The Bible Tells US

to...

XII. We will be blessed

XIII. Community Redefined

Convener: Ed Carwile can be contacted via email at [email protected]

or by phone at 770.788.2224

ALO Fall 2015 FINAL

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