Bible studies and small groups meet to help us learn more about our faith and to grow in our relationship with God and one another.
Small Groups
Since Christianity's earliest days, followers of Jesus gathered in one another's homes for meals and times of prayer. Participation in such small groups was a central part of early Methodism. That tradition continues at Highland! We encourage every disciple of Jesus to be part of a small group where you:
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- Help each other to grow and deepen his/her faith, being able to see God at work in the world around us.
- Fellowship and build a community of relationships with one another
- Take care of one another in good times and difficult times
- Serve together
Interested? Curious about groups going on at Highland and how you can participate? This fall we'll have at least five groups meeting in homes and two groups meeting at the church. Contact Rev. Janet Baucom and she'll be glad to help you get plugged in.
Curious about how we structure our small groups? Need a little guidance for a new group? Click here for more info.
Friday Morning Women's Study
Everybody Always by Bob Goff (Friday Women’s study)
Fridays 9:30 – 11:30 am
5 weeks beginning January 4
Room 202
Led by Rev. Janet Baucom (janet@highlandumc.org)
Lawyer, professor, and dynamic speaker/writer Bob Goff offers Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People to challenge us with the question: What happens when we give away love like we're made of it? This entertaining and inspiring follow-up to the New York Times bestselling phenomenon Love Does takes readers on a journey into the secret of living without fear, constraint, or worry.
Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine (Friday Women’s study)
Fridays 9:30 – 11:30 am
6 weeks beginning February 8
Room 202
Led by Rev. Janet Baucom (janet@highlandumc.org)
Amy-Jill Levine is a renowned biblical scholar and author who interweaves history and spiritual analysis to explore Jesus' most popular teaching parables, exposing their misinterpretations and making them lively and relevant for modern readers.
Monday Evening Bible Study
1 Thessalonians
Mondays 6:30 - 8 PM beginning January 14
3rd-floor Assembly Room
Led by Rev. Dr. Alan Swartz & Connie Williams
The new believers in Thessalonica had maintained their faith in the face of persecution, but they misunderstood the second coming of Christ. Hoping to correct it, the Apostle Paul sent instructions about how to live in anticipation of Christ's return. In his letter to them, 1 Thessalonians, Paul's teaching provides helpful guidance for all Christ-followers on what it means to live as a Christian in the face of an uncertain world.
Advocacy for Social Justice
Join us in February for a church-wide Sunday school series focusing on advocacy for social justice. Justice is a topic which occurs throughout the Old and New Testaments, and informed John Wesley’s ministry and Methodism. The class will discuss both and learn how doing effective social justice advocacy can be a feature of discipleship in current times.
February 3: Biblical Justice and Righteousness – Guest speaker
Justice and righteousness are two topics that occur throughout the Old and New Testaments. We will discuss how both inform our advocacy for social justice in our present day.
February 10: John Wesley’s personal and social piety – Guest speaker
John Wesley was in ministry to the poor and lower classes of the 18th Century. He was aware of structural injustices of English society, and was an advocate for those in need. We will discuss his ministry and how it has influenced Methodism in the United States.
February 17: Advocacy at church as Christian discipleship - Brian Heymans, Board of Church and Society
Church members often believe that advocating for social justice is political in a way that interferes with or is contrary to Christian religious practice. We will discuss how advocacy for social justice can be a feature of Christian discipleship.
February 24: Advocacy exercises – phone calls, letter writing, and emailing – Brian Heymans and Joe Burton
Contacting civic and governmental leadership about a particular justice issue can seem difficult and time consuming. There is also the feeling that it will not make a difference. We will talk about both and learn how to make effective messages, both written and verbal.