“You never outgrow your need for spiritual growth.”
Wednesday Night Live will happen Every Wednesday from January 27 to March 24.
The evening typically begins at 5 pm with a Healing Service in the Chapel followed by a light supper, provided by Gregg's, served by a volunteer team (a different team each week) in the Chapter Room. After dinner there are discussion sessions on topics including Bible study, parenting matters, stress management, and other contemporary topics. Every effort is made to end the program at 7:30 pm to allow families to return home for school night preparations.
Who’s it for? Everyone! Newcommers, Oldtimers, everyone in between, all are welcome and invited.
What’s the reason for it?
- To provide a mid-week fellowship break for parishioners
- To offer fellowship and community
- To provide a mid week spiritual lift
- To provide a time for adult education and spiritual formation
- To offer time for kids and adults to be together and enjoy each other’s company in relaxed ways at church
- To offer growth opportunities in Christian discipleship and spiritual friendship.
Background: During the Dark Ages -- from the fall of the Roman Empire and for hundreds of years thereafter – average Christian folks were illiterate, uneducated, superstitious, and apparently content to remain that way. The Christian Church went into the void and did the easy thing. They adopted the practice of treating adult Christians like children, and over time just about everyone bought into the idea that being a Christian was all only about getting your soul saved by obeying the rules and taking the sacraments – a passive and often superstitious approach to faith and Christian living.
Mind you, it wasn’t always that way. During the first few centuries of the Christian Faith, the members of the fledgling Church were encouraged to take on a much more active and personally responsible approach to faith – discipleship to Christ. They met together on a regular basis, and as a community, discussed what it meant to follow Christ in their walks of life, shared food and fellowship, and prayed for each other. In fact, not only was that how Jesus trained His first disciples, those practices became the pattern of life in each of the early Christian churches from the very start. The Book of Acts tells us that, after the first mass conversions took place on the Day of Pentecost; “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of Bread and the prayers.”
That’s what Wednesday Night Live tries to replicate – in order to strengthen each of us to follow Christ in our various walks of life. ~ Phil
What’s going to happen?
Naturally parishioners will come and go as they need to & you don’t have to take part in all activities to enjoy some of them.
5:00 – Eucharist with Healing Prayer (Chapel)What will it cost and how do I sign up?
5:45 – Dinner in the Chapter Room Please sign up by Sunday
6:30 – Breakout Groups (and childcare) (See below; watch the Sunday bulletins and The Communicant for additional offerings.)
7:30 - Homeward Bound
- Naikan with Camilla de Rochambeau leading practice
Participants at WNL will be reflecting on the events of day which just passed; individually, and in writing. This is mostly a silent meditative process with some instruction at the beginning, and the opportunity for sharing any observations, if desired, at the conclusion. Naikan was developed by Yoshimoto Ishin, a devout Buddhist of the Jodo Shinshu sect in Japan. He developed this method of introspection, or self-reflection, so that the method could be used easily by anyone.- “Beginning at the Beginning: Reflections on the Book of Genesis” Fr. Phil
This discussion group will tackle the most formative stories in the Old Testament, including the story of Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Abraham’s call and subsequent turmoil in his family, the Rivalry between Esau and Jacob, Jacob’s exile and reconciliation, Joseph: his troubles and opportunities, Moses and God’s liberation of the Hebrews. You thought soap operas had muddy relationships? Wait until you explore Genesis!- Jesus, Zits and Adolescence: An exploration of the “lost” years of Jesus’ Life Story and the developmental challenges, crisis and opportunities of the teen years. by Mike Cerullo
Initial session will present an overview of Adolescence from Psychosocial, Cognitive, and Moral Development Perspectives. Subsequent sessions will discuss excerpts from scholarly work and Scripture related to the life of “Jesus as an Adolescent”. All sessions will invite participants share and reflect on their personal experiences in meeting the fundamental Adolescent Challenges of “Individuation, Fitting In and Measuring Up”.- "Meditation without the Frills" with Jim Carlton
An 8-week introduction to a time honored stress reducer: Meditation. The hour will include discussion, practice, and critique. Learn to Meditate!
Voluntary contributions for dinner will be gratefully received.
Reserve a place for dinner no later than Monday morning, so we’ll be sure to have enough.
Sign up with Debbie at the Parish Office – 294-4357 or submit online below
No later than Monday morning of the week of the dinner please
Volunteer Teams
In order for our Wednesday Night Live community to operate, we are in need of volunteer teams to "host" each week. Usually our hosts are "regular" WNL attendees, but newcomers to the St. Paul’s community or to WNL are always welcome to host. (Hosting is a great way to meet people!) A team of two, three or four people are asked to host one Wednesday evening per season. Just one evening! The team is given advice and detailed, written instructions for guidance. The team organizes the serving tables, serves the meals, replenishes needed items, cleans up and closes the kitchen. We need hosts for this session of WNL. Just one evening per team. We look forward to sharing our Wednesday evenings with you!