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Beginning Sunday, July 25, we will have a new series of offerings in our small groups:

Sunday morning 11:00 – “Kingdom Community Teaching Series” with Kent Hunter

Monday morning at 10:00 and Wednesday evening at 7:00 – The “Everything Course” with David Stroud

Tuesday evening at 7:00 – “The Bible Project” with Jon and Wendy Kromrey

For further information on each of these studies, see the descriptions below.

All groups will be held in hybrid fashion, either in person (at Gloria Dei for the Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday gatherings, or Jon and Wendy’s home – check your church directory for the address) or online through Zoom. If you would like to attend a group online, please request a Zoom invite for any of the groups, specifying which one or ones (Yes, you could attend all three different offerings!) at gdlcsj.office@gmail.com. It would also be helpful if you would RSVP if you’re planning to attend in person. Call Wendy or Pastor Pat for that.

The Bible Project

Jon and Wendy Kromrey will lead Tuesday evening’s small group, at 7:00, in their home and online, featuring the Bible Project’s material. The following comes from their website at https://bibleproject.com/

BibleProject is a nonprofit ed-tech organization and animation studio that produces 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, classes, and educational Bible resources to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere.

From page one to the final word, we believe the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. This diverse collection of ancient books overflows with wisdom for our modern world. As we let the biblical story speak for itself, we believe the message of Jesus will transform individuals and entire communities.

Many people have misunderstood the Bible as a collection of inspirational quotes or a divine instruction manual dropped from heaven. Most of us gravitate toward sections we enjoy while avoiding parts that are confusing or even disturbing.

Our Bible resources help people experience the Bible in a way that is approachable, engaging, and transformative. We do this by showcasing the literary art of the Scriptures and tracing the themes found in them from beginning to end. Rather than taking the stance of a specific tradition or denomination, we create materials to elevate the Bible for all people and draw our eyes to its unified message.

Timothy Mackie and Jonathan Collins (long-time friends and one-time roommates at Multnomah University) were tossing around ideas on how to help people read through Scripture while avoiding the common pitfalls and misunderstandings. How could complex themes of the Bible be presented in a way that was real and unapologetic but approachable?

Combining Tim’s deep biblical understanding and Jon’s passion for visual storytelling, they created their first two videos in 2014 and put them online for free.

Less than six years later, we have over 150 videos and 200 podcasts, which can all be viewed on our website, The Bible App, YouTube, Vimeo, and more. We have over 100 million views across all of our media channels in over 200 countries, and we have over two million subscribers worldwide.

You can view a video summary at their website by scrolling down to the screen “Bible Project: Our mission is to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.” Click on the arrow for “What is BibleProject?”

Healthy Churches Thrive Kingdom Community Teaching Series with Kent Hunter

Pastor Pat welcomes you to a Healthy Churches Thrive! Kingdom Community, Sunday morning at 11:00, in person at Gloria Dei and online.

In this study we will discuss 27 Kingdom Concepts that are not new. They come from the New Testament. Some of them may seem very new to you. They may “feel” different. They may make you uncomfortable. The 27 Kingdom Concepts represent several areas where Christianity has “drifted” from the biblical culture designed by God. That biblical culture, when practiced, is powerful and effective. God’s Kingdom grows when we return to the biblical basics.

The Kingdom Concepts are major paradigm shifts – very different ways of thinking of who we are and the way we move forward as a people of God. If your Christian experience paralleled the Kingdom Concepts completely, you would not find them uncomfortable, and you would not need this Kingdom Community.

The whole point of the Healthy Churches Thrive! adventure is to restore our thinking and behavior to the biblical model God intends – which works, to impact our world. We cannot improve on God’s plan!

The Healthy Churches Thrive! adventure is not developed around what you do – not first and foremost. It is about who you are and who you become. Christianity is not the program many have made it. Authentic Christianity is a Movement. While it is normal for each of us to want to control our spiritual forward progress, it is clear that, in the Scripture, we are not in control. Our spiritual growth is the work of the Holy Spirit. The growth of the church, according to the Bible, is the work of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church. You will learn one of the Kingdom Concepts about the New Testament is a dramatic reversal to the state of most churches. You will learn God’s plan for the Christian community (called the church): low control/high accountability. This will completely change your thinking about how to operate the church. However, it also applies as to how we understand our personal growth process, as Christians

You will study biblical teaching, as it relates to Christianity that produces effective mission. You will learn, as you discuss and interact with other Christians in your community – your Kingdom Community. You will learn as the Holy Spirit guides each person. You will grow from the input from each other. This is called an “incarnational approach.” This is very different than an approach that is exclusively academic and cognitive in nature. It is also a “bottom-up” movement, allowing each of us to learn and explore, as God works in us. This is the “organic” nature of Healthy Churches Thrive! and the Kingdom Community. It reflects the tone and approach of the Christian movement reflected in the New Testament.

Offload: your biases; your assumptions; your past; your insecurities; your fears…

Let Go – Let God: grow you; renew you; challenge you; discomfort you; use you; transform you!

Everything Course: A 7 week course exploring how to play your part in the renewal of culture

Pastor Pat (Monday morning, 10:00), and with Dick and Libby Nelson (Wednesday evening 7:00), both at the church and online, will lead the Everything Course. Their website describes the material at https://www.everythingconference.org/course

As followers of Jesus, we are called to seek the renewal of our world. Whether that’s in our families, communities, work or places of study, we believe it’s part of our call to both pray for our world, and to shape our culture for the common good.

But how do we go about it?

This small group course is designed to give us both the biblical foundation and practical application for how we can all play our part in the renewal of culture.

The Everything Course explores the theme of cultural renewal, with a different focus each week. This Leaders’ guide is designed to help you run the course in a small group, and includes all the resources you will need to run each session.

Each week consists of four main parts:

Talk

Each session begins with a video of a talk, either from authors and speakers Andy Crouch and Michael Ramsden, or Everything co-founder David Stroud, in which they will outline the theme of the session.

Discussion

There are then several discussion questions based on the video, written to help the group reflect on what you’ve heard.

In Practice

This short video is an interview or talk from someone giving a practical example of how they are living out the principles featured in the session.

Prayer

We will close each session with time to reflect and guided prayer.

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