Christian Education
Christian education is a vital part of Church Street’s ministry in the community. Since its beginning and because of its proximity to the University of Tennessee, Church Street has been home to and attracted scholars of all types: religious and biblical leaders, historians, artists and architectural experts, community and social justice leaders, and more. Whether it is engaging with one of our Sunday School classes or attending a special lecture series or educational event, there is always something new to learn at Church Street.
This July 10, 17 & 24: Fifth Annual Summer Lecture Series
Dr. Wells shared a presentation titled, “The Limits of Secularism.” In the last decade, “nones,” or those who express no religious affiliation, are on the rise. We will examine this phenomenon and ask the questions: is America losing its religion or is it being religious differently? What do we stand to lose as a society if we no longer share a common moral framework? How might the UMC adapt to this changing reality? Dr. Wells became the twenty-second president of Emory & Henry College on July 1, 2019 after having served as the chief academic officer at three higher education institutions.
This talk examined ways to understand Christianity and Theology through the lens of someone with a disability. By exploring Disabled Culture and Disability Theology, the goal of this talk is to help church members understand how to be in relation and understand the gifts of people with disabilities. Dr. Jenkins is an Ordained Deacon out of the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and his primary ministry is as Co-Chair of the Association of Ministers with Disabilities.
Dr. Ceballos shares a presentation titled, “Blood, lineage, and purity in the lives of two Western Mediterranean Saints.” This talk will discuss the lives of two saints, one Muslim and one Christian, in sixteenth-century Morocco and Iberia. Even though they never knew each other, their lives follow parallel trajectories as the descendants of converts during a period in which bloodlines and ideas about purity had become central to the making of social hierarchies north and south of the Strait of Gibraltar. She is an Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee.
Adult Education and Sunday School at Church Street
Learn more about Church Street’s Sunday School groups and adult ministries here, and click the image below to take a Sunday School interest survey if you’re new to Church Street. A member of our Education committee will be in touch with you after you submit your responses to talk with you about the best fit!
Click the image to take the Sunday school survey
Understanding Our Spiritual Gifts
Have you taken stock of your spiritual gifts? There are a few tools you can use to assess and understand who God is calling you to be! The United Methodist Church has an assessment tool online. Click here.
Our youth department has a special assessment tool as well that anyone can review and use – take the Inventory first, then apply your answers onto the Assessment tool:
Holston Conference Read Together Initiative in 2022
A New Year is an excellent opportunity to introduce a new discipline or to restore some vitality to old spiritual rhythms. Church Street UMC wants to provide you with options for spiritual development in the New Year.
Holston Conference Bishop, Debra Wallace-Padgett, is inviting you to join her in a plan to read the entire bible in one year. The reading plan, linked here, splits up the readings according to the day of the week, so that each week you read Gospel lessons, Psalms, prophets, histories, etc. Each day of the week will include chapters from different writing genres in scripture:
- Sunday – Gospel
- Monday – Law
- Tuesday – History
- Wednesday – Psalms
- Thursday – Poetry
- Friday – Prophets
- Saturday – Epistles
Beginning January 2, all subscribers to the Holston Conference “Daily Devotional” email list will receive a daily email with all of the day’s readings attached. The readings will be based on the Common English Bible (CEB).
Many “Bible in a year” plans have you read the books in canonical order, from Genesis to Revelation. Such a reading can be helpful, but it can also be challenging to stay focused. This plan will continuously give diverse readings throughout the year. Learn more from Bishop Wallace-Padgett and get more resources about this reading journey here.
Reading scripture is an act of prayer, and prayer should be enhanced and guided by scripture. As a supplement/pray guide for 2022 you can use the daily prayer resources in the back of the United Methodist Hymnal. There are short patterns for different times of day that can be found in the back of the hymnal. There are also some websites, such as methodistprayer.org that have hymns, prayers, and scripture readings included.
Education at Church Street
All are invited to join in small groups and adult education at Church Street. Click here to contact Rev. Tim Best if you need assistance in getting connected to a class or study. You have a place here!
