~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 5-12: Member Dr. Ron Evens will speak on “Exploring the St. Louis hospital, clinic and urgent care center complex”. Ron has held numerous leadership roles at Washington University Medical Center and is an inspiring and brilliant commentator who knows a great deal about the history of and current issues regarding medicine in St. Louis and beyond.
January 19-26: Rev. Dr. Alan Meyers will speak to us on the topic of “How Did Jesus Become God?: A Study in Earliest Christian Thought”. Examining the recent work of New Tetament scholars Larry Hurtado, Bart Ehrman and others on the historical question on how the belief arose that Jesus is divine, at one with God in a unique sense. How did a Jewish monotheist like the apostle Paul, for example, come to believe so quickly that Jesus should be honored with divine titles (as in Philippians 2:5-11)? Dr. Meyers is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Lindenwood university and Parish Associate at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church in St. Louis.
Additional speakers in the year to come will include Art Historian, Peggy Carothers, Paul Robinson of Concordia Seminary, and Christopher Saxton about the events after the Civil War, and George Durnell on the composer Randall Thompson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 19: Continuing the series, The Way We Do the Things We Do as Presbyterians, we will look at the role of confession. Why is it that confession is good for the soul for some, and a difficult or even painful act for others? What is the purpose, what is the hope, and what is the power of this act that takes place in worship with God and with others. Dr. Karen Blanchard invites you to join her for a time of reflection, sharing of information on the role of confession and the perspectives that other faiths have on this important aspect of our relationship with God and with one another.
January 26, February 2, 9 and 23: Jani Holyan, Coordinator for Parent Education for the Clayton School District, will lead a discussion of the book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, by Jessica Lahey. Parenting today can feel full of uncertainty about how best to prepare our kids for a future we can’t always envision. Jessica Lahey, a middle school teacher and parent, uses current research about what actually helps kids to succeed. In this 4 week series, we will look at some of the following:
Parenting for Real Autonomy
Praise and Self -Esteem: What really builds motivation?
Dealing with kids’ mistakes: What’s affordable and what’s not?
Homework: How to help without taking over.
Used copies are available in the office for purchase. Please request copies by January 19.