Normal Heights United Methodist Church - Newsletter for March 2014

Normal Heights United Methodist Church - Newsletter for March 2014
Ash Wednesday experience is this Wednesday at 7:00pm.  Childcare available for kids 3 and under!
Mark your calendars for a year of fun! Movie nights, play groups, Bible studies, community garage sales, pancake breakfasts, Kids in Community camp...we have the dates set and are ready for your company!

Pancake Breakfast this Saturday, March 8th!

Bring your friends and family and enjoy a meal with your neighbors.
We will have eggs, hot coffee, OJ, pancakes, and warm company.  See you there! 

Ash Wednesday Experience and Worship

Wednesday, March 5th at 7:00pm
Ash Wednesday is an ancient Christian observance that takes place in the time right before Easter known as Lent.  These five weeks before Easter are set aside to be a time of introspection, repentance and commitment to spiritual growth in the church, and we urge you to prepare yourself for this time by attending this service and experience. 
We will begin Lent this year by offering a special night service on Wed., March 5th at 7:00 to help you center yourself on God at the beginning of this time.  The service will be quiet, confessional and lit by candles with plenty of time for quiet meditation.  If you’ve never been to one of our evening services, this would be a great one to experience!  We’ll see you here at 7:00pm on Wed., Feb 13th in the Social Hall.

ANIMATE

"Animate" Bible Study is coming!
Mondays, March 10th - April 7th
 6:00 - 7:30pm
NEWLY ADDED- KIDS BIBLE CLASS TOO!
Something like 95% of Christians and church-goers believe that the Bible is fundamentally important for our faith.  But, how do we think about the Bible?  When we read it do we see it as a history book, a revelation direct from God, or even a collection of self-help stories?  Because how we answer these questions will have a huge effect on how we approach the Bible in our worship, personal devotions or Bible studies.
And so this March, in order to prepare us for our new weekly Bible study, we will begin a 5-week discussion class of to talk about these questions.  Using a fantastic curriculum called "Animate," we will explore how we think about the Bible.  We'll be engaged and inspired to connect with our faith, and everyone can participate in the discussion and experience. I've personally watched the discussion starters and lecturers and they are excellent! 
We will also have childcare available for kids 4 and under, AND a kids Bible component where they too will learn about what's in the Bible and how to use the Bible at their age!  We are really excited about this program and what it offers to the whole worship community!  Mark your calendars now for this class and we will see you there!  Sign-up today by emailing Pastor Brent rev.brentross@gmail.com.
If you'd like to see some clips from this series or read more, you can find it all here!
Email Pastor Brent  
NHUnited.org

Animate Bible

Overview Voices Samples shop now
Animate: Bible Animate: Bible 
Encounter scripture in new ways
Curriculum designed to reinvigorate and deepen understanding of the Bible.
Scope and Sequence
Animate: Bible is a seven-session adult exploration of the Bible. See the topics that are included in the grid below, or by downloading the full Scope and Sequence (60KB, PDF).
Canon: Mining for the Word
Eric Elnes
History: Parchment to Pixel
Phyllis Tickle
Testaments: One Story, Two Parts
Rachel Held Evans
Gospels: Unexpected Good News
Nadia Bolz-Weber
Genre: Rhythm of the Text
Jose Morales
Interpretation: Scripture Reads Us
Will Willimon
Grace: Love Is the Bottom Line
Jay Bakker
How it works
In each Animate: Bible session, the group will watch a video featuring a leading voice from the Christian faith, spend time on personal reflection and journaling, and share ideas with the group. The order of the session is up to you and what works best for your group. Session resources are available as a complete curriculum or a la carte.
Why choose Animate: Bible?
It gets people talking
Animate: Bible poses questions people really have, and then encourages participants to respond—answers aren’t included.
Eagerness to open the Bible
The curriculum is intended to help adults to have an engaging, nuanced, hopeful, and positive relationship with the sacred texts of the Bible.
Seven contemporary voices
Sessions feature perspectives from Christian thought leaders on topics such as the canon, history, testaments, gospels, genre, interpretation, and grace.
Just-right theology
Built on centrist Protestant theology, it’s not too liberal or too conservative. The sessions are thoughtful, edgy, and present interesting ideas.
Keepsake from the journey
Each session encourages participants to discuss, sketch, doodle, create, and share. The beautifully illustrated Bible Journal provides space for reflection and prayer.
Facilitators don’t need all the answers
Leaders act as a guide, bringing groups to a gallery of ideas, showing them around a bit, and letting them explore.
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Our mailing address is: 
Normal Heights United Methodist Church
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, CA 92116
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