The Local Church

Reading: Introduction through page 36We’ll kick off the series by naming what we all bring to the Bible—our stories, experiences, assumptions, and hopes. This session sets the groundwork for reading Scripture more honestly and reflectively.A space to grow deeper, ask better questions, and seek spiritual renewal—together.For many, Scripture no longer feels like good news. It’s been used to harm, divide, and control. But what if the way we read it could lead to healing instead?Good Soil Sessions are short, focused learning groups designed to cultivate spiritual depth and wholeness. Over three sessions, on your choice of select Monday nights or Thursday mornings, we’ll gather to explore how Scripture might still offer life, justice, and renewal.This first session features Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert as our conversation partner. We're glad to provide a copy of the book if you need it.Come with curiosity. Bring your questions. Let’s dig in.

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Reading: Pages 37–110Together, we’ll examine four common ways the Bible has been misused—causing real harm in people’s lives. We’ll name these lenses honestly and reflect on their impact, opening ourselves to the possibility of something better.A space to grow deeper, ask better questions, and seek spiritual renewal—together.For many, Scripture no longer feels like good news. It’s been used to harm, divide, and control. But what if the way we read it could lead to healing instead?Good Soil Sessions are short, focused learning groups designed to cultivate spiritual depth and wholeness. Over three sessions, on your choice of select Monday nights or Thursday mornings, we’ll gather to explore how Scripture might still offer life, justice, and renewal.This first session features Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert as our conversation partner. We're glad to provide a copy of the book if you need it.Come with curiosity. Bring your questions. Let’s dig in.

After worship on Sunday, September 28, you’re invited to a church-wide meeting where you’ll hear from our leaders about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed, including information about how we’ll integrate the Evergreen property into our common life. More details to come!

Reading: Pages 37–110Together, we’ll examine four common ways the Bible has been misused—causing real harm in people’s lives. We’ll name these lenses honestly and reflect on their impact, opening ourselves to the possibility of something better.A space to grow deeper, ask better questions, and seek spiritual renewal—together.For many, Scripture no longer feels like good news. It’s been used to harm, divide, and control. But what if the way we read it could lead to healing instead?Good Soil Sessions are short, focused learning groups designed to cultivate spiritual depth and wholeness. Over three sessions, on your choice of select Monday nights or Thursday mornings, we’ll gather to explore how Scripture might still offer life, justice, and renewal.This first session features Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert as our conversation partner. We're glad to provide a copy of the book if you need it.

Do you have a poet’s heart? Are you interested in forming a small group to put prayers into poetry, perhaps as an act of resistance to worldly woes (which includes joyful living and building community!) or as a cathartic action for anxiety and grief?Susie Scott, a retired mental health counselor and poet, and Wendy Smith, an environmental educator and dabbler in poetry, invite all who are interested in writing from your heart to join others in a safe and encouraging space. The initial meeting will include introductions and deciding logistics such as meeting times and places, format of gatherings, and next steps.

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Join us on Tuesday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m. for The Local Book Club. Created for anyone who is wondering or wandering, we'll read and discuss books that connect matters of spirituality with everyday life.For our October event, we're reading *Clear* by Carys Davies.Available on Amazon, Bookshop, Audible, Libro.fm, and included free with Spotify Premium.----ABOUT THE BOOKJohn, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted a job evicting the lone remaining occupant of an island north of Scotland—Ivar, who has been living alone for decades, with only the animals and the sea for company. Though his wife, Mary, has serious misgivings about the errand, he decides to go anyway, setting in motion a chain of events that neither he nor Mary could have predicted.Shortly after John reaches the island, he falls down a cliff and is found, unconscious and badly injured, by Ivar who takes him home and tends to his wounds. “Clear chronicles the surprising bond that develops between these two men…pack[ing] a great deal of power into a compact tale” (The Wall Street Journal) about connection, home, and hope—in which John begins to learn Ivar’s language, and Ivar sees himself reflected through the eyes of another person for the first time in decades.Unfolding during the final stages of the infamous Scottish Clearances—a period of the 19th century which saw whole communities of the rural poor driven off the land in a relentless program of forced evictions—this singular novel explores what binds us together in the face of insurmountable difference, the way history shapes our deepest convictions, and how the human spirit can endure despite all odds. Moving and unpredictable, “a love letter to the scorching power of language” (The Guardian), Clear is “a jewel of a novel” (The Washington Post)—a profound and unforgettable read.----Whether you've read the book, plan to read the book, or find yourself intrigued, all are welcome to participate. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Reading: Pages 111–198In our final gathering, we’ll explore four new lenses that center Jesus, are grounded in love, and lead us toward wholeness. Come ready to imagine new ways of engaging Scripture that renew our faith and relationships.A space to grow deeper, ask better questions, and seek spiritual renewal—together.For many, Scripture no longer feels like good news. It’s been used to harm, divide, and control. But what if the way we read it could lead to healing instead?Good Soil Sessions are short, focused learning groups designed to cultivate spiritual depth and wholeness. Over three sessions, on your choice of select Monday nights or Thursday mornings, we’ll gather to explore how Scripture might still offer life, justice, and renewal.This first session features Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert as our conversation partner. We're glad to provide a copy of the book if you need it.Come with curiosity. Bring your questions. Let’s dig in.

Our Pay-What-You-Can Community Feast is returning for another year in an all-new location. Mark your calendars now for Sunday, October 19, at 4:30 p.m. More info to come!

Reading: Pages 111–198In our final gathering, we’ll explore four new lenses that center Jesus, are grounded in love, and lead us toward wholeness. Come ready to imagine new ways of engaging Scripture that renew our faith and relationships.A space to grow deeper, ask better questions, and seek spiritual renewal—together.For many, Scripture no longer feels like good news. It’s been used to harm, divide, and control. But what if the way we read it could lead to healing instead?Good Soil Sessions are short, focused learning groups designed to cultivate spiritual depth and wholeness. Over three sessions, on your choice of select Monday nights or Thursday mornings, we’ll gather to explore how Scripture might still offer life, justice, and renewal.This first session features Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert as our conversation partner. We're glad to provide a copy of the book if you need it.

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Do you have a poet’s heart? Are you interested in forming a small group to put prayers into poetry, perhaps as an act of resistance to worldly woes (which includes joyful living and building community!) or as a cathartic action for anxiety and grief?Susie Scott, a retired mental health counselor and poet, and Wendy Smith, an environmental educator and dabbler in poetry, invite all who are interested in writing from your heart to join others in a safe and encouraging space. The initial meeting will include introductions and deciding logistics such as meeting times and places, format of gatherings, and next steps.

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Do you have a poet’s heart? Are you interested in forming a small group to put prayers into poetry, perhaps as an act of resistance to worldly woes (which includes joyful living and building community!) or as a cathartic action for anxiety and grief?Susie Scott, a retired mental health counselor and poet, and Wendy Smith, an environmental educator and dabbler in poetry, invite all who are interested in writing from your heart to join others in a safe and encouraging space. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves. 

Each week, we’ll have food, fellowship, games, a message just for students, and time to have fun and let students be themselves.