Wednesdays at Friendship:
Wednesday nights at Friendship are about community... more intimate than our large weekend gatherings, but not as personal as a small group... it's a New Community.
Each Wednesday (except the First Wednesday, as noted below) will devote a full 90 minutes to each of the Core Communities described at the bottom of this page.
Core Communities
A Core Community concentrates on a specific area of spiritual growth; for example: studying and applying a specific book of the Bible, or learning spiritual truths and practices like prayer or how to study the Bible on your own. You will learn how to take practical steps as an apprentice of Jesus... in the company of others on the same journey.
Although you can miss a week or switch Core Communities at any time, you’ll get the most out of staying in the same one throughout the season. New Community begins at 6:30 and ends promptly at 8 PM. Childcare is provided from 6:15 through 8:15.
First Wednesday
Every First Wednesday will feature an expanded worship set, corporate prayer, and talk by one of Friendship's pastors, a special guest speaker or musical artist. Most First Wednesday's will also celebrate communion. You’ll want to make First Wednesdays a priority! Monthly, on the first Wednesday of the month 6:30-8:00 PM. Childcare provided.
New Core Communities begin January 11!
Core communities provide an opportunity to discuss a specific topic and get to know and enjoy time with friends. The following core communities begin on Wednesday, January 11:
The Good and Beautiful God -
Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows.
- with Frank & Lisa Williams.
We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true--but many are false. The most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here.
Put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. This deep, loving and transformative CORE Community will help you discover the narratives that Jesus lived by – to know the Lord he knew and the kingdom he proclaimed – and to practice spiritual exercises that will help you grow in the knowledge of our good and beautiful God.
The Good and Beautiful Life -
Putting on the Character of Christ.
- with Autry Hudson.
"I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life. We all want to be happy, and we want it all of the time." So begins James Bryan Smith in The Good and Beautiful Life. The problem is, he tells us, we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. These self-centered decisions lead us further into the vices that cause ruin: anger, lust, lying, worry and judging. Eventually we find ourselves living a beautifully packaged life of self-destruction.
Following the Sermon on the Mount, this follow-up to The Good and Beautiful God guides us to look behind these character flaws and to replace our false beliefs with Jesus' narratives about life in the kingdom of God.
The Reason for God -
Belief in an Age of Skepticism.
- with Jonathan Colwell.
With this tightly reasoned defense of faith, author Tim Keller challenges the arguments for unbelief. The claim that science has disproved religion comes in for particular scrutiny, as Keller deflects the antireligious syllogism that converts evolutionary theory into an obituary for orthodoxy. Keller even turns the tables on rationalists, adducing compelling evidence for scriptural doctrines, including the physical resurrection of Christ. He traces the modern concept of human rights back to religious roots and exposes the fragility of such rights when shorn from those roots. By recognizing the image of God in our fellow humans, we open sacred possibilities not only for redemption in the hereafter but also for social justice here and now.
This Core Community will offer a chance to explore the hardest questions about faith in the context of a caring community.
Becoming a Contagious Christian -
Naturally communicating our faith in Christ.
- with Jim Korby and Gary Burke.
Effectively communicating our faith in Christ should be the most natural thing in the world. We just need encouragement and direction. Based on the words of Jesus and flowing from the firsthand experiences of authors Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg, Becoming a Contagious Christian is a groundbreaking, personalized approach to relational evangelism.
You will discover your own natural evangelism style, how to develop a contagious Christian character, to build spiritually strategic relationships, to direct conversations toward matters of faith, and to share biblical truths in everyday language. This Core Community presents a blueprint for starting a spiritual epidemic of hope and enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel.
Scouting the Divine -
My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey.
- with Celia Jackson and Judy Roberts.
The Bible is full of clever plots and compelling stories, laced with historic insights and literary beauty. Despite its richness and depth, many of us struggle to close the gap between the ancient world and our own. What does it mean to know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd when the only place you've encountered sheep is at a petting zoo? How can you understand the promise of a land overflowing with honey when you buy yours in a bear-shaped bottle? Can you grasp the urgency of Jesus' invitation to abide in the vine when you shop for grapes at a local grocery store?
Popular author and speaker Margaret Feinberg invites you to accompany her on the spiritual adventure of a lifetime. Explore how ancient livelihoods illuminate meaningful Christian truths that apply to life today. Spend time with a shepherdess, farmer, beekeeper, and vintner who each bring fresh insights to familiar Scriptures. Scout the divine and move from just reading the Bible to entering stories that can be touched, tasted, heard, seen, smelled, and savored.
Questions? Email coregroups@friendshipumc.org or call the church office for information.