Adult Study Groups
Find community and grow in your spiritual walk through our adult discipleship groups.
See options below for in-person and hybrid (Zoom + in-person) meetings.
How to Find and Pay for Books
Study books are on 1) shelves in the main church entrance (Door #2) and 2) the GROW Connection Tables in the Gathering Area. Entrance shelves are available Mon-Th (9a-4p), Fri (9a-1p), Sun mornings.
To pay for books, mark your envelope as “Study Books” and place in the offering plate, office, black box on the shelves, or basket on the connections table. Make checks to St. Mark’s UMC with “study books” in the memo line. You can also pay online. On the online giving page, click the box under “How would you like to allocate your donation” and select Study Books from the dropdown menu.
Themed and Short-Term Studies
Short-term studies explore specific themes (e.g., discipleship topics, spiritual growth, social justice, Advent & Lenten seasons).
Monday Evening Social Principles Study
Monday EVENINGS | 3/10-3/31 | 7:00-8:15 PM
Led by Brian White | Room B/C & Zoom
Did you know that the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church are the product of more than a hundred years of legislative decisions made by lay and clergy members of the UMC and its predecessor denominations? The official text of these principles was most recently updated by the 2024 General Conference and represents the ongoing, prayerful, and thoughtful efforts on the part of many General Conferences to speak to complex and controversial issues in the global community.
Join this study to examine your own theology and ethics and grow in your discipleship as we explore topics of The Community of All Creation, The Economic Community, The Social Community, and The Political Community. Books: free printouts provided or view PDF https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/124
Next Guided Discussion in The Living Room – Save the Date
April 27 | 10 AM | Speaker TBA | Cornerstone Commons
Mark your calendars to join our next guided discussion in The Living Room on April 27, speaker TBA when plans are finalized. In addition to the weekly informal, drop-in gathering space of The Living Room, we are occasionally offering guided discussions centered on topics requested by you! March’s talk on Home Budgeting was enjoyed by 15 attendees. These discussions take place in a small area of Cornerstone Commons, leaving plenty of space available to chat or read if you want your own downtime. The Living Room is open every Sunday during the 10AM Education & Small Groups hour as an experimental drop-in, informal gathering in Cornerstone Commons while we prepare a more permanent space. We hope to see you there! If you have suggestions of topics you’d like to see in future guided discussions, email Jennifer at grow@stmarkscarmel.org.
Wednesday Evening Lenten Study: Entering the Passion of Jesus
Wednesday EVENINGS | Feb. 26, March 12-April 2, April 16 | 6:00-7:15PM
Led by Amy Pritchard | No meetings March 5 or April 9 | Room B/C
For Lent, dive into historical and social contexts—and the risks taken for great loss or great reward—of Jesus’s final days. Jesus risked his reputation when entering Jerusalem in a victory parade and risked his life teaching in the Temple. His followers risked everything when they left behind their homes or anointed him with costly perfume. Author and scholar Amy-Jill Levine raises ethical and spiritual questions from the text and highlights how we all can face risk in our Christian experience.
The Wired Word: Weekly emails for personal study
Join the 70+ other St. Mark’s folks who receive this thought-provoking devotional.
Weekday Study Groups
Our ongoing weekday morning studies gather on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during the school year.
Wednesday AM Study: Messy People
Wednesdays, April 16-May 21 | 9:30-11 AM
Every life gets messy at times. Sometimes our messes are literal, like a house that’s easier to condemn than to clean. But sometimes messes are intangible: illness, conflict, abuse, divorce, job loss, depression, bankruptcy. This 6-week study of life lessons from imperfect Biblical heroes looks at Rahab, the Prodigal Son, Josiah, Mary, David, and Daniel—all who were messy people like us but who God used in powerful ways. This study will help us learn to thrive, not just endure, in a messy life with God’s guidance and help… and to let God turn our messes into a masterpiece.
* Study will likely meet in Room J/K unless needing to be in Cornerstone Commons to accommodate the group size.
Entering the Passion of Jesus – Lenten Study
Early AM Men’s Study, 6:30-7:30 AM
Led by Pastor Brian White | Room B/C + Online | Books $11
For Lent, dive into the historical and social context—and the risks—of Jesus’s final days before his crucifixion. Every move he made was filled with anticipation, danger, and the potential for great loss or great reward. Jesus risked his reputation when he entered Jerusalem in a victory parade and risked his life when he dared to teach in the Temple. His followers risked everything when they left behind their homes or anointed him with costly perfume. Author and scholar Amy-Jill Levine shows how the text raises ethical and spiritual questions for the reader, and how we all face risk in our Christian experience.
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
Early AM Men’s Study, 6:30-7:30 AM
Led by Pastor Brian White | Room B/C + Online | Books $9 – Books will be available by early-to-mid April
Many Christians believe our future in heaven is all that really matters, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. Through six faith-inspiring sessions in the Surprised by Hope Participant Guide, premier Bible scholar N. T. Wright brings readers inside the Scriptures to grasp the full, breathtaking hope Jesus offers the world, and hope’s impact on our lives today. Jesus called his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Our lives here and now are of tremendous consequence, and what we believe about the future has a direct impact on how we live in the present.
Thursday AM Study: Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst
Thursdays, March 27-April 3, April 17-May 8, no meeting Apr 10 | 10-11AM
Do you ever feel like your emotions are working against you—that you’re stuffing your feelings, exploding, or reacting somewhere in between? Unglued explores the emotional reactions that often lead to relationship breakdowns and personal turmoil. Lysa TerKeurst encourages readers to recognize and manage our “reaction triggers” by focusing on God’s grace and truth. Join this study for practical strategies to respond with self-control and wisdom, rather than reacting impulsively; to cultivate healthier relationships; and to find peace amidst emotional chaos. No meeting 4/10 for spring break.
Friday AM Study: How (NOT) to Read the Bible
Led by Jennifer Cloud-Buckner and Annessa Miller | Room B/C + Zoom | Books $13
Sunday Morning Small Groups & Classes
Cutting Edge
Reel Spirituality
Foundations and Friendships
The Living Room
New! After feedback from the Parent Connection Brunch and others who want different options during 10 AM on Sundays, we have begun testing a new concept called “The Living Room.” This informal, drop-in gathering is currently happening in Cornerstone Commons while we work to get a permanent place prepared.
If you don’t already have a Sunday class, you are welcome to head to Cornerstone Commons on Sundays at 10 AM. We hope this can be a space for informal connection and chatting around the tables, or where you can just BE, rest, refresh, read, listen to a podcast or have space to sit before or after your preferred worship service.
Our Family Ministry team has also staged a cart with parenting books and articles for use during The Living Room time, in case any parents would like to have some self-led discussions with each other while their kids and youth are occupied in their own peer activities. Cafe’ Conversations cards (conversation starters that have been on the cafe tables since August) will be moving down to Cornerstone Commons throughout February to become part of The Living Room.
As we grow into our 10 AM Education & Small Groups hour, we hope that it can become a time for everyone that feeds your soul with a sense of community and connection, spiritual insights, social interaction, or quiet reflection time. If you have feedback or questions about The Living Room or other 10 AM options, please contact Jennifer at grow@stmarkscarmel.org.
For more information on adult studies, please contact Jennifer Cloud-Buckner (grow@stmarkscarmel.org), St. Mark’s Adult Discipleship Coordinator.