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).
Churchwide Advent Study
This Advent season, as our worship services explore “The Gift of Being Present,” we offer several opportunities to go more deeply into this theme by reading and discussing the book Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness by Amy Oden. See below for weekday study group signups and info on the Sunday Foundations & Friendships class.
Followers Made: an intensive 6-month spiritual experience
Beginning 2024
Have you been feeling God calling you to make some kind of spiritual change in your life? Perhaps in your breakthrough prayer time, you’ve been feeling nudged to change your habits, to nurture the fruit of the spirit in your life, to find some spiritual accountability, to answer a new calling, or to build your character to love all others the way Jesus did. If so, Pastor Karla has been praying for you! If this message speaks to you, may it serve to plant a seed in your heart and mind in the coming months before the invitations begin for the 2024 Followers Made course—a digital discipleship 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.
Advent Study: Right Here Right Now
Along with our “The Gift of Being Present” worship series, this study offers a refreshing break to slow down and mindfully experience God’s presence during the holiday rush of errands, to-do’s, events, and appointments. Author Amy Oden describes the roots of Christian mindfulness in Jesus’s teachings and provides step-by-step instructions to continue this historical practice in our modern Christian life. Living in God’s presence—right here, right now—deepens our faith and transforms our lives toward mercy, justice, love, and abundant life.
Thursday AM Study: Advent Study: Right Here Right Now
Along with our “The Gift of Being Present” worship series, this study offers a refreshing break to slow down and mindfully experience God’s presence during the holiday rush of errands, to-do’s, events, and appointments. Author Amy Oden describes the roots of Christian mindfulness in Jesus’s teachings and provides step-by-step instructions to continue this historical practice in our modern Christian life. Living in God’s presence—right here, right now—deepens our faith and transforms our lives toward mercy, justice, love, and abundant life.
Friday AM Study
Advent Study: Right Here Right Now
Along with our “The Gift of Being Present” worship series, this study offers a refreshing break to slow down and mindfully experience God’s presence during the holiday rush of errands, to-do’s, events, and appointments. Author Amy Oden describes the roots of Christian mindfulness in Jesus’s teachings and provides step-by-step instructions to continue this historical practice in our modern Christian life. Living in God’s presence—right here, right now—deepens our faith and transforms our lives toward mercy, justice, love, and abundant life.
Childcare is available if requested >72 hours ahead.
Sunday Morning Study Groups
Cutting Edge
Foundations and Friendships
Reel Spirituality
New Option
For more information on adult studies, please contact Jennifer Cloud-Buckner (grow@stmarkscarmel.org), St. Mark’s Adult Discipleship Coordinator.