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 Connection Tables in the Gathering Area. Entrance shelves are available Mon-Th (9a-4p), Fri (9a-1p), and 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.
Themed and Short-Term Studies
Short-term studies explore specific themes (e.g., discipleship topics, spiritual growth, social justice, Advent & Lenten seasons).
Walking as a Spiritual Practice: Simplicity, Nature, & Connection
All locations are TBD, pending roundabout and street closures near our usual parks.
Tuesday, June 9, 7:00 PM
Thursday, June 11, 9:00 AM
Tuesday, June 30, 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 2, 9:00 AM
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 23, 9:00 AM
Tuesday, August 18, 7:00 PM
Thursday, August 20, 9:00 AM
It’s a summer of simplicity! Sign up now to be notified of our summer 2026 walks with our popular Walking as a Spiritual Practice group, which will return for its 7th season. Join Jennifer Cloud-Buckner, Adult Discipleship Coordinator, for mindful walks in nature at your own pace.
All summer we’ll be exploring themes of simplicity and “decluttering” those things in our lives that get in the way of our connection with God, including lessons from Joshua Becker’s new book Uncluttered Faith. Becker describes minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.” What can you simplify this summer to find this kind of minimalism in your life, attention, and physical spaces? Join us in nature to consider these ideas as you reconnect with your spirit, with God, and with others.
Questions? Contact Jennifer Cloud-Buckner (grow@stmarkscarmel.org).
Weekday Study Groups: 2026
Study groups meet during the school year (Sept-May) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
NEW: Teatime Discipleship
Mondays Beginning March 9 | 9:30-10:30 AM
If you’ve skipped signing up for a Bible study because you didn’t have time for study book homework or had schedule conflicts with some study meetings, Teatime Discipleship is what you’ve been looking for! Beginning March 9 on Mondays at 9:30 AM in The Living Room (Room N), we’re keeping things simple for this informal group: just a warm beverage, time in scripture for mid-morning inspiration, and connecting with others without the prep work. There is zero pre-reading required, as we read and reflect on the topic during the session and discuss how it fits into our lives. Teatime Discipleship is a perfect fit for anyone with a busy mid-week schedule or those who need an easier way to meet people to share and grow in our faith. Bring a Bible and meet Jen Cawthorne in Room N, where you’ll find a carafe of hot water, an assortment of teas, and a chance to relax and share with others.
Amos, Hosea, & Micah by Jack R. Lundbom | Wednesday AM Study
Wednesdays, April 15-May 20 | 9:30-11 AM
Dig into key passages from three Old Testament prophets – Amos, Hosea, and Micah – who challenged people to listen to and seek God, to humbly experience God’s steadfast love, and to do justice and love mercy. After an introduction to the historical and cultural settings of these prophets, this study will help us see how these ancient voices speak to our modern times and offer a path for living out God’s call to “let justice roll down like waters.” If you were intrigued by the themes of justice and mercy in our Lenten Grace of Les Mis sermon series, try this study group before the summer break!
Extra video resources from The Bible Project – Book of Amos | Book of Hosea | Book of Micah
Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet |Men’s & Pastors’ Study Groups
Wednesdays, April 15-May 20 | Room B/C and Zoom | Books $11
TWO Sections: Men’s Bible Study, 8:00-9:00 AM | Pastors’ Bible Study, 9:30-10:30 AM
Led by Pastors Nathan Whybrew and Karla Elliott
Before summer break, the final six weeks of this study group will jump into portions of Exodus and Deuteronomy along with Pastor Adam Hamilton’s study of the life of Moses. This study explores the themes of perseverance, trust, fear, and God’s ability to use ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things—all while following Moses’s path from Egypt to Mt. Sinai, the Nile, the Red Sea, and the wilderness. To ensure a robust experience, we will incorporate extra Bible study resources on portions of Exodus for a deeper Bible study of the law and the journey toward the Promised Land while staying within our six-session timeframe.
Parables: Putting Jesus’s Stories in their Place | Thursday AM Study
Thursdays, April 16-May 21 | 10-11 AM | Led by Judy Woempner | The Living Room (Room N) | Books $14
When Jesus taught in parables, he was doing more than telling simple morality tales. His stories were grounded in the world in which he lived and his vision of the Kingdom of God. This book from author and pastor Josh Scott explores six parables that give us a window into Jesus’s message and movement, and, once they are heard in their own context, ask what they might mean for us today. Parables include: the New Wine and Wineskins, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Wedding Party, the Workers in the Vineyard, and the Wicked Tenants.
Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy | Friday AM Study
Fridays, April 17-May 15 | 9:30-11 AM | Led by Jennifer Cloud-Buckner and Annessa Miller | Room B/C and Zoom| Books $14
In a world characterized by constant noise and competing priorities, Bob Goff (bestselling author of Love Does and Everybody Always) uses his pithy storytelling style to tell deep biblical truths while inspiring readers to recapture their focus, put down the endless scrolling, and live with a joyful intentionality. What distractions drain your energy and keep you from experiencing the deep, meaningful life God intends for you? Laugh with more gusto, clear the clutter of your mind, and experience stories that are like “rumble strips on the road to make you suddenly alert to how far you may have drifted from your lane.”
Please note: there are no meetings on 4/3 (Good Friday) or 4/10 (Spring Break).
Sunday Morning Small Groups & Classes
Cutting Edge
Zoom can be available upon request
Reel Spirituality
Foundations and Friendships
The Living Room
10:00 AM in Room N
This informal, drop-in space is open every Sunday for conversation, connection, and individual down time—where you can just BE, rest, read, listen to a podcast, or sit between worship services. Each week you can find coffee, conversation starters, games, and space to relax. Occasionally, guided discussions take place in a portion of the room, leaving plenty of space to chat or read as desired (details at stmarkscarmel.org/workshops). May this be a space that feeds your soul with a sense of community and a way to refresh before the busy week. 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.