(Adult Study)

Imagine an adolescent girl walking into the youth group room and finding a disposable cup and a large supply of art materials. She feels her stomach tighten into a knot. "Oh, no!" she thinks. "Another of those cutesy art activities. All I really want...

(Adult Study)

For many Christians, the topic of spiritual gifts raises a variety of emotions. Some feel fear or frustration, wondering if they have a gift or feeling squeezed into a mold. Yet others find freedom in discovering their spiritual gifts. They realize t...

The Importance of Confession
(Youth Study)

Ash Wednesday is the first day in the forty day season of Lent. Some traditions observe Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras) the day before Ash Wednesday. As the journey to the cross unfolds over the next forty days, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a ...

(Adult Study)

For many people, life in a monastery seems mysterious and even archaic. It's generally not something people consider or know much about unless they know someone who is a member of a monastic community. Yet in an increasingly hectic world many Roman C...

An Introduction
(Adult Study)

Walk into any big bookstore and you are likely to find a sizeable collection of books with "Celtic" in the title. They may be in the New Age, religion, poetry, or "occult" section, and chances are they are more about popular imagination than scholarl...

Ireland
(Adult Study)

Ireland has long been a cherished land for many Americans whose cultural and religious landscape has been shaped by Irish immigrants and their traditions. The growing interest in Celtic Christianity includes a renewed interest in the faith and practi...

Scotland
(Adult Study)

Fifteen years ago, most Americans hadn't heard the word Celtic let alone understand that it refers to the culture and people of lands where Celtic languages are or were spoken. This area includes not only Ireland but also Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, a...

(Adult Study)

Are children spiritual? Of course they are! They are children of God and connect with God on many levels. Our task as parents or adults in their lives is to keep that connection alive.In today's world, many children are quickly becoming as busy as ad...

(Adult Study)

Where does the idea of fasting come from? Is it a dead, archaic religious practice of the past or a historic spiritual discipline still relevant to those seeking to make space for God in our busy lives? How is fasting practiced by Christians today?Th...

(Adult Study)

Jesus said, "I am the Way." Pilgrimage invites us, literally, to follow the Way by embarking on a journey, both within and without. Whether undertaken as a spiritual exercise, an act of devotion, or a learning experience, pilgrimage is a powerful jou...

(Youth Study)

Dreams are a critical part of any young person's growth and development. Dreams can be a powerful force providing the fortitude to motivate young people to overcome tremendous obstacles or expand their potential gifts and talents.This one-session stu...

(Youth Study)

What is the "Valley of Dry Bones" (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and what does it have to do with youth today? How do the normal but painful periods of dryness in adolescents' lives connect with the unnecessary and painful experience of a community in exile?This ...

(Adult Study)

Forgiveness goes to the heart of what we believe as Christians, and nothing is more important to our life together. Yet this topic is neither easy to conceptualize nor easy to practice in our life. Definitions of forgiveness vary, and personal unders...

(Adult Study)

What does it mean to have an attitude of thankfulness? Sure the theme of thankfulness appears often in the Bible, but what does that mean? Are Christians to appear happy even if they are not?Not at all. True Christian thankfulness is not the same as ...

(Parenting Study)

What does it mean when a teen loses interest in attending church? What should a parent do? Has our teen abandoned God? Have we failed?Many teens grew up going to church with family. It wasn't a choice and they went. Many enjoyed their church communit...