Email (or just comment on the post) Matt Gordon your group selections by the end of the day 1/23. Meeting details/specifics will be communicated to those who sign up for a group through your group leaders the week of 1/26- 1/30. Groups are for VU employees and are VU employee-led.
CO-ED GROUPS
□ Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman —led by Patrick Cox & Andy Cook
Ever wonder what a Christian is? A blunt, funny book written with both professing believers and skeptics in mind, this book explores just that—what a life following Christ really looks like and what it doesn’t look like.
□ Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges—led by Matt Gordon & Amy Starr
Adversity is hard to endure & can be even harder to understand. When our world falls apart, it is easy for our faith & our trust in God to crumble right along with our crumbling circumstances. This book explores how trust looks, even in the face of pain and suffering.
□ Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand—led by Dan O’Hearn & Matt Gordon
Louis Zamperini’s story of survival, resilience, & redemption will stretch you, inspire you, &, just maybe, challenge you to consider deeper truths. We’ll break the book (now a major motion picture) down into manageable chunks and discuss major themes & see what we can learn from Zamperini’s path of suffering, courage, & forgiveness.
□ Visionary Marriage by Rob & Amy Rienow—led by Stan Shollenbarger
This “challenging” book may call you to change your priorities, your opinions, & your life purpose . . . certainly it will affect how you view & invest in your marriage.
□ I John (Bible)—led by Tim Tallis
This ongoing group focuses on books of the Bible and encourages open and honest feedback.
□ Sierra Co-ed Group —led by Celina Mowrey & Adam Crutchfield
This group will meet at the Sierra location & will decide a book to study at its first meeting. A great group intended to create relationships that go beyond sports, weather, & news (but will hit on those too!).
□ The Book of Matthew (Bible)—led by Emily Albers, Zach Faith, Tyler Haddad, James Leach
We’ll meet together to unpack the themes of Jesus’ life from the perspective of Matthew. We won’t have all the answers, but together we’ll seek some of the answers that may be able to shape our practical day-to-day lives.
□ The Hole in Our Gospel—led by Rod Dablemont
Is faith just about going to church, studying the sacred texts and avoiding the most serious sins—or does God expect more? This book will examine what the gospel really is and what that means for those yearning to live by it.
□ Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking—led by Kathy Terlep
Often we are told to live a certain way, behave a certain way, even believe & execute our faith in a certain way. Typically that way is the one of the extrovert. But if God created me more introverted, how might I find my value in this noisy world? Perfect book for introverts or extroverts seeking to understand the introvert in their life better.
□ If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by J. Ortberg—led by Randy Raw
We will look at what it means to have the faith that Peter had when Jesus commanded him to “Come” and walk on water. If you are interested in knowing more about how to develop this level of faith, what it means to discern God’s will for your life, or are just interested in some interesting conversations, come & join us.
□ Perfecting Ourselves to Death by Richard Winter—led by Zach Hockett & Ryan Melton
This group will dissect our tendency to let perfectionism and comparison drive us into stress, frenzy, anxiety, and robs our joy. How can we turn our ambition and detail-mindedness toward the good? Come find out!
WOMEN’S GROUPS
□ Becoming Myself with Stasi Eldredge (video)—led by Sarah Hill
Freedom. Worship. Identity. All powerful words, but what do they really mean for me? This group will explore who we are as individuals, & how that knowledge will help us engage with God in our spiritual transformation.
□ Stuck with Jennie Allen (video)—led by Amy Starr & Kellie Faerber
This group will allow women (especially moms) to connect with the ways they feel “stuck” in an invisible struggle, and be able—through relationships and Scripture—to become free.
□ Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus & Marie Chapian—led by Christina Dablemont
This book ATTACKS (that’s right, ATTACKS!) wrong thinking. It will challenge the way you think about yourself, about others, and about misbelief in general, growing healthier relationships with others and God.
□ Lighthouse/Sierra Ladies Study—led by Jen Gesch, Celina Mowrey, & Jessica Nelson
This faith-based group is open to any woman & will meet in Sierra. The group will focus of growing as individuals, as coworkers, as wives, and will seek to foster positive relationships among VU women.
□ God & Alcohol (Women’s)—led by Jen Gesch & Jennifer Sutton
Have you ever wondered whether there’s room for both God & alcohol in your life? Does saying “yes” to God mean saying “no” to your favorite local brewery? (Hint: Not necessarily) This group will begin by examining what the Bible says about alcohol & then move on to conversations about what that means for our lives. (Hint: God doesn’t give out gold stars for abstaining from alcohol). Come & trade in your misconceptions for Biblical wisdom about God & alcohol.
MEN’S GROUPS
□ God & Alcohol (Men’s)—led by Craig Chval
SEE ABOVE GROUP FOR DESCRIPTION
□ Edwards on the Christian Life by D. Ortlund —led by Chris Lunn & Mark Sexton
Widely considered the greatest theologian of American history, this group will explore Edwards’ relentless passion area: God’s beauty.
□ Galatians For You by Tim Keller—led by Chris Hill, Adam Crutchfield, Jeremy Grove, and Chris Lunn
This group will read through this guide on the ever-practical book of Galatians. Keller’s insight will help connect the church of the ancient Galatians with the modern-day reader, connecting the gospel to everyday life.
□ Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis—led by Andrew Stewart
Considered the “go-to” book for dads seeking to raise boys who don’t just become “older boys,” but men, this study will give dads practical methods to raising boys with chivalry, courage, connection, &, overwhelmingly, purpose.
□ Dads Group—led by Greg Steinhoff
Calling all dads! This group is perfect for those seeking to lead and love well in the role of “father” and all that entails. Study will be determined at the first meeting.
□ Counterfeit God by Tim Keller—led by Kyle Gardner & Caleb Bales
Money. Sex. Power. These make powerful gods. Destructive ones, too. In this study, we walk in the realms of fulfillment, and consider what true fulfillment—what hope!—looks like.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
□ Biblical Basics—led by Matt Gordon
This group—perfect for seekers, skeptics, as well as those wanting to take next steps in faith—will be a 5-week journey exploring the Bible in week one, and then its over-arching themes: Creation, Fall/Sin, Redemption, Christian Ethics. This group will feature laid-back lessons on tenets of the Christian faith that will allow those outside the faith a clearer understanding of Christianity and those in the faith an opportunity for growth.
□ World Religion Series–City-sponsored led by George Frissell This group meets in room 1B of City Hall from 7 – 9 pm. Each session is a “stand alone” and will cover a different prominent world religion. A great place to learn about world faiths, see commonalities and differences, and grow in love toward others–even those with different worldviews.
□ First Tuesday Prayer—meets 7:30 AM in Echo Conference Room
This once a month meeting is a simple time of prayer for VU leadership, borrowers, and coworkers. Check the box if you would like to have reminders about this emailed to you.
□ One-On-One Session—check the box to have Matt contact you about arranging a time to sit down and talk about faith and life in a safe, comfortable manner.