Mid-week Bible Study
Weekday Bible Study meets year-round on Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the Speers Room of the Church House to study the upcoming Sunday’s preaching texts with one of our pastors. For more information, contact our associate pastor Rev. Emily Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org or Rev. Andrew Foster Connors, andrew@browndowntown.org.

Adult Forum
Our Adult Forum is held on Sunday mornings, from 9:45-10:45 am, September through May. Discussions address a wide range of faith-related issues, from justice to scripture, from diversity to current events. Grab a cup of coffee and join us for some stimulating conversation. We close our time together by sharing prayer concerns in small groups. We encourage all those who do not sing in the choir or teach Sunday School to attend. For more information, contact our associate pastor Rev. Emily Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org.

Discovering the Bible
This fall, we’re launching a new Adult Education class on Sunday mornings from 9:45 – 10:45 am in the parlor. This series is part of the popular Kerygma curriculum, designed to lead adults through a “big picture” tour of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and to be engaging both for those new to serious Bible Study and those with a lifelong familiarity with Scripture. Deb Milcarek, who works for our Presbytery and is a former Christian Educator, has taught from this curriculum before and volunteered to get it started here. The participant’s book is $20 (make the checks out to Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, and designate it “Adult Education-Kerygma”). If you are interested, please let associate pastor Rev. Emily Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org, before Sept. 5 so she can make sure to order enough copies.

Wednesday Nights at Brown
Wednesday Night @ Brown (WN@B) is an opportunity to gather as a community to share in a catered meal followed by prayer and educational opportunities for children and adults. Some of our past sessions for adults have included “Women in the Bible,” “Gratitude,” “Examining Our ‘Isms’,” and “Our Favorite Psalms;” in the fall of 2010, we will be exploring the role of humor in building community, ambivalent feelings about money and stewardship, and the intersection of food, faith, and justice. WN@B runs in session blocks usually of 6 weeks – two in the fall and three in the spring. This is one of the best ways to deepen your relationships with other families at Brown. For more information, contact our director of children and family ministries, Rachel Cunningham rachel@browndowntown.org

MONTHLY

Young Adult Gatherings
About once a month our young adults (20s & 30s) gather for food and fellowship at someone’s home. Our next gathering will be announced as soon as someone volunteers to host. For more information, contact our associate pastor Rev. Emily Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org.

Book Group
Those interested periodically gather to discuss how a particular book relates to our faith. All are welcome. In the past, we have discussed THE SHACK and SONGBIRDS, TRUFFLES, AND WOLVES: AN AMERICAN NATURALIST IN ITALY; for our next discussion on Sept. 19, we are reading the short stories “The Displaced Person,” “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” and “Revelation” by Southern writer Flannery O’Connor. For more information, contact our associate pastor Rev. Emily Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org.

BY REQUEST

Inquirers’ Class
Several times a year our clergy and the membership committee offer classes on what it means to reaffirm your faith and join Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church (USA) as an active member. If you are interested in exploring membership, please contact our pastor Rev. Andrew Foster Connors, andrew@browndowntown.org.

ECUMENICAL & INTERFAITH

Reclaiming the Center
This fall, the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is offering a six-session interfaith course called “Reclaiming the Center.” The cost is $60, and the dates are Tuesday mornings, 9:30-11:30 am, on Sept. 14 & 21, Oct. 12 & 19, and Nov. 9 & 16. For more information or to register, click here.

Tri-Church Series
Twice a year our clergy team up with the clergy at Corpus Christi Catholic Church and Memorial Episcopal Church around the corner to discuss our different approaches to some theological topics, such as ordination, communion, or confronting evil. Stay tuned for the topic and dates of our fall series.

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

Thinking Outside the Box
In December and January of 2009-2010, we held an Adult Forum series exploring the nature of Christian Education and generating ideas for the future. For insights into Christian Education derived from our denomination’s constitution, click here. For the results of our January Survey of interest in various ideas for expanding our adult education offerings, click here.

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Is there an opportunity for adult education and fellowship you’d like to help lead? Do you have an idea for an educational series, small group, or fellowship opportunity that you’d like to share? Contact our associate pastor Rev. Emily Rose Proctor, emily@browndowntown.org.