Adult Education and Small Groups

Adult Education opportunities at First Parish are plentiful.

Adults at First Parish are offered a range of programs throughout the year that provide fellowship, instruction in our faith and spiritual formation. We welcome everyone who wants to examine or reexamine Christian thinking, imagining, and living, whether their religious background is long-standing or non-existent. Check our web calendar for times, dates and locations of the following programs and other opportunities to join in.

You can also call the First Parish office at 978-526-7661, ext. 1 with any questions, or e-mail pastoralassist.fpchurch@verizon.net.

Some of our on-going programs include:

Growing Together, a weekly evening gathering, usually Thursdays, for examining what it means to live a life of faith in the twenty-first century. Topics have included Values for Living Well, Daily Sacred Pauses, and a study of Philippians. This Fall the schedule included Autumn Evening Retreat: A Thoughtful Thanksgiving takes practice. Before preparing the turkey and dressing, spend some time preparing a generous serving of gratitude. On the Thursday before Thanksgiving we’ll engage in some thankful practices and spend some time in reflection and prayer. Set some time aside before the guests arrive or you hit the road!

Friday Bible Study, 3:00 in the Chapel Conference room. Four basic food groups? The food pyramid? Both of these ideas help us to understand the balance of foods we need to stay healthy. To keep our souls healthy, we need balanced nutrition, too. The worship leaders of First Parish Church draw on a list of four passages assigned to each Sunday, the “lectionary,” to maintain the balance. Our Friday Bible Study group explores each of the four passages—an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a Gospel passage, and one from the New Testament letters—each week. Participants learn about the life challenges from which each passage arose and discuss questions about the passage based on our lives today. They leave with a well-rounded diet, ready to appreciate the depth of worship on Sunday and to live a grounded life every day.

Faithful Families, a monthly support group and forum of ideas for parents. Including a recent Parents’ Potluck, featuring food, activities for the kids, and a chance for parents to talk about the ups and downs of being parents.

Soup and Conversation is held after worship several times a year. This program includes fabulous soups, a stimulating presentation, and some great conversation. In the past some of the topics covered were; The Role of Women in Early Christianity, Contemporary Innovations in the Church, A Journey through Tombstones, What Rome Thought of Christians, the History of St. Nicolas and the value of Santa for children. Most recently we had discussions with the youth who visited Germany after two years of preparation for their journey a conversation based on their experiences and reflections; a financial update by Steve Carhart which explored a Christian response to the developments in the financial crisis, and a visit by Manchester resident Steve Rosenthal with his collection of photographs he has taken of New England churches and his new book White on White.