The Library Book Club will meet on Monday, June 22nd, at 10:00 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, to discuss The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict (writing as Heather Terrell) and Victoria Christopher Murray.

The Personal Librarian is a historical novel about Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, who was a Black woman passing as white to succeed in the early 20th-century art world. The book explores her secret identity, her rise as a powerful figure in the art and book world, and the constant struggle to protect her family and legacy in a racist society. It's a story of ambition, identity, and the lengths one must go to for success and survival.

A new small group class, utilizing Bart Ehrman’s New Insights into the New Testament Seminar for 2025, will be offered at the church on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings beginning July 7th and 8th. This class, led by Pete Fleming, features videos of ten New Testament scholars’ lectures on various aspects of the Historical Jesus Quest. Classes will meet twice weekly for ten weeks beginning July 7th and 8th:

• Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.;
• Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.

Participants may attend either class.

Video presenters include Amy-Jill Levine, Dale Allison, Elaine Pagels, Paula Fredriksen and others. Each class will view one 40-minute lecture, followed by a time of discussion. Participants are encouraged to read E.P. Sanders’s book, The Historical Figure of Jesus, which presents the basic outlines of the Historical Jesus scholarship. The book can be purchased for under $10.

Please contact Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net or Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org to register and also letting them know which day you will attend. Once the size of each class has been determined, participants will be notified of the classroom location.

Join us for a new small group class opportunity that will discuss the first five hundred years of Christianity.  This class meets twice each week for 20 weeks and participants may attend either class. Classes are held on:

• Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.
  

The subject matter will be based on Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years, a series of 20 lectures by Paula Fredriksen, Professor of Scripture Emerita at Boston University and Professor Emerita of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Dr. Fredriksen, and author of numerous books and a widely sought-after speaker, is a worldwide recognized scholar of early Christianity.  A former Catholic, Fredriksen converted to Judaism several years ago.

The class, led by Pete Fleming, will consist of 20 fifty-minute lectures by Dr. Fredriksen which will follow her latest book. Participants are not required to purchase the book, but they may wish to. Classes will be augmented with weekly summaries of the material plus optional additional readings and bibliographies.

If you would like to participate in this new study or have questions, please contact Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net or Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org. Please let them know which day of the week you will most likely be attending the class so that classroom space can be planned for.

The Women Studying Together group will take a break for the summer.  Our last class until mid-July is Thursday, June 4th.  The group will begin a new session on Thursday, July 16th.  The topic/and Bible selection will be announced later in June.  Please go ahead and mark your calendar and join us for the late summer session.

There is no book to buy, just bring your Bible and join us. We meet from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Discussion is led by Jenny Masterson. As we study, we ask questions, search for answers, share our stories, laugh and pray together. We welcome all women.

If you would like additional information, please contact Jenny Masterson by e-mail at

jennybobm@comcast.net or call 678-591-0800.

The Men Studying Together group meets for Bible/book studies on Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. This study is led by Rev. Terry Tippens. The group is currently studying the Gospel of Matthew.

All are welcome to join us, any time, and every class time will allow for individual input and group discussion. Please contact Tracy Brinker by e-mail at tbrinker@duluthumc.org or at 770-476-3776 for more information.

The Library Book Club will meet on Monday, July 20th, at 10:00 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, to discuss The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a WWII historical fiction novel about a young woman, Yona, who was kidnapped as a child and raised in the forests of Eastern Europe, learning to survive off the land. After her kidnapper dies, she encounters Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis and uses her wilderness skills to help them survive, while they teach her about love and community, all while she grapples with her past and identity. The story is inspired by true accounts of Jewish partisans and survival groups during the war.