Join Rev. Beth Brown Shugart on the Sundays of Advent to study and prepare for this Holy Season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. “Waiting for the Light” classes will be held on Sundays, through December 22nd from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in room F204, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Scripture, poetry, and music of the season will be used to guide our study. Bring your Bible and join us!

The Men Studying Together group meets for Bible/book studies on Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F207, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. This study is led by Rev. Terry Tippens.

All are invited to join us, 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.

Simply Psalms classes will take a break for the remainder of 2024. After the Christmas and New Years holiday, Simply Psalms classes will resume on January 7th and 8th, 2025.

Come join us for Simply Psalms, a Bible study of the Book of Psalms, led by Rev. Dr. C. Kay Fuino and Rev. Beth Brown Shugart. Each week we will study one Psalm during the one-hour class. The same class will be offered twice a week:

• “Simply Psalms” Class:  Tuesday mornings, beginning January 7th, at 10:00 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• “Simply Psalms” Class:  Wednesday evenings, beginning January 8th, at 6:00 p.m. in room F207, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Upcoming class dates and Psalms are

• January 7th and 8th:  Psalm 47
• January 14th and 15th:  Psalm  48
• January 21st and 22nd:  Psalm 49
• January 28th and 29th:  Psalm 50
• February 4th and 5th:  Psalm 51
• February 11th and 12th:  Psalm 52
• February 18th and 19th:  Psalm 54
• February 25th and 26th:  Psalm 55
• March 11th and 12th:  Psalm 56
• March 18th and 19th:  Psalm 57
• March 25th and 26th:  Psalm 58
• April 1st and 2nd:  Psalm 59

For additional information, please contact Rev. Beth Brown Shugart by e-mail at

bshugart@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

A new 24-week study on the Old Testament led by Pete Fleming will begin on Tuesday, January 7, and Wednesday, January 8, 2025. This study will examine the literary and historical dimensions of the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible), probing deeply into the inner meanings of the biblical texts, especially in their Hebrew translations. It will also look in depth at the history, dating, and writing of the texts themselves, and will examine the texts’ literary and linguistic features, noting how they achieve their impact on the reader.

The Understanding the Old Testament study will utilize the Great Courses video “Understanding the Old Testament” by the late Robert Donald Miller II, who received his PhD in Biblical and Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. He taught at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., rising to Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies in the School of Theology, and was a scholar of the history, literature, religion, and archaeology of Ancient Israel in the First Temple Period.

This study will be offered on:

• Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F154, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.
• Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in room F151, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

The same class will be offered on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings, so attend whatever day works best for your schedule.

Anyone interested in participating in these classes should contact Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net, call 678-575-3761, or in person.

Women Studying Together, the Women's Thursday morning Bible study will resume on January 9th with a study of the book The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy, a study of Jonah using a text by Timothy Keller. The author has been labeled as "a C. S. Lewis for the 21st century". 

The story of Jonah seems so unlikely that it is easy to overlook it's deeper meanings. The text helps us address some big questions:

• What is my identity?
• Who is my neighbor?
• How do I react to the storms of life?
• When Jesus declares that one greater than Jonah has come, what is he saying about himself?
• What is the 'sign' of Jonah?
• Does God's mercy include 'those' people'?
  

This six-week study will begin on Thursday, January 9th, and Women Studying Together meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F154, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. After this study is completed, we will move to a different study, ending in May, 2025.   

As we study, we ask questions, search for answers, share our stories, laugh and pray together. Sometimes, we even sing! Discussion will be led by Jenny Masterson. Bring a copy of The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy, as well as your Bible and join us - all women are welcome to attend! For additional information, please contact Jenny Masterson by e-mail at jennybobm@comcast.net or call 678-591-0800.

Rev. Beth Brown Shugart invites you to read Say Yes to What’s Next by author and Duluth First UMC member Lori Allen, and then join Beth and Lori on Monday, January 27th, for a discussion of the book. Women today are facing so much uncertainty—about life and the future. For Lori Allen, business owner, breast cancer survivor, and star of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, her advice stems from the ups and downs of her personal life: from building one of the biggest and busiest bridal megasalons in the country to navigating her position in the sandwich generation and caring for a husband battling cancer during her own breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

We will meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center to discuss the book. Please contact Beth by e-mail at bshugart@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128, if you have any questions.