A new 24-week study on the Old Testament led by Pete Fleming began 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.

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.

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.

Women Studying Together, the Women's Thursday morning Bible study resumed 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'?
  

Women Studying Together meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F207 (please note new room location), located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. After this study is completed on April 10th, we will begin a new study on April 24th.   

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.

Beginning April 24th, Women Studying Together, the Thursday morning Bible study group at the church for women, will begin a new series on the New Testament Book of Galatians. This is a six-week study, ending on May 29th. 
 
Galatians reads much like a defense of the gospel with Paul as the attorney. Why is he so concerned that the Galatians (and us) understand the purpose of the law; that we are all one in Christ; that we live by the Spirit? All the images that Paul uses portray life, abundant life, a life of freedom. With both reasoning and emotional pleading, Paul urges us to not get side-tracked by a different gospel.  But what is that different gospel that we should avoid?
 
Women Studying Together meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F207, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Discussion is led by Jenny Masterson, and there is no book to buy for this study, just bring your Bible and join us. As we study, we ask questions, search for answers, share our stories, laugh and pray together. Sometimes, we even sing! We welcome all women.
 
If you would like more information, please contact Jenny Masterson by e-mail at jennybobm@comcast.net or call 678-591-0800.

Stop by the church’s Louise McDaniel Memorial Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, and check out one of our many new titles for your Spring reading. New titles include:

• The Women by Kristin Hannah (New York Times Bestseller Adult Fiction);
• The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home by Heath Hardage Lee (Companion Book to The Women Adult Fiction);
• The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self by Beatrice Chestnut (Adult Non-Fiction);
• The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Juvenile Fiction);
• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss (Kid Fiction).
  

If the church is open, the library is open! You can also go online an access the library’s online catalog by going to https://dfum.scoolaid.net/bin/home#0. If you have any questions, please contact the library’s volunteers by e-mail at library@duluthumc.org.

Rev. Beth Brown Shugart invites you to read An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski, and then join her on Monday, April 21st, for a discussion of the book. Chronicling the lifelong friendship between a busy sales executive and a disadvantaged young boy that began with one small gesture of kindness, An Invisible Thread is a “ray of hope for a better future, as well as an assurance that love is a stronger force than injustice and inequality” (Sybrina Fulton, mother of Travyon Martin and coauthor of Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin).

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.