Faith is a walk in fellowship

In service or in fellowship, engage your faith and spiritual journey by joining one of our small groups.

Women of Faith

This group is for women who want to learn and grow in knowledge and understanding of themselves and others, deepen their faith, share their witness, and support one another through book study, discussion, and prayer.

Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month at 1:15 p.m. in the church conference room from September until May.

In April, Women of Faith will meet twice.
 
First, on Monday, April 8, they will convene in the CUMC Community Room at 1:15 p.m. to discuss chapters 13 and 14 in A Message of Hope from the Angels.
As this amazing  book study is nearing its conclusion, it is time to choose a new book for next fall. The group is open to suggestions and recommendations.

The second April meet-up will be on Monday, April 22, at 9:30 a.m., for BYO coffee.
CUMC women and friends are invited to join the informal fellowship in the CUMC
fireplace area.  Questions and R.S.V.P.'s go to Barbara Ridgely.

Men's Study Group

This group is for men who wish to develop fellowship with other faith-minded gentlemen.  Religious-oriented books are often a topic of discussion but the group is primarily focused on camaraderie.  

Meetings are held at 7:00 a.m. every Thursday at PJ Piper's Pancake House, W61 N514 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg. Coffee and/or breakfast is optional but discussion is not.

The Thursday Morning Men’s Discussion group began discussing a new book on Easter week: The Gospel of Mary Magdelene by Jean-Yves Leloup. Perhaps no figure in biblical scholarship has been the subject of more controversy and debate than Mary Magdalene. Although she is discussed in the gospels of Philip, Thomas, Peter, and in the collection of writings known as the Gnostic gospels that were rejected by the early Christian church, there is no better insight into this mysterious and influential woman than Mary's own gospel.

There are several books with this title but this one by Jean-Yves Leloup stands out because of his knowledge of apocryphal and Coptic writings, and of eastern philosophies. Leloup is a French theologian and Orthodox Christian priest. He has published a number of translations of Coptic and gnostic writings. What emerges from this important source text and commentary is a new and perhaps more accurate depiction of Mary Magdalene as the “apostle of apostles,” the one who first truly believed the nature of Christ. The gospel text and the spiritual interpretation by Leloup together reveal unique teachings of Mary that emphasize the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere.

The book about Mary Magdelene is appropriate for the season. But it is short so the men chose another that is appropriate for our times: Not in It to Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines The Church by Andy Stanley.  Is it possible to disagree politically and love unconditionally? The reaction of evangelicals to political and cultural shifts in recent years revealed what they value most. Lurking beneath our Bible-laced rhetoric, faith claims, books, commentaries in the media, and sermons are a relentless drive to WIN!

But the church is not here to win. By every human measure, our Savior lost. He lost on and with a purpose. And we are in it for something else entirely. That something else is what this book is about. The author, Andy Stanley is an acclaimed televangelist, author, and founder and senior pastor of North Point Ministries in Alpharetta, GA. In this book Andy will help us discover how to take a stand the right way, how to view politics through the lens of faith, and how the life of Jesus and his teaching applies to modern-day challenges in a fresh way.

Jesus never asked his followers to agree on everything. But he did call his followers to obey a new command: to love others in the same way he has loved us. Instead of asserting our rights or fighting for power, we need to begin asking ourselves: what does love require of me?

We invite all men to join on Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m. at PJ Piper's in downtown Cedarburg. There is lots of room at our table; come and enjoy a breakfast or just coffee as we us discuss our books and enjoy each
other’s company.

Care Connectors

Our Care Connectors group will be meeting on Monday, April 15th at
1:30PM.  We will continue our discussion on self-care focusing on when it is OK to
be selfish and ways Jesus modeled self-centeredness.

Care Connectors continue to serve our homebound and limited mobility members by arranging communion, home visits, or calls. If you know of someone who needs a connection to care, please let Pastor Lourdes know.

The Church Gals

Mary Martha and Church Gals have joined forces and now will be known
as the Church Gals. Due to people traveling in March, the Church Gals will be gettting together next in April. More details will be forthcoming.