Christian Education for Adults
Adult Sunday School Classes meet each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM, September through May, in the Chapel building. All classes welcome visitors, guests, and new members.
January 7 - February 11, 2024
The Seekers: Spirituality and Children’s Literature
Join us in the Seekers class as we open ourselves to spirituality and Christian themes found in children's literature. We will use picture books to explore new perspectives and build community. We'll read books about family relationships, gender, grieving, overcoming obstacles, and much more.
Led by Charles Richards | Room 201
Parent is a Verb
By request and popular demand the Parent as a Verb class will continue throughout the winter and spring! This class engages in proactive strategies and ideas for learning limits, focuses on child development and what to expect as well as how to navigate the unexpected, explores ways to connect children with church and faith life, and shares in the ways to enjoy the many different seasons of parenting. The most valuable thing that has grown out of this Sunday school class is the development of a community of parents that support one another and are able to voice their joys and struggles openly. All parents are invited and welcomed into this class. This class continues weekly through the spring until May 12.
Led by Leigh Sackett, Wade Whitehead, & others | Room 102
Discover RCPC
Discover RCPC is a way to learn more about our life together as followers of Jesus. In these gatherings, we will get to know one another better. We will learn about how and why we worship and what is distinctive about being a Reformed Church. We will learn about how Presbyterians practice their life in covenant with each other, and we will learn the story specifically of the Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church: The Church of the Open Door.
Teacher: Andrew Whaley / Room: 202
Following the 11:00 AM worship service on January 21 & 28.
After Deconstruction: Renovation, Rebuilding, Regeneration
Christian press has published a great deal of material about those coming from harmful Christian expressions who are "deconstructing" their faith. This is a process of exposing harm - physical, emotional, theological - and parsing how what (if anything) of God and the Church could possibly still matter when one's trust has been broken by church leaders and fellow Christians. Some in our church have come from this world. Lives have been stripped down and faith dismantled. I want to invite those folks together this winter, not to relive past traumas or rage against the injustices the church has perpetuated (though there are reasons and spaces for that!), but instead to see what kind of theology and life of faith might be grown out of the rubble.
January 7: God Is Jesus. Jesus is God.
January 14 The Cross as God's Self-Emptying
January 21 Relationship with God is Always Communal
January 28 Family Matters Reconfigured
February 11 Spiritual Wholeness: For Freedom Christ Has Set You Free
PLEASE NOTE: This class is ONLY for those who have been part of a community of faith in the past that has caused harm or perpetuated destructive theology. Please do not sign up for this class because the senior pastor is leading it. If you have been a lifelong mainline/Presbyterian Christian who has had a good experience of faith community, this is not a class you need to participate in. There will other opportunities for you in the future.
Email Andrew (Andrew@rcpres.org) to participate.
February 18 - March 24, 2024
The Seekers: Lenten DVD Study
Savior, What the Bible Says About the Cross
The cross is the central symbol of the Christian faith. But what exactly did Jesus do to save us from our sins? Why was the cross necessary, and what does it mean for us today? In Savior: What the Bible Says About the Cross, Magrey deVega faithfully describes the need for reconciliation between humankind and a holy God through Jesus’ death on the cross. The Bible uses many images to understand the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, and deVega guides us through these images to achieve a richer understanding of the Christian faith. By exploring the mystery of salvation through the cross, we can deepen our love for God and others and strengthen our commitment to follow Jesus.
Led by Nancy Ayling & David Dixon | Room 201
Taste and See — A Lenten Poetry Study
Journey with us in word and rhythm through the Lenten season. We will study Lenten poetry and write our own poetry for this time of repentance, reflection, renewal, and finally, out of the darkness, rejoicing!
Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
Look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be Thy feast to us the token,
That by Thy grace our souls are fed.
From Bread of the World, In Mercy Broken by Reginald Heber
Led by Leigh Sackett | Room 102
April 7 - May 12, 2024
The Seekers: Book Study
Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
In Falling Upward, Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as "falling upward." In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness. The Seekers will study this book together as they contemplate how growth and transformation is for all of God’s people, no matter where they are in life.
Led by Nancy Ayling & David Dixon | Room 201
Discover RCPC
Discover RCPC is a way to learn more about our life together as followers of Jesus. In these gatherings, we will get to know one another better. We will learn about how and why we worship and what is distinctive about being a Reformed Church. We will learn about how Presbyterians practice their life in covenant with each other, and we will learn the story specifically of the Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church: The Church of the Open Door.
Teacher: Andrew Whaley / Room: 202
During Sunday School: April 14 - May 5
Presbyterian Women
Presbyterian Women is an organization for ALL women of Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church. Our morning meetings occur during the months of September through May on the second Tuesday of every month from 10:15 AM-12:45 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Women gather to sign cards for shut-ins, collect donations for Turning Point, and leave a least coin offering for worldwide missions. The business meeting starts at 10:30 AM followed by a bible study led by Ruth Marple. This year the Bible study curriculum is Celebrating Sabbath/Accepting God's Gift of Rest and Delight. The morning ends with a time of fellowship over a delicious lunch provided by Lisa Goad. In addition to the monthly morning meetings, a nighttime or weekend women's intergenerational event is offered on a regular basis to allow bonding and fellowship with the women of the church who work, have small children at home, or cannot attend morning meetings. Those events are advertised each month.
Men of the Church
A men’s group has been meeting for several years from September through May for about an hour per week. Typically, the group is reading a book and taking time each week to check in with one another. Although most of the group attends RCPC, we have had others join us as well and they are welcome. This past year and beginning this year, we have been and will continue to meet by zoom so that we can safely gather until such time as the Covid-19 virus is less of a threat.
Young Adult Ministry
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Thursday January 25 – We will gather at Isabella & Jonathan’s new house!
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Thursday, February 22 – In this time of Lent, we will voice prayers and concerns and join with a prayer partner – place TBA
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Thursday, March 14 – Roanoke STARCADE Museum
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Friday, April 19 – Cookout – place TBA
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Saturday, May 25 – Kayaking at Carvins Cove
Adult Small Group Bible Study
The Small Group lessons are based on the Sunday sermons and scripture. Being part of a Small Group is an experience rich in personal connection and spiritual growth. Small Groups discuss what is shared in worship, therefore the experience of worship is more deeply ingrained in our minds and hearts. As we contemplate it all together the concepts take root and our faith grows! Small Groups begin the week of September 11.
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Monday 10:30 AM-12:00 PM - "The Pastor's Porch," - Andrew Whaley
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Tuesday 4:00 PM-5:30 PM - "The Parking Lot Fools," - David Dixon
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Tuesday 7:00 PM-8:30 PM - “Soul Sisters Small Group” - Emilie Biddle
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Wednesday 7:00 PM-8:30 PM - "The After Dinner Crowd," - Leigh Sackett
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Thursday 10:30 AM-12:00 PM - Elise Hansard