Foundational Classes

Watch the adult Learning Opportunities page for dates and details as each class is scheduled:

Knowing Yourself

Self-awareness is a powerful tool in our spiritual growth. Using an ancient and wise assessment tool called the Enneagram, we will learn to see ourselves as we are: reflections of the divine… creatures of habit… children of God… new creations in Christ. Reading and self-reflection homework between sessions. 6 sessions, 90 minutes each. Book: The Road Back to You, by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile (InterVarsity Press, 2016). For more information on the Enneagram, see this page and the Enneagram Institute website.

Engaging the Bible

For most of us, reading the Bible is like reading a foreign language: hard to understand, hard to figure out what it means, even harder to decipher what God might be saying to us today through the Bible.

This 8-week class, 60 minutes each session, will help you learn how to understand the Bible and equip you to engage the Bible from your heart. It will help you open yourself up to the rich, meaningful wisdom that is available in this diverse collection of books, and to the powerful ways that it can impact your life by the power of the Spirit.

Learn to read scripture slowly and prayerfully, using an ancient practice called lectio divina (“sacred reading”). Be inspired to develop a regular Bible reading and reflection practice at home.

Whether you’ve been reading the Bible for 40 years or never cracked its cover, this practice is for everyone!

Prayer & Meditation Boot Camp

For those new to prayer and working toward developing a consistent personal prayer practice, try Prayer & Meditation Boot Camp.

Pastor April writes: Without a doubt, my prayer and meditation practices have been sustaining me during this season, not only to provide solace for my weary heart, but to keep me grounded in love and open to what I truly need to hear and listen to in these challenging days. When I began practicing the meditation we teach in this class on a daily basis more than 3 years ago, I found it to be transformational on every level in my life. It has literally rewired my brain for the better.

Feedback from the last 3 classes we’ve taught indicated that this was immediately applicable and accessible for folks, and everyone who finished the class had established a regular practice that they found meaningful in their lives.

So… for those of you who are looking for more tools to help you live in this world from a place of wholeheartedness, love, justice, and peace… please join us. The class is open to all. Please share with your friends – all welcome, whether connected to Hilliard UMC or not! The teachings are rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition but applicable to everyone.