Author: plucdotorg

Book Study Group

Join us on Tuesday afternoons this Lent as we read and discuss the book Faith After Doubt by Brian McLaren

When:
Tuesday afternoons  5:30-6:30 p.m.
March 8 through April 5
In the lougnge at Portage Lake United Church

The book is available in hardback, paperback, Kindle and audiobook. Link to Book via Amazon

From Brian McLaren—the author of A New Kind of Christianity—comes a bold proposal: only doubt can save the world and your faith.

We live in a world where the old assumptions–not least, the ones about spirituality and theology–are being challenged every day. Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year.

Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart. It’s for people who feel God is a little less real than before. It is for people who have a faith crisis in the middle of Biology 101. It is for the millions of quiet church-goers who show up Sunday after Sunday, but feel the bottom is dropping out. It is for those who dropped out of religion long ago, but still dream that there’s a way for them to be both spiritually curious and intellectually honest.

Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor, proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages—Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony—offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.

EmaiL pastor peter to let me know you are interested.
Help to purchase the book is available.

We will get the most out of our time together if you read the assigned pages prior to the discussion. 

March 8—Session 1          Preface & Introduction (6 pages)
March 15—Session 2        Part I: Your Descent into Doubt (pgs 3-58)
March 22—Session 3        Part 2: All In Doubt (pgs 59-130)
March 28—Session 4        Part 3: Life After (and With) Doubt (pgs 131-205)
April 5—Session 5         Afterword: (pgs 206-220)

Fireside Christmas Service

Join us for a Fireside Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 24. 

We will be gathering as a family (everyone is invited) in our church’s living room (that is, the lounge) where we will be warmed by the fire in the hearth. You can expect a casual gathering of under an hour, where there will be music and singing of carols, a reading of the Christmas Story, prayer, and a time for sharing our own Christmas traditions.
If you are unable to make it in person, we will be streaming via Zoom, using the same Sunday Worship link we use each week.

To help us celebrate, whether you are near or far, send me a photo of your family, a special Christmas tradition, your tree, or other Christmas decorations. I will include these in a slideshow during the service. Think of it as a kind of communal virtual christmas card for one another. Send your photos by December 23rd to have them included. Thanks to those who already shared their photos.

Finally, due to popular demand and so your season may be merry and bright, I’ve reposted last year’s Pandemic Christmas Pageant Video. Enjoy.
God’s peace to you,
Pastor Peter

If the above video isn’t working, check out the links below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JAQpGzYBgZmninQMCzaGJETbbW7kJzww/view

or here: https://www.facebook.com/PLUC.org/videos/1348150272200162/