The Reformed Church of Bronxville

Adult Education

Let It Overflow!

This year I joined a local chapter of "Community Supported Agriculture," also known as a farm-share. Every week, from June through November, I get a big box full of whatever organic produce is in season: more quantities than I can consume- of eggplant, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, squash, and more. Each week I'm faced with a dilemma: how will I use up these cherries, what will I bake with these apricots, when will I eat these yellow plums, and what on earth will I do with scads of Swiss chard?! After baking five loaves of zucchini bread, I've had to practically beg people to take it off my hands, and after cooking six quarts of ratatouille, I've begun delivering jars of it door-to-door!

I wonder what opportunities for spiritual growth will show up on our doorsteps this fall-calling us to act, preserve, create, and give? I invite you to look at this news- letter as a "farm-share box," rather than another "should-do" list.

At our church, there are abundant offerings worth savoring, and we hope there's something in the box that catches your eye and whets your appetite. Just like the farm-share, you have to decide what you like best, and what you'll make of it. If you have recipes for prayer, pass them around. Ways to stir stress into meditation? Show us how. Scripture passages to make a meal of? Bring it here for a series we can sample together.

We need you to come and harvest the fruits of the spirit with us, and to help plant new seeds of ideas. Cultivating Christian growth does not come without intention and planning. My zeal to use up the farm box last month means I was up chopping and cooking till two in the morning for several nights in a row, but that's because I was trying to do it all. And with church offerings this year, you don't need to exhaust yourself trying to attend everything. Pick and choose what you want from the box: it will all nourish your spirit.In Adult Education, our goal is not just to learn interesting ideas, but to live transformed lives. Through small group Bible studies on Tuesdays and Fridays, through Bible scholar speakers like Deirdre Good and Phyllis Trible, through Sunday morning series on Christian history, through Yoga classes on Mondays and Fridays, and through a women's retreat with Nina Frost, we seek to grow in a love for God that overflows into a harvest of love for the world. And with this love, we will enter the fall season with wonder and promise and wide-awake faith.

Unlike my farm-share box, these fruits of spiritual growth will not rot in the refrigerator, and will provide more than temporary sustenance. These fruits will last.

-- Cari Pattison, Minister of Education

Summary of Offerings - Adult Education and Spiritual Formation

Questions or Suggestions? Call Cari at 914-337-6776, ext. 115, or e-mail cari@reformedchurch.org

Sunday Morning Speakers in the Calvin Room: 9:15-10:15am

Thought provoking speakers and topics every Sunday morning before the regular Sunday service.

Family-Targeted Tuesday!

“How to Keep Your Family Centered on God, in the Chaos of the Christmas Season”

Margaret Murtagh, Nursery School Director, on Tuesday December 6th, 9:15-10:30am in the Calvin room and Wednesday night, December 7th, 7:30-8:30pm. FREE CHILDCARE at both!

Food for Thought Book Club

Meets one evening per month, hosted by Mary Hoch at a local restaurant. Contact Mary at mchoch87@aol.com for the where and when details.

Lectio Divina Bible Study

Meets every Friday morning, 10:30am-Noon, in the Copenhaver room. An all-participatory study of the weekly sermon Scriptures. Facilitated by Cari Pattison Riley and occasional guest leaders. Lectio will not be meeting on Dec. 23 and 30

Spirit, Mind, and Body

Open-Level Yoga for All: Meets Monday mornings from 9-10:30am in the Calvin room. Taught by experienced Yoga Instructor Kate Nortz Vantucci, RYT. Cost is $15/class (childcare is $5 extra). Kate’s class is designed to challenge those who want to “take it up a notch,” while modifying for those who want a milder practice.

Christian Yoga Level One (with Christian themes and Scriptures): Meets Friday mornings from 9-10:15am in Room 400, taught by Cari Pattison Riley and other guest instructors, all of whom trained in the 9-month Yoga Haven (Tuckahoe) teacher-training program. Complete props and mats available for both classes.
$10 per class. Contact Cari for details: 914-337-6776, ext. 115.

No Yoga classes on Dec. 23 and 26