Education hour at 11:00am — following the 9:30am service and coffee
Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm
Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Main Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we are as a community of believers in our world today. Topics range from biblical study to current events, social issues, and information session about local organizations. Open Space is a safe environment where all questions and viewpoints have the right to be heard respectfully.
SPECIAL OPEN SPACE on August 24th, 2025: Nael Aldweib, MD, who grew up in Bethlehem in the West Bank and whose family has been touched by the war in Gaza, will talk at Open Space on August 24th. He will discuss the history of Palestine from the early 19th century to the present.
Open Space will begin the 2025-26 year on Sunday, September 14th at 11:45am.
September 14th, 21st, 28th – October 5th: Fall Kick-Off – Growing in Faith …
We begin our educational program year on Sunday, September 14th with a four-session class with members of our neighbors at First Congregational Church (SW Park Ave at Madison). The theme “I am the vine. You are the branches” (John 15) will emphasize our rootedness in Christ and the gift living out our faith in community. Pastor Derek Austin and Pastor David will be our guides. Note that for these four Sundays only, we will gather in Pioneer Chapel from 11:45am to 12:45pm to accommodate our neighbors. So enjoy an extra-long coffee time first!
September 14th: (11:45am) “The Vines and the Branches: A Picture of Fruitfulness”
September 21st: (11:45am) “Thick-Skinned Grapes and the Value of Resiliency”
September 28th: (11:45am) “Thin-Skinned Grapes and the Irony of Weakness”
October 5th: (11:45am) “The Soil and Environment: The Power of Diversity”
October 12th: (10:45am) Ministry Fair in Pioneer Chapel
