Explorers Forum archive

Explorers Forum, Spring, 2022:

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March 6 through April 10:

Lenten series: An Experiential Encounter with the Lord’s Prayer

Alison Halsey and Bill Hathaway will lead the discussion, with the exception of week 3 when Shannon Hansen will be the facilitator.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name... We continue saying the words we memorized as children and repeat every week in worship (albeit with more modern language), but do we really know what we are praying? Join us as we explore in a creative fashion the various petitions of the prayer. Our hope is that you will have a new view of this prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. Perhaps when you vocalize the words you’ll see it in such a fashion that it will remind you of his presence and his call upon your life.

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April 24:

The Incarnation

Rev. Dr. Lyle J. Dykstra, retired PC(USA) pastor, will lead the discussion in this special one-day forum. Issues related to the incarnation have been a theme of Lyle’s preaching ministry throughout his life. On this second Sunday of Easter, we will have some discussion around the question: Before the crucifixion, did Jesus know he would rise from the dead?

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May 1 through 23:

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
For the first 4 Sundays in May, Sarah Ryan will facilitate an in-depth book discussion of The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. (Click book cover at right for link to Amazon.) Participants will be asked to read 2–3 chapters per week and come ready to discuss them during Explorers Forum. Heather McGhee is an expert in economic and social policy who explores racism’s economic and social impacts on all people in the United States. Her 2020 TED talk, “Racism Has a Cost for Everyone” has been viewed millions of times.
 
“In this critical moment where we have fallen so far apart, The Sum of Us is a book we all need. This book provides an important and necessary piece of the equation—not just how racism hurts Black people and people of color, but white people too. The Sum of Us is a must-read for everyone who wants to understand how we got here, but more importantly, where we can go from here—and how we get there, together.”
—ALICIA GARZA, author of The Purpose of Power and cofounder of Black Lives Matter

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Explorers Forum, Fall, 2021, through Winter, 2022:

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The series begins at 9:30 a.m. on September 19 with a discussion of "Silver Linings." During the past 18 months, did you make any surprising discoveries or learn something new? Did you begin any practices, routines, etc., that you want to continue as we (hopefully) emerge from the pandemic? Is there anything you were relieved to leave by the wayside? You are invited to share your ideas and experiences from your journey, so that we may learn from each other as we all adapt to new ways of knowing, doing, and being.

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September 26: Searching – an update from the Pastor Nominating Committee.

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October 3: Welcoming the Refugee. Team Hope, led by Bill Getman, will assist the resettlement of an Afghan refugee family in Wilmington.

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October 10: Personal Histories During LGBT History Month. Ellen Roberts conducts an interview with members Judy and Danielle.

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October 17: Listening for God’s Call. Church member and new seminary graduate Sara Snowden shares her story and invites conversation about how each of us listens for, hears and responds to God’s call.

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October 24: Show Me the Money. An update on First & Central’s finances, and the power of pledging. Ellen Roberts and Mark Olson lead the discussion.

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October 31: For All the Saints. The Christian festival of All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day, celebrates the lives of God’s saints and the spiritual connection between those in Heaven and on Earth. In Latin America, All Saints Day coincides with the cultural celebration of Día de los Muertos. Sue Getman leads us on an informative and participative journey.

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November 7 and 14: Poetry and Healing. Good poetry promotes healing and celebrates healing already done. Elder Gene Thompson will introduce us to some poets you likely know and some who may be new to you, including Gene himself.

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November 21: Before it’s Too Late. Bill Getman will lead this conversation about how we can prepare our loved ones to fulfill our wishes when we are no longer able to do so ourselves.

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December 12 and 19: “Advent Affirmations” with Pastor Jim Kay. When we rise in the church to profess (or sing) our beliefs, what does the end-time language of Advent mean to us? What do we think about the coming of the next world, as it relates to our individual lives? Can poets and prophets help us imagine what we have yet to experience?

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January 9: Arts & Spirit, Part One.  A short history of church music at First & Central Church. How have music traditions at F&C evolved over the years? Church music and the arts are very different now than they were in 1960! Led by Minister of Music David Schelat.

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January 16: Arts & Spirit, Part Two.  Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness. A discussion of beauty in worship, including visual, textual, and aural beauty. Led by Minister of Music David Schelat.

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January 23: The Civil Rights Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Led by Don Morton, a faculty member at Wilmington Friends School.

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