Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley.
Cole Arthur Riley is, more than most things, a writer. Born and for the most part raised in Pittsburgh, Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh, but traces her love of words back to her father, who would bribe her and her siblings to write poems and stories to get out of chores, or for cold hard cash; and her gramma who was part writer, part sage.
Cole is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator.
Some thinkers who have formed her include, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Julian of Norwich.
Cole’s debut book THIS HERE FLESH was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Click to order the book online from Better World Books
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley.
Cole Arthur Riley is, more than most things, a writer. Born and for the most part raised in Pittsburgh, Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh, but traces her love of words back to her father, who would bribe her and her siblings to write poems and stories to get out of chores, or for cold hard cash; and her gramma who was part writer, part sage.
Cole is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator.
Some thinkers who have formed her include, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Julian of Norwich.
Cole’s debut book THIS HERE FLESH was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Click to order the book online from Better World Books
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley.
Cole Arthur Riley is, more than most things, a writer. Born and for the most part raised in Pittsburgh, Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh, but traces her love of words back to her father, who would bribe her and her siblings to write poems and stories to get out of chores, or for cold hard cash; and her gramma who was part writer, part sage.
Cole is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator.
Some thinkers who have formed her include, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Julian of Norwich.
Cole’s debut book THIS HERE FLESH was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Click to order the book online from Better World Books
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Youth Intercultural Bridging Program to Australia
September 20 - October 4, 2025 (exact dates could change based on flights)
INTERCULTURAL BRIDGING PROGRAM TO AUSTRALIA
Who: Current 9 - 12 graders
Cost: $1000
Delegation Leader: Laura Bolton
Contact: lbolton@cofchrist-spmc.org
Registration for the Intercultural Bridging Program has reached its limit.
Please contact Laura Bolton to join the waiting list.
Dear friends,
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to attend youth camps in French Polynesia, Honduras, El Salvador, the Netherlands, the United States, and the British Isles. Each experience deepened my understanding of Community of Christ on a global scale and strengthened my love for our faith community.
In the past, the church provided opportunities for young people to connect with peers from around the world, but like many ministries, those programs have faded over time. The goal of this trip—and future trips to come—is to rebuild those connections and bridge the gap between our youth, fostering a renewed sense of unity and belonging.
To launch this program, our senior high youth have been invited to attend High School Camp in Australia. 🇦🇺
🗓️ Tentative Dates: Sept. 20 - Oct. 4, 2025
(exact dates can change based on flights)
💵 Cost: $1000
🤸 Who: Current 9-12 graders
🧑🏫 Delegation Leader: Laura Bolton
You'll find more information below including the application and deadline, details on an upcoming information session, and opportunities to support this program.
Application deadline is June 30, 2025
Youth will be selected based on their application, maturity, and commitment to the Community of Christ youth ministry program. Current freshmen - seniors are eligible to apply.
With anticipation and hope,
Laura Bolton (she/her)
SPMC Youth Minister
Community of Christ Sierra Pacific Mission Center
lbolton@cofchrist-spmc.org
FEELING INSPIRED TO BE GENEROUS?
The mission center is significantly subsidizing the expense of this program. If congregations or individuals would like to support this important formative ministry and sponsor or partially sponsor a selected youth, that would be a powerful gift.
Please contact Ruth Seagraves at 916-792-7125 or rseagraves@cofchrist-spmc.org.
Women's Retreat
Mark your calendars and make plans to join us at Happy Valley Conference Center for Women’s Retreat from September 19 - 21. Our theme will be, “The Hope Found in a New Story.”
Cost:
Adults & Youth (age 11-17): $175
Children (Age 3-10): $125
Under 3: $0
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley.
Cole Arthur Riley is, more than most things, a writer. Born and for the most part raised in Pittsburgh, Cole studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh, but traces her love of words back to her father, who would bribe her and her siblings to write poems and stories to get out of chores, or for cold hard cash; and her gramma who was part writer, part sage.
Cole is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator.
Some thinkers who have formed her include, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Julian of Norwich.
Cole’s debut book THIS HERE FLESH was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Click to order the book online from Better World Books
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Young Adult Retreat
Register today for our next young adult retreat to be held September 12 - 14, 2025, in San Jose. Specific location TBD!
Not a young adult? Consider forwarding this email to young adults you know and love that are connected to our Community or who would enjoy the support of an accepting faith community.
Thank you for help with being invitational!
Questions? Contact Brian Anders at brian.steven.anders@gmail.com.
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Elementary Retreat
Friends,
We are so excited to see you at Elementary Retreat this fall! Our theme this year is “All Are Called.” That means God made each of us special - with different talents, ideas, and ways to help others. Jesus invites us to follow him, and we all get to be part of the good things God is doing in the world!
At camp, we’ll have a fun time where you can share something you love or show something you’re good at. It’s kind of like a Show & Tell!
Here are some ideas of what you could do:
Draw a cool picture or show us how to draw
Sing a song, say a poem, or do a dance
Show something you made
Teach us a game or a trick
Talk about your favorite hobby or collection
Show a special talent—anything you’re proud of!
You can bring something with you or just come ready to share.
—no matter how big or small! God gave you something wonderful, and we can’t wait to celebrate it with you. Everyone’s gift is important
General Details:
📅 September 5 - 7, 2025
🧒 Grades: 1 - 5
📍 Happy Valley Conference Center
This retreat is for youth in grades 1-5 and a loving adult buddy. Youth will be housed with their adult buddy and experience a weekend of events made just for them that they get to explore with an adult that cares for them.
Love Out Loud (Peace and Justice Reading Circle)
Love Out Loud, the Sierra Pacific Peace and Justice Reading Circle, will meet on September 4 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Pacific.
Join us as we discuss the book: “Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond.
We look forward to seeing and sharing with you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Love Out Loud (Peace and Justice Reading Circle)
Love Out Loud, the Sierra Pacific Peace and Justice Reading Circle, meets the 1st Thursday of each month, and takes place from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Pacific.
Join us as we discuss the first book from our summer reading list: “White Poverty” by Reverend William Barber.
We look forward to seeing and sharing with you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Family Camp
We’ve put together a newsletter with information about what to pack, what to expect, and the theme. Click the button below to read more.
Theme: Beauty in the Breaking
Cost:
Day Use/Off-site Campers = $20 for the week
Age 11+ = $70 for the week
Age 4-10 = $40 for the week
Age 3 and under = Free
In this year’s theme class, we’ll explore how our painful experiences, though often difficult and isolating, can become powerful catalysts for personal growth and deep spiritual connection. Together, we’ll examine how wounds can open us to empathy, healing, and a greater awareness of God’s presence in our lives. Through guided reflection, Scripture, discussion, and shared stories, we’ll discover how vulnerability fosters community and how our struggles can serve as bridges to others. Throughout our week together, we’ll aim to provide a safe and sacred space for anyone seeking meaning in their pain and hope in their healing.
Directed by Karen Hahn, email: khan72856@aol.com
GUEST MINISTRY
Father-daughter ministry team Jim Marshall and Jessica Jones Tidwell have prepared a wonderful experience for our time together at family camp.
A devoted wife and proud mother of three, Jessica Jones-Tidwell makes her home in the peaceful mountain community of Foresthill, California. As an Elder in the church, she has dedicated over two decades to mentoring and guiding our high school-aged youth, nurturing their faith and helping them discover their own spiritual paths. Her passion for spiritual growth is matched by a deep reverence for nature, where she often finds God's presence most tangible. Grounded in grace and led by a heart for service, Jessica continues to explore the many ways the divine moves through life, community, and creation.
Jim Marshall holds the priesthood office of Seventy and serves as the dedicated pastor of the San Jose Community of Christ Congregation. He is passionate about building community as well as peace and justice. His creative approach includes not only collaboration with other faith communities, outreach to specific populations, and he enjoys writing puppet plays for youth ministry for our June Reunion and for Family Camp.
Photos from past family camp gatherings.
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.
Thrive Discussion
“Thrive” meets the 1st - 4th Monday nights every month from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Pacific. (We don’t meet on 5th Mondays.)
We are currently reading Accidental Saints: Finding God in All of the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber. A bit about the book:
What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?
...And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
A word of caution, some of the language in the book is "earthy" and maybe unexpected coming from an ordained Lutheran minister.
Join us at 7:30 p.m. for an hour of good conversation and relationship building! All are welcome, even if you’ve never joined us before – we would love to see you!
Disciplines Dialogue Devotion
You are invited!
Join us for Disciplines Dialogue at 10 a.m. Pacific every Tuesday.
Each week, we discover the scriptures anew together following along with Disciplines 2025, a book of devotions. Click the link below to join via Zoom.
Questions about this group? Email Bob B Thomas at bobbthomas@att.net.
The Enlarged-Print edition of the new 2025 book can be purchased using the button below.