Explorers - Jesus 102

Want to learn more about Jesus, but not sure where to start?
Find the Bible confusing, and churches scary?

Introducing Jesus 102, a group for people who want to learn more about the biblical Jesus. While Jesus 101 focuses on the life & ministry of Jesus contained in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus 102 takes an in-depth look the teachings of Jesus, by examining one of his most famous speeches, The Sermon on the Mount.

In 12 weeks, we'll work through an entire sermon of Jesus - studying it in detail, answering your questions, peeling away the cultural baggage to rediscover how it would have sounded to his original audience. It's a great way to learn more about what Jesus actually claimed, by looking at the sources, rather than settling for second hand opinions.

Explorers groups are geared for non-Christians, new-Christians, and people who aren't even sure what it means to be a Christian. It's for folks who attend All Souls, and folks who don't. You won't be asked to sing, pray, or do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. You can come as you are; you can say as little or as much as you like.

The goal of these groups is not to convert anyone. Our job is simply to introduce you to the Jesus of Scripture so you can make up your own mind about him. In the process, you will learn a lot about Jesus, Christianity, and your own spirituality. You'll also have a chance to build friendships with interesting people who are asking the same questions you are.

Sound interesting? Here are some details:

• WHEN: Most Tuesday nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM. [Begins Sept 18]
• WHERE: 2307 River Road (look for the mailbox and turn down the alley)
• FOOD: We provide a main dish, you bring sides, salads, desserts or drinks to share.

If you'd like to know more, please contact Christian (529-5568) for more information.

Explorers - Jesus 101

Let's face it: most of us have questions about faith and spirituality. Often though, our friends don't really want to talk about these things, and churches seem to look down on people with doubts and struggles.

Explorers is a safe place for unbelievers, and for the unbeliever in all of us. It's a place where you can be honest about what you think, and get honest answers about the Christian faith. It's a place where you can make up your own mind about historic Christianity, by looking at the sources, rather than settling for second hand opinions.

Fundamentally, Explorers is all about working on our spirituality in community. It's a place where you can be yourself - share a meal, talk about your struggles, wrestle with your faith, as friends rather than foes. We meet once a week for about two hours. We share a meal. We laugh together. And we share our thoughts.

This Winter we'll be looking at Jesus 101 (The Gospel of Mark). 

In 7 weeks you'll study an entire book of the Bible - the Gospel of Mark. We'll take a firsthand look at the person, work, and claims of Jesus. This group is geared for non-Christians, new-Christians, and people who aren't even sure what it means to be a Christian. You won't be asked to sing, pray, or do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. You can come as you are; you can say as little or as much as you like.

The goal of these groups is not to convert you. Our job is simply to introduce you to the Jesus of Scripture so you can figure out what you believe for yourself. In the process, you will learn a lot about Jesus, Christianity, and your own spirituality. You'll also have a chance to build friendships with interesting people who are asking the same questions you are.

If this sounds interesting, please contact Christian (529-5568) ASAP so we can figure out who's interested. Hope to hear from you soon!

Explorers - The Two Jesus' in the Bible

Let's face it: most of us have questions about faith and spirituality. Often though, our friends don't really want to talk about these things, and churches seem to look down on people with doubts and struggles.

Explorers is a safe place for unbelievers, and for the unbeliever in all of us. It's a place where you can be honest about what you think, and get honest answers about the Christian faith. It's a place where you can make up your own mind about historic Christianity, by looking at the sources, rather than settling for second hand opinions.

Fundamentally, Explorers is all about working on our spirituality in community. It's a place where you can be yourself - share a meal, talk about your struggles, wrestle with your faith, as friends rather than foes. We meet once a week for about two hours. We share a meal. We laugh together. And we share our thoughts.

This Spring we'll be looking at The TWO Jesus' in the Bible. 

(Wait a second, you ask, "There's two guys named Jesus in the Bible?!?" Yep, there sure are! One's in the Old Testament, a fellow by the name of Joshua, who God called to pillage and plunder his way into the promised land. And then there's the New Testament Jesus whom we've all heard of. But in the original Hebrew, they share the same name, and we're going to look at both of them...)

• This is going to be a long term explorers group - we'll meet on Sundays @ 1 PM at the Cryder place (2307 River Road - look for the mailbox, turn down the alley).
• We'll work through the first 11 chapters of the Old Testament book called Joshua. Then we'll work our way through the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament Gospel According to Luke.
• Together, we'll also get a firsthand glimpse into the wild and crazy world of the Old Testament, -AND- the ministry and teachings of the biblical Jesus.
• There won't be any homework - we'll share a meal together, read a chapter of Scripture, and answer any questions you might have (and boy, the stuff we'll be reading ought to generate LOTS of questions).
• You can come as you are; you can say as little or as much as you like. You won't be asked to sing, or pray, or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. 
• You can start (or stop!) coming at any time. No one's going to nag you, stalk you, or ask you for money. Seriously!

The goal of these groups is not to convert you. Our job is simply to introduce you to the Jesus of Scripture so you can figure out what you believe for yourself. In the process, you will learn a lot about Jesus, Christianity, and your own spirituality. You'll also have a chance to build friendships with interesting people who are asking the same questions you are.

If this sounds interesting, please contact Christian (529-5568) for details. Or check out the Explorers FAQ! Or ask us about talking to real live folks who have gone through this group - we have numerous alumni who would be happy to tell you what it's like!

Explorers - Who Is This Jesus?

Let's face it: most of us have questions about faith and spirituality. Often though, our friends don't really want to talk about these things, and churches seem to look down on people with doubts and struggles. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a safe place to figure out what you think about God, regardless of what you conclude?

For nearly 3 years now, we've been creating discussion groups for people with questions to explore their beliefs and doubts together - people like you, people like us. Our non-Christian friends tell us this is one of the best things we do at All Souls. Why?

Explorers is a place for unbelievers, and for the unbeliever in all of us. It's a place where you can be honest about what you think, and get honest answers about the Christian faith. It's a place where you can make up your own mind about historic Christianity, by looking at the sources, rather than settling for second hand opinions.

Fundamentally, Explorers is all about working on our spirituality in community. It's a place where you can be yourself - share a meal, talk about your struggles, wrestle with your faith, as friends rather than foes. We meet once a week for about two hours. We share a meal. We laugh together. And we share our thoughts.

This Fall we're looking at the life and teachings of Jesus.

• In 7 weeks you'll study an entire book of the Bible - the Gospel of Mark.
• You will learn a LOT about Jesus, Christianity, and your own spirituality.
• You won't be asked to sing, pray, or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. 
• You can come as you are; you can say as little or as much as you like. 
• No one's going to nag you, try to convert you, or ask you for money.

Our job is simply to help you figure out what you think about the Jesus of Scripture, and to introduce you to others who are in the same place you are.

If this sounds interesting, please contact Christian (529-5568) ASAP for details.

The group will begin in mid-September, and we need to find out a night that works best for everyone. Hope to see you soon!

Explorers 4 - Counterfeit Gods

A reading group for skeptics, doubters, and people with questions
to consider how the biblical Jesus speaks to our cultural idolatries.

Now more than ever, we need perspective. Many of us have placed our faith in success, money, true love, and the life we've always wanted. Yet the recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful.

Why are we so attracted to money, sex, and power? What are the hopes and fears that captivate your heart? Why is it so hard to change? How does Jesus claim to offer us hope?

Join us as we read and discuss Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power and the Only Hope That Matters.

It's an explorers group for thoughtful people to take a fresh look at how the Christian faith speaks to real life. It's a group for unbelievers, and for the unbeliever in all of us. Candid, honest, refreshing. You'll learn more about the Bible and Jesus. Any question is fair game.

Sound interesting? Contact Christian (529-5568) for more information.

Explorers Groups

Let's face it: most of us have questions about faith and spirituality. Often times, our friends don't really want to talk about these things, and churches seem to look down on people expressing their doubts and struggles. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a safe place to figure out what you think about God, regardless of what you conclude?

Introducing Explorers - a group for skeptics, doubters, and people with questions to take a fresh look at the biblical Jesus. If we're honest, that includes all of us.

So Explorers is a place for unbelievers, and for the unbeliever in all of us. It's a place where you can be honest about what you think, and get honest answers about the Christian faith. It's a place where you can make up your own mind about historic Christianity, by looking at the sources, rather than settling for second hand opinions.

Fundamentally, Explorers is all about working on our spirituality in community. It's a place where you can be yourself - have a beer, share a meal, wrestle with your faith, as friends rather than foes. We meet on a weekly basis to build meaningful relationships and figure out what we think about the Jesus of Scripture.

We offer a couple of different variations:

1. Explorers 1 (Who Is Jesus?) - The purpose of this group is to help people take a fresh look at the person, work, and claims of Jesus, from the perspective of classic Christianity. In 7 weeks you'll study an entire book of the Bible - the Gospel of Mark. You won't be asked to sing, pray, or do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. You can come as you are; you can say as little or as much as you like. No one's going to nag you, try to convert you, or ask you for money. Our job is simply to help you figure out what you think about the Jesus of Scripture.
   
   
2. Explorers 2 (Doubts about God) - This group considers a lot of common doubts about God: How can there be one true religion? Hasn't science disproved Christianity? How could a loving God send people to hell? Great questions like these deserve thoughtful answers, and one of the best tools we've found to help us work through them is Tim Keller's Reason For God. We structure this as a weekly book group. If you wonder if it's possible to believe in the Christian God without turning off your brain, this might be just the group for you.
   
   
3. Explorers 3 (The Freedom of Grace) - This group considers one of the great claims of Christianity - that when we really encounter Christ (as a real, live person), we actually experience tremendous liberation and freedom. Conversely, we explore how approaching God impersonally - through religious performance or moral effort - can lead us to miss God altogether and experience tremendous bondage. Our guide for the journey? St. Paul and his letter to the Galatians.
   
   
4. Explorers 4 (The Bondage of Idolatry) - Our newest group, coming in Spring 2010. We'll be reading and discussing Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power and the Only Hope That Matters. While many of us think that idols are a bygone relic of primitive cultures, Jesus claims that idolatry is alive and well within our hearts. If you find yourself wondering why you do the things you do - and why it's so hard to change - this book is for you!
   

All of these groups are dedicated to helping you figure out for yourself what YOU believe (and why!). Our aim is never to proselytize or convert (we don't think we can). Instead, we desire to be a resource, to honestly answer any question you want to ask, even if it leads you to reject the very Jesus we embrace.

Our goal is to give people like you the data you need to draw intelligent conclusions about one of the most influential figures in human history. And we think the best place to develop thoughtful opinions about Christ and Christianity is in a community of friends.

Sound interesting? We think so. And we'd love to have you join us. For more information, browse the FAQ or contact us. We look forward to seeing you soon...

Explorers Groups - FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Explorers Groups:

• Q: So are you guys Christians? Yep. Our allegiance is to the Jesus of the Bible. And we're here in Missoula to start a church that loves the city, fosters real community, and provides a safe place for people in process to figure out what they believe (even if it leads them in a different direction).
  
  
• Q: Why are you doing this? That's a good question. Many of our friends here in Missoula are not Christians. At the same time, lots of them are interested in thoughtful spirituality and real community, and both of those things are surprisingly hard to find. Perhaps this is because in many 'communities' (church or otherwise) there are certain things we have to think / do / believe in order to 'get in' - we get acceptance if we agree. The problem here is that the relationship is contingent - if you end up thinking / doing / believing the wrong thing, you're out. And that stifles honest inquiry.
  
  We believe there's a better way. We think we should accept people simply because they are created in the image of God. That fact alone qualifies you to be our friend. Our goal for this group is to give friends like this a place where they can safely ask any spiritual questions, to figure out what they believe, without any danger of being rejected, regardless of what conclusions they come to. If some of them end up in our church, that's great. But if they don't, that's fine too. They will always be our friends.
  
  
• Q: Why are you focusing on Jesus? Isn't that a little bit narrow? See, this is why you should be coming to this group - that's a great question! :-)
  
  Let's put it like this. We think it's good to ask hard questions of every religious leader. We also think that the best way to learn about a faith is from someone who really buys it. We believe in Jesus. We're not convinced about Buddha or Muhammad. So how fair would it be for us to try and tell you about all three faiths? In a very real sense, we're focusing on Jesus because that's the place we feel most competent to speak.
  
  We encourage all people to develop thoughtful positions on other faiths (that's why we ourselves seek friends who embrace other religions - so we can learn what they believe and represent them as well as possible). For this reason, people of other faiths are very welcome in this group - even if you have no interest in Jesus, you can help us see how he's similar or different to your persuasion. Plus, you can probably think of some really great questions and help keep the conversations honest.
  
  
• Q: I'm not interested in Jesus. Why would I want to come to something like this? Another great question. But maybe you should flip it around and ask yourself, "Why aren't I interested in knowing who Jesus was and what he stood for?"
  
  Quite simply, Jesus is one of the most influential figures in human history. He's made some amazing claims, and he has had an amazing impact.
  
  What if you were trying to convince someone about the reality of global warming and they simply said, "Oh, thanks, but I'm not really interested." Wouldn't we point them to the significance of the claims and the impacts, and ask them to at least consider the data?
  
  Similarly, what thoughtful person wouldn't want to reach an informed opinion on who Jesus is and how he managed to have such an impact? Maybe you've already done that, but most people haven't - their opinions on Jesus (and Christianity) come from anecdotal sources: friends, parents, the Jesus channel, the people who go door to door.
  
  What if the Jesus-you-are-not interested in is actually just a caricature of the real Jesus? There really are good reasons for rejecting Christ and Christianity... but how are you going to know if yours is one of them? Wouldn't it be worth taking a good hard look at the historical documents, just to consider what Jesus actually said?
  
  
• Q: Look, we don't have the original documents! And the ones we do have are full of errors and contradictions! A lot of people seem to think this, but most of them aren't aware that there's an entire scientific field devoted to reconstructing original texts, and that the texts we have now are exceptionally close to the originals. So here's a question for you: "Do you know how thoughtful scholars - Christians and non-Christian alike - answer those challenges?" If not, well, maybe you should come to the group and ask it! :-)
  
  
• Q: What if I just like you guys, but I'm just not interested in your Jesus? We'd be flattered to say the least (and we would want you to know that we offer our friendship regardless of what you think about Jesus). But we'd also want to ask you a question in return: "What if the things you like about us, about this community, are actually the result of something Jesus is doing?" What if what you like about our relationship is actually evidence that he is real. How would you figure that out without looking at Christ?
  
  
• Q: What if I'm just too busy? Look, we understand what it's like to be busy. But have you ever noticed that the more we fill up our schedules, the emptier life seems to become? Maybe what we really need is to slow down, for just one evening a week, to share a great meal and think about the big questions in life? It's worth considering...
  
  
• Q: Ok, so let's say I show up. Do I have to bring anything? Nope, just bring your appetite and the toughest questions you can think of (we're serious about this!)
  
  
• Q: Well, do I have to say anything? Nope. You can say as much or as little as you want. We won't ask you to sing, or pray, or give money. You can come as you are and be yourself.
  
  
• Q: What if I can't come every time? That's fine. You can come once, twice, whatever you feel like. There are no obligations. No ones going to call you up or track you down if you decide not to come back.
  
  
• Q: So what are other people saying about it? Here are some quotes (and we'd be happy to introduce you to folks who have been through Explorers so you can ask them for yourselves)...
• “I became friends with all sorts of people from backgrounds very different than mine, who were as confused (and probably just as hesitant) about religion and God as I was.” ~ Kelly H.
• “A fun, stimulating environment where I could air my doubts, vent my frustrations, and openly discuss my many difficulties with organized religion.” ~ Marc U.

Have a question we haven't answered? Feel free to ask us about it...