By Christian Potts
First Christian Church has invited the community to take part in a study that begins this month looking at aspects of the Christian faith.
The Lenten Ventures Series, as the name indicates, was set up three years ago to coincide with the season of Lent.
"'Ventures' is something the church has offered for a long time, usually in January," said Associate Pastor Gary Hardwick.
That program, he described as "kind of an educational fellowship," would focus on such topics as writing wills or doing taxes. It was offered through the church's adult education department.
But the group decided three years ago to focus more on Christian education. "And it seemed natural to move it to Lent," Hardwick said.
The series kicks off Feb. 14 and runs for four consecutive Sundays at First Christian, 220 S. Webster Ave. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday Feb. 17.
There will be sessions each week on the subjects "Challenging Biblical Ideas" and "The Place and Role of Music in Worship." The study also has two-week sessions on a pair of topics. The first two weeks' theme is "The Practice of Non-Violence in the Christian Faith," and the second two weeks focus on "Understanding and Addressing Poverty."
Speakers during the series include Alice Kloker, a trained facilitator in nonviolence training for personal and social change; Dr. Tom Boyd, professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Oklahoma, and Fran Roberson, clinical director with the Center For Children -- Families Inc.
Each session features a fellowship meal at 5 p.m. before the workshops 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There is no charge for any session and all are open to the public.
For more information, call the church at 329-2192 or e-mail info@fccnorman.org.
