2026 Winter Bible Study – Started Feb 1, 2026
Faithful Citizenship: An Adult Study from The Thoughtful Christian. Every Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.,
Class facilitators are Rev Bev and Elder Steve Wood.
This 6-week conversation will engage participants in a thoughtful discussion about the Church and Family as “schools of Civic Virtue.” Participants will receive a handout and discuss a variety of questions, with the concepts of covenant, community, common good and a diverse range of timely topics that make our study relevant to our lives. The leader will introduce a covenant of healthy conversation in light of the challenges we face to be open and honest about differences of opinion in a culture that seeks to push us away from one another while Christ prays for our unity. “Audacious Openness” is a pathway for our conversations, by author and Christian ethicist Eric Mount.
WEEK 6: This week we conclude with the “Church and Family as Schools of Civic Virtue.”
Discussion Themes: Family Values, Faithful Citizenship, Formative Experiences, Formative Practices
In addition: Please consider some themes you might enjoy study beginning next week and through the end of May.
Some suggestions have included handling difficult conversations, a bible study of a specific book or theme, more current events type studies, revisiting one of these topics more in depth….. What peaks your interest?
Click here to download and read the Participant Handout for Week 6 — printed copies will be available on Sunday.
WEEK 5: Global Health
Discussion Themes: healthcare, poverty and health, spread of infectious disease — What’s the Bible say about healing and wholeness?
WEEK 4 review and homework— The lesson reflected on the theme of Global Security and Governance. We reflected on the challenge of many layers of violence in our society, the effects of lack of support and healthcare for those who act out in violence and are found to have underlying mental illness, our own sense of being powerless in the face of huge problems, and the hope of being a voice that creates space for others to join.
A significant discussion reviewed the gift of being a church in which debate is welcomed from a variety of perspectives. This act of peacemaking is something that we could lift up to our community, creating opportunities to meet together across the assumed divisions to seek common ground.
The Scriptures for consideration this week were:
Gen 6: 11; Ps 144:1; Gen 14; Joel 3: 9-10; Isaiah 2:4,; Micah 4: 3; Matt. 5: 9-12, 38-47, 26: 52; AND many others!
Questions for reflection:
• What connections, if any, do I see between persis tent injustices like racism and the level of violence in our community and nation? What are my own attitudes and beliefs about racism?
• What pending legislation or policy changes, locally or nationally, am I aware of that affect safety and security? About what legislation or policies am I willing to call or write my elected official?
• How can I educate myself about local, national, and global issues that affect security?
What do you think of: My responsibilities as a faithful CHRISTIAN citizen are____
WEEK 3 review and homework—
The lesson reflected on the theme of ecological justice. We reflected on the challenge of individualized concerns and actions for loving God’s creation and the challenge of communal action, especially through possible legislative policies.
The Scriptures for consideration this week are: Creation and Sabbath: Gen 1; Psalms 19: 1-4, 136: 1-9, 104; Job 38-42; Romans 8: 18-26; Colossians 1: 15-20
Questions for reflection:
1.What are some specific ways I might change my personal behavior to better honor and protect God’s creation?
2. How aware am I of pending legislation or policy changes, locally, nationally or globally, that affect the environment?
3. What is the role of audacious openness when we talk about the environment?
What do you think of: My responsibilities as a faithful CHRISTIAN citizen are____
WEEK 2 review and homework–
The lesson reflected on the theme of economic justice. We reflected on the challenge of individual pull yourself up by your bootstraps thinking and communal responsibility (Bev adds: to whom much is given much will be required —Luke 12 contains significant stories of the economic concerns of disciples in the Kingdom/Kin-dom of heaven).
The Scriptures were: The Good Samaritan Luke 10: 25-37; The Rich Young Ruler Luke 18: 12-30 and Zaccheus Luke 19: 1-10.
Journal Questions for reflection:
1. Where do our mission and outreach projects get at economic issues?
2. In what ways, if at all, is our congregation seeking to understand systemic problems in the economy that work against God’s vision for the world, and how are we advocating for change?
3. In response to Eric Mount’s anecdote, in what ways can you identify that you are on welfare?
What do you think of: My responsibilities as a faithful citizen are____
WEEK 1 review and homework–
The lesson was about audacious openness, community, covenant and common good.
The Scripture was Gen 18:1-8.
Journal Questions–
Reflect on moments in your own life in which you have been “audaciously open.”
Where in your life do you already interact with people who are different from you?
What do you think of: My responsibilities as a faithful citizen are____
WYOMING PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 