Welcome to Christ Church Cranbrook

The Institute for Christian Studies provides both introductory and advanced opportunities for learning and study of the Christian faith.

SOUPER WEDNESDAYS
Souper Wednesdays provide all interested people with opportunities for study and for spiritual growth in a weeknight format. Participants will be treated to a hot mug of soup or chili and an experience to seek God with our minds and hearts. All are welcome and are encouraged to bring a friend or coworker. Souper Wednesdays are held weekly, fall to spring, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in Rooms 201-202. To register, please contact Terry Miller, Associate Priest for Adult Education, at 248.644.5210, ext. 30 (tmiller@christchurchcranbrook.org).

THE SINAI CODE
Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
November 5 - December 10
Thirty-five hundred years ago Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with a short list of rules that has shaped the values of individuals, communities, and nations for centuries. We know them as the Ten Commandments. But do we really know them? Some would argue that it is the Ten Commandments that set the stage for humanity to feel as if we must perform our way into God’s good graces. But was that the reason they were given? Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Ministries in Atlanta ,

Georgia, teaches via video.

Mark Mals

, Director of Parish Programs facilitates

Flipt Family Nights
Fridays - 7-8 p.m.
September 19 • October 17 • November 21, 2008
February 6, March 6 and April 3, 2009
What the heck is Flipt? Zacchaeus, Peter, the rich young man — they all had one thing in common: Lives changed, challenged and “flipt” by Jesus. At Flipt Family Nights children and their parents will have their lives Flipt by Jesus. Together we’ll learn how to live like Jesus, how Jesus wants us to make decisions, and the difference Jesus can make in our lives. The first half hour is for children and parents together. During the second half hour, children will continue with an activity directed by Sandy Mals, while Mark Mals will talk with parents about how to talk with their kids about faith. For more information, please contact Mark Mals, Director of Programs, at 248.644.5210, ext. 28 or mmals@christchurchcranbrook.org.

Bonhoeffer Reading Group Begins
Every other Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m
Members and friends of Christ Church are invited to participate in the Bonhoeffer Reading Group. The group meets in the library weekly to read and discuss selected passages from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who was executed in 1943 for speaking forcefully against the idolatrous and nationalistic religion espoused by the Nazis. A major spokesperson for the Confessing Church in Germany his writings have become an important resource for Christians determined to follow Christ in the modern world. For more information, please contact The Rev. Lloyd Buss at 248.375.0150 or ldbuss@comcast.net.

Feuling Faith
Fridays • 8-9 p.m.
November 14, 2008
January 9, February 13, March 13, 2009
Go out to dinner with your spouse, a friend, or a group of friends and then come to CCC for dessert! Mark and Sandy Mals invite you to spend the 8 o’clock hour on the second Friday of the month with them as we grasp the reality of the gift we call life and how there is no doubt of its interconnectedness and dependence on the gift-giver, God. Fueling Faith begins with a 15-minute video by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids. Following the video, Mark will offer a teaching that flows from the video. Make sure you leave room for dessert because the evening includes coffee, assorted teas, and scrumptious desserts. For more information, please contact Mark Mals, Director of Programs, at 248.644.5210, ext. 28 or mmals@christchurchcranbrook.org.

THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Thursdays, 6:30 p.m
November 20, 2008
January 22, February 19, March 26, April 23, May 21, 2009
CCC's Movie Moguls view one movie each month and engage in discussion afterwards. Refreshments are served. Meets in the Hospitality Center. Reception begins at 6:30 p.m., movie starts at 6:45 p.m. For information on specific movie titles, please contact Ron Donoghue at 248.851.6734.

CHRISTIAN BELIEVER
Connecting what we believe with how we live
Have you ever wondered why we sing a particular hymn or recite a certain creed? Have you asked what the Christian faith says about things like who God is and how we know God, what good is the Church, why the innocent suffer, how we can be healed, or where we go when we die? Discover the church’s answer to questions that grow out of human life and Christian experience as you study church history and teachings in this in-depth look at what the Church believes. Christian Believer recognizes that “faith seeking understanding” is a part of Christian experience and, through readings and group discussions, aims at connecting believing and living, the head as well as the heart. This course emphasizes the relationship of worship, belief, and daily life and seeks to provide a solid theological education for ministry. If this course sounds like something you’d be interested in, please contact The Rev. Terry Miller at tmiller@christchurchcranbrook.org or 248.644.5210, ext. 30.

MARRIAGE BUILDERS
Apart from deciding to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord, the most significant decision any of us makes is the choice of a spouse. In this four-week course intended for both premarital preparation and marriage enrichment, couples will explore God's vision for marriage, consider realistic expectations, and be given some tools that will help them in becoming "one." The next session will be offered in Spring 2009. For more information, please contact The Rev. Terry Miller at tmiller@christchurchcranbrook.org or 248.644.5210, ext. 30.