Book Groups
WEEKLY
Awakening the Spirit Meets every Monday from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
Rev. Tom Carr, facilitator. Join us as we discuss Brian D. McLaren’s, Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned. McLaren publicly addresses the powerful question that many people―including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders―are asking in private. McLaren’s answer is to combine his own experience, as well as that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years, to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity. We can say both Yes and No to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If “Do I stay Christian?” is the question you’re asking―or if it’s a question that someone you love is asking―this book offers valuable insight
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For more information, please contact Jennifer deSimas at jpwebsterdir@whfirstchurch.org or 860-232-3893.
MONTHLY
Food for Thought, Meets on first Tuesdays of the month from 5-6:30 p.m.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 4
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. 1985: As Christmas approaches, Bill Furlong finds himself troubled by a sense of dissatisfaction. A coal and timber merchant living in New Ross, Ireland, he should be happy with his life: He is happily married and the father of five bright daughters, and he runs a successful business. But a series of troubling encounters at the local convent, which also functions as a laundry business and a “training school for girls,” forces Furlong to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. A deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy.
Please bring your own dinner; refreshments and desserts are served.
Tap here to join this group.
For more information, contact Jennifer or Molly at jpwebster@whfirstchurch.org or 860-232-3893.
Believe in YourSHELF Tween Book Group
6th-8th Graders — This One’s for You!
Meets on the third Sunday of the month at 10:15 a.m. – Facilitated by Molly Bohman, JPWL Assistant Librarian
For students in Grades 6-8: We meet (with snacks!) in the Library.
Third Sunday of Each Month, 10:15 a.m. in the JPW Library
February 16, 2025 book: The Moth Keeper
Join us to discuss The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill. Anya has taken on the responsibility of Moth Keeper for the night village, shepherding the lunar moths her people rely on to sustain the annual blooming of a flower necessary to their night-dwelling ways. However, she grows weary from her strenuous duties and, feeling a pull to experience life in the daylight, decides to visit the sunlit day world. When she glimpses the one thing that could destroy what she’s meant to protect, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences. K. O’Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy with lush, gorgeous art and intricate world-building (Amazon.com).
Questions? See Molly at the Book Mobile or in the JPW Library.
Resources for external book groups
We are happy to lend sets of multiple copies to any book group.
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Contact us to learn more!
Located beneath the First Church Meeting House, the JPWL is the go-to place for books and media related to sermons, Sunday School, social justice issues, and so much more!
Phone: 860-232-3893
Email: jpwebster@whfirstchurch.org