Adult Bible Study Programs
MISSION: Provide opportunities for men and women to grow in Christian maturity through ongoing conversion to Jesus, active membership in Christian community, and preparation to be Christ’s missionaries to the world.
Bible Studies are an ongoing part of Adult Faith Formation at St. Luke. Volunteers from the parish facilitate various studies on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday Evenings. This is an incredible opportunity to learn more about the Bible from a Catholic perspective. The studies offered are from popular Catholic authors such as Bishop Barron, Tim Staples, and Jeff Cavins and are published by Word on Fire, Augustine Institute, and Ascension Press – just to name a few!
If you are interested in joining or leading a Bible study, please check the weekly parish bulletins or contact our Faith Formation Assistant.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
This morning program offers semester-long and year-long studies that deep dive into Scripture and Catholic teaching.
Sessions include video lectures followed by group discussion on videos and homework.
This fall, join us for The Prophets: Messengers of God’s Mercy. The Prophets of Hebrew Scripture spoke for God. They defended God, calling out idolatry, false gods, and superstitious beliefs. You might ask:
“Who were the Prophets?”
“What was their message?”
“What do they have to do with me?”
The Prophets: Messengers of God’s Mercy covers who “the prophets were, what their message was, and why they are important.” You will see how the “powerful words of the prophets speak to us today, shedding light on our faith and our lives.” This 10-session study provides enhanced understanding of the fulfillment of the prophesies of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
The deadline for ordering a workbook through the church is 12pm on Monday, August 19th, 2024. New participants may join at any time, provided they purchase their own materials available from Ascension Press.
Have you ever said: “I want to know more about St. Joseph”?
Do you think of him as “a humble carpenter, or as the hidden King of the Jews?”
Was he “an elderly widower, or a man in his prime, the chaste spouse of Mary?”
Was he merely the “legal guardian of the child Jesus, or the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father?”
In The Hidden King – The Jewish Roots of St. Joseph, Dr. Brant Pitre opens up the mysteries of St. Joseph’s hidden identity, “his relationship with Mary, and his role as the earthly foster-father of Jesus.” Dr. Pitre focuses “on what we can learn about Saint Joseph from the Bible, ancient Jewish and Roman history, and the living Tradition of the Church. As you will discover, although Joseph is silent in pages of the New Testament, when looked at through ancient Jewish eyes, he stands with Jesus and Mary at the very center of salvation history.”
So, if you would like to deepen your relationship with St. Joseph, or “if you just want to understand what the Bible really teaches about the man who was closest to Jesus”, then please join us in this 4 session Vacation Bible School for Adults 2024 – No Homework!!!!
The deadline for ordering a workbook through the church is Wednesday, June 12th, 2024. New participants may join at any time, although we cannot guarantee that supplies will be available. Register online today!
This spring, join us for Eucharist: Discovering the Mass in the Bible. Dr. Brant Pitre provides insights into “…the biblical roots of the Eucharist through its foreshadowing in the miraculous events of the Old Testament, the Gospels and Apostolic teaching.” Through this study you will develop a deeper understanding of the “phrases we know from the Mass”. We will gain understanding of the meaning of these phrases in the “context of Scripture” and the teaching of the Church. The final understanding is how “Christ’s Body and Blood are an integral and wondrous part of God’s plan for our salvation”.
We have 30 workbooks available on a first-registering basis. Registration is currently open via the form in the bulletin or online.
After the first 30 registrants, new participants may join at any time, provided they purchase their own materials, available from Augustine Institute’s Catholic Market.
This fall, join us as we delve into Psalms: The School of Prayer from Ascension Press and engaging authors Jeff Cavins, Sarah Christmyer, and Tim Gray.
“The Second Vatican Council document Dei Verbum states: ‘In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets his children with great love and speaks with them.’ At the heart of that conversation is the Book of Psalms.” Every Mass celebrated includes a reading from the Book of Psalms; this book reveals the response of Israel to God’s Covenant and can serve as a model for our response to Him. This study will provide a deeper understanding of the Book of Psalms, which will enhance our communication with God.
The deadline for ordering a workbook through the church is Monday, August 28th, 2023. New participants may join at any time, provided they purchase their own materials, available from Ascension Press.
Wednesdays in the WORD
We are expanding Adult Faith Formation to include this new evening program that will offer shorter studies:
one to six sessions (topic-dependent) that will include video lectures then group discussion.
This new program follows our well-received “VBS for Adults” format—No Homework!!
How many times have you been asked: “Why do Catholics say that Mary was sinless, when the Bible says that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’?” And: “How can you believe that Mary was assumed into heaven when the Bible says nothing about it?” Or: “Why do Catholics give Mary so much honor?”
In this study, “Dr. Brant Pitre shines the light of the Old Testament on Mary, the mother of Jesus. He shows how three ancient Jewish images help us to understand Catholic beliefs about Mary: The New Eve … The New Ark of the Covenant … The New Queen Mother …” You will understand the “biblical roots of Catholic beliefs about Mary, the Mother of God”. If you “want to understand what the Bible teaches about the Virgin from Nazareth”, then please join us in this 2-session study.
The deadline for enrollments is noon on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Dates: December 4 and December 11
When: Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm (fellowship at 6:15pm)
Where: St. Luke’s classrooms
Cost: $20 per study buddy
Questions: Email our Faith Formation Assistant or Diane Johnston
Dr. Brant Pitre opens up the mysteries of St. Joseph’s hidden identity, “his relationship with Mary, and his role as the earthly foster-father of Jesus.” Dr. Pitre focuses “on what we can learn about St. Joseph from the Bible, ancient Jewish and Roman history, and the living Tradition of the Church. As you will discover, although Joseph is silent in pages of the New Testament, when looked at through ancient Jewish eyes, he stands with Jesus and Mary at the very center of salvation history.”
So, if you would like to deepen your relationship with St. Joseph, or “if you just want to understand what the Bible really teaches about the man who was closest to Jesus,” then please join us in this 3-session study.
The deadline for enrollments is noon on Monday, October 21, 2024.
Dates: October 30, November 6, and November 13
When: Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm (fellowship at 6:15pm)
Where: St. Luke’s classrooms
Cost: $20 per study buddy
Questions: Email our Faith Formation Assistant or Diane Johnston
What did Jesus do during Holy Week and why? Dr. Brant Pitre takes his knowledge of the Jewish roots of Christianity and unveils the mysteries of the most sacred week of the year: “Holy Week”. In two presentations, you will discover:
Palm Sunday: Why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey?
Holy Monday, Tuesday: Why did Jesus curse the fig tree on holy Monday?
Spy Wednesday: What is the hidden meaning to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus? And why is this day called “Spy Wednesday”?
Holy Thursday: How did the disciples prepare the Passover for Jesus?
Good Friday: What is the meaning of the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side?
Holy Saturday: Why did Jesus rest in the tomb? Where did Jesus’ soul go on Holy Saturday?
Easter Sunday: Why did Jesus rise on the “first day of the week”?
This study will enrich your Lenten experience. Walk with Jesus and enter the mystery of Holy Week.
The deadline for enrollments is Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
Dates: March 13 and 20
When: Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm (fellowship at 6:15pm)
Where: St. Luke’s classrooms
Questions: Email our Faith Formation Assistant or Diane Johnston
Have you ever asked: “What is the true meaning of Christmas? Why is the birth of a Jewish boy in Bethlehem the center of human history? And why is the feast of Christmas so beloved, … even among unbelievers?”
This December, join us as Dr. Brant Pitre answers these questions, and others, by going back to the Bible and ancient tradition to shed light on the little-known Jewish roots of this beloved holiday. Like many aspects of our Catholic faith, understanding the true meaning of Christmas is found in the Bible, the Old Testament and ancient Jewish tradition.
The deadline for registering is Tuesday, November 28th, 2023. Participants will receive a “study buddy” for both sessions. New participants may join at any time, although materials may not be available due to the brevity of the study.
Dates: December 6 and 13
When: Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm (fellowship at 6:15pm)
Where: St. Luke’s classrooms
Questions: Email our Faith Formation Assistant or Diane Johnston
This October, join us as we journey through The Origin of the Bible with Dr. Brant Pitre. In this study, Dr. Pitre takes you through the origins of the Old and New Testaments. Particular focus is given to the history of how the canon, the official list of books in the Bible, came to be, and the central role the Catholic Church played in the formation of the canon. Dr. Pitre explores the reliability and authorship of the Gospels, and whether or not we can have confidence that the canon of Scripture is reliable.
The deadline for registering is Sunday, October 1st, 2023. Participants will receive a “study buddy” for all four sessions. New participants may join at any time, although materials may not be available due to the brevity of the study.
Dates: October 4, 11, 18, and 25
When: Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30pm (fellowship at 6:45pm)
Where: St. Luke’s classrooms
Questions: Email our Faith Formation Assistant or Diane Johnston