Nashville in the 1820s and 1920s

On Christmas 1779, the first permanent settlement of European settlers at Fort Nashborough was founded. John Egerton, in his book, Nashville: The Faces of Two Centuries, 1780-1980, summarized the first four decades of the settlement as the “Cumberland Frontier,” followed by “Jackson’s Town.” The hinge year between those two periods, 1820, also saw the founding of a new congregation, later known as the Christian Church and eventually as Vine Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 

As part of our bicentennial celebrations, it is our privilege to learn from Dr. Carole Bucy, who holds the honorary position of Davidson County Historian. On two consecutive Wednesdays in September, she will tell us about Nashville in the 1820s and 1920s, and  she will help us imagine and understand a little better what life in Nashville was like in those years. Her lectures will take place in our sanctuary (4101 Harding Pike, Nashville TN 37205) at 7pm, and they will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. We invite members, friends, and neighbors to join us, be it in person or online!

• Nashville in the 1820s - Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 7pm

• Nashville in the 1920s - Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 7pm

We ask all people attending in-person indoor events at Vine Street Christian Church to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

Carole Bucy is professor of history at Volunteer State Community College. She holds degrees in history from Baylor University, George Peabody College, and Vanderbilt University. As a longtime advocate for local and state history, she regularly conducts teacher workshops on the incorporation of Tennessee history into existing U.S. history courses and is a frequent speaker across the state on a variety of historical subjects. In Nashville, she regularly teaches classes for the public known as “Nashville 101 and 102” as a way to help local Nashvillians learn and appreciate the city’s history. Carole has been a  member of Westminster Presbyterian Church for 46 years. 

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Apocrypha? An Introduction

Some Bibles include a section between the Old and New Testament, often called The Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Included are texts like Wisdom of Solomon, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, and more. Why are they appearing in a separate section? Why aren’t they included at all in some Bible editions? When and where were they written, and by whom?

Starting on Wednesday, September 8, at 9:00am, Thomas Kleinert will facilitate a Bible Study Book Group, based on the short and very readable intoductory book by Brandon Hawk, Apocrypha for Beginners. In addition to this volume, available in print as well as an e-book, we will also consult a couple of dictionary articles, and if the group is interested, we will take a closer look at one or two of these ancient texts.

Given the current pandemic situation, we will gather via Zoom. Please purchase your copy of the book in the format you prefer, and register here, so we can send you the link and other details. Please contact us if you have any questions.

“Whether they were lost, cut, or censored, the various apocryphal stories offer unique opportunities to learn about the histories of Judaism and Christianity while broadening spiritual understanding. But exploring this vast canon of texts alone can be daunting. Apocrypha for Beginners makes it simple by offering a guided experience, helping explain each piece’s importance and contextualize its place in history.” —promotional blurb by the publisher

Bicentennial Celebrations

Last week, we sent the letter below to hundreds of members and friends of Vine Street Christian Church. We are so excited, and we hope many will join us to celebrate 200 years of ministry in Nashville and beyond!

Dear Friends of Vine Street Christian Church,

Each of you receiving this letter is a part of the Vine Street Christian Church community! This extensive community includes persons who presently worship at Vine Street, persons who have worshiped with Vine Street in the past, and persons who have other interests or experiences with Vine Street, both in the past and in the present. Whatever your connection, we want to make certain that you know about our upcoming 200th Anniversary of the founding of Vine Street Christian Church in Nashville. You may already know that we had planned this celebration for last year, given that Vine Street traces its beginnings to 1820. The COVID-19 pandemic required us to reschedule the celebration for this year instead. We will therefore be celebrating our 200th Anniversary during our two hundred and first year!

In the coming weeks you will be receiving a “save the date” listing of the precise days, times, and locations of our Anniversary events. The purpose of this note is to give you an overall view of these Anniversary events and to let you know that you, together with your friends and families, are invited to join us for any and all of these Anniversary moments.

Our celebrations will begin with a journey into the past and the place where Vine Street began. Dr. Carole Bucy, who has the honorary title of Davidson County historian, will make two fascinating presentations about these early environments. The first will be a glimpse into the world of Nashville in the 1820s. The second will fast-forward 100 years and look at Nashville in 1920s. These presentations will occur on the evenings of September 15th and September 22nd, at 7:00 pm, at Vine Street and will be livestreamed as well.

Although the exact dates have not been set, we will celebrate the installation of two Metro Nashville Historical Markers in late September or early October. The first will be located at the site of the downtown church, near the corner of 7th (then called Vine Street) and Church. The second will be installed in front of the current Vine Street along Harding Pike. We are planning a unique walking event between the downtown location and our current location, so stay tuned!

Many of you are familiar with local artist, Phil Ponder. Phil has painted a number of cityscapes of Nashville as well as paintings of significant structures and locations. Phil has agreed to paint what will be an amazing “portrait” of our current church building. He is already underway with this work. You will have an opportunity to be part of the unveiling of this painting as well as obtain a print suitable for framing and display in your home or elsewhere. Phil will sign and number these. We will announce details of the unveiling and the signing event in our “Save the Date.”

A “pinnacle” of our Anniversary celebration will be the weekend of October 23rd and 24th. We will truly open Vine Street to our neighborhood and community, starting with food, games, music and simply social time together on Saturday, the 23rd. We will use both our newly-renovated church building and yards to spread out and enjoy this time together. Our new carillon will send out its music from the steeple while we welcome you, and all, to this fun day. Gabe Dixon will help end the day with a set of his extraordinary music!

Sunday, October 24th, will center on Vine Street’s 200 years of worship together. Dr. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ, will preach at our 10:00 am morning worship. The Vine Street choir will perform, for the first time, an anthem written by David N. Childs and commissioned for our Anniversary celebration. Following the worship service, we will gather in our newly-renovated Fellowship Hall to raise toasts, hear remarks from church and community leaders, and share together the Vine Street stories that we each bring to our own part of this amazing 200-year heritage of faith and witness in Nashville and across the world.

We hope you will be a part of this Anniversary celebration!  Watch for the “save the date” information that will be coming your way with details of this exciting time in the life of the church we all share together!

COVID update

It’s supposed to be a happy and exciting time when school starts after the summer break. This year is different, though. The lack of a COVID vaccine for children and the spread of the Delta variant has parents, teachers, and school administrators worried. 

Many schools and school districts have taken appropriate steps to protect students and staff, but some struggle with putting best public health measures into practice. 

At this point, we are not able to adequately assess the impact of school openings on the spread of the virus, and many parents have decided to limit their children’s potential exposure by cutting back on non-school, indoor activities. After conversations among church staff, with the elders as well as with Administrative Council leadership, we have determined to postpone the start of Sunday morning Faith Formation programming. We will use the weeks between now and Labor Day (September 6) to monitor the pandemic situation in our community; we will reassess our decision after that date.

This means that we will not have our Sunday School kick-off this Sunday at 9:00am; however, beginning this Sunday, Pastor Allison will offer activities and conversation with children (grades K-5) between 9 and 10am.

We encourage you, as individuals and as families, to develop your personal hybrid church schedule. We will continue to gather in person for worship and some meetings (masked and maintaining social distancing) and we will also continue to livestream our services. You know what is best for yourself and your loved ones, and we wholeheartedly support you in your decision to attend or not attend or occasionally attend services in person. We’re together in this, and we trust that God’s loyal love will continue to sustain us.

COVID update

The Tennessean reported on April 27 that Nashville health officials intend to lift on May 14 all coronavirus restrictions on businesses and gatherings, with the exception of the mask mandate. This step was made possible by declining cases of COVID and the growing vaccination rate in Davidson County. 

Since then, the positive trends have continued and are on track to fully meet Vine Street’s own target metrics: from April 27 to May 12, the 7-day average of new cases dropped from 14 to 7/100K; test positivity dropped from 4% to 3%; and the vaccination rate increased from 27.8% to 36%.

A recent CDC graphic gives us much to celebrate, while also reminding us that wearing masks and observing social distancing continue to be good, helpful habits.

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on May 23, we want to remind you that

• we require congregants and guests (including children age 5+) to wear masks that cover their mouth and nose while arriving, attending, or departing from any events; we have disposable masks available for those who need them;

• we encourage all to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or to make use of the hand sanitizer stations at the entrances;

• we expect that social distancing recommendations be observed by all at all times (no hugs or handshakes; maintain physical distance of 6ft when seated; try to maintain physical distance of 6ft when moving);

• elevator use is limited to 2 riders per cab (more if all belong to the same household);

• we discourage use of the water fountains; 

• we do not include congregational singing in our services for the foreseeable future;

• and we offer prepackaged communion elements to worshipers at the entrances (we partake at the usual time in the service, but remain in the pews).

These restrictions are significant, but they are small when we consider the impact they have on further slowing the spread of infection, and they pale in comparison to the joy of gathering in person for worship and seeing each other’s smiling eyes above our masks! We will continue to livestream our worship services, and we hope that we will soon be able to sing together - even if we have to learn to do so with our masks on! 

Finally, you may not know how to feel about any of this - you may feel excited and hopeful, while also noticing some lingering anxiety. You may feel energized and ready to go, or you may notice that you can’t just turn on a dime to switch into “almost-post-COVID mode”. Feel all those feelings and talk about them with friends and people you trust. This past year has been very difficult for all of us, and “coming out of it” will not just follow some calendar - we will each have to find our own path, but we don’t have to do it alone. 

Forming Faith at Vine Street: Part 2

After selecting their guiding scripture—The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22: 35-40, Mark 12:18-21, Luke 10:25-28) and discerning and naming the eleven core components of faith formation, the task force reflected on how we, (as individuals and a community, in our homes and in our building and in the world), might engage and live out these core components in meaningful ways. The task force recognized and acknowledged that different life stages requires that how we think, discuss, and practice these core components.  The task force felt the approach should vary based on developmental capacities and life experiences. They named the following life stages to help determine and name specific ways of living out these core components throughout one’s whole life:

 Ages 0-4 Young Adult 1 (College Age)

Ages 5-9 Young Adult 2

Ages 10-13 Middle Adult

Ages 14-17 Senior Adult

So how might an 8 year old practice prayer? How might a senior adult love God with their heart, mind, and body?

The task force next reflected on specific ways these core components could be lived out throughout one's life. Then, they reflected on how these eleven core components might be integrated into living out the greatest commandment. 

Below, you'll find examples of we might practice and teach prayer throughout all the life stages and how we might integrate the eleven core components for elementary school children and senior adults into understanding and living out the Greatest Commandment. As you explore these examples, you’re invited to reflect on these questions:

How has your understanding and practice of prayer changed throughout your life? How might we, as a congregation, be able to empower and equip our community to live out this greatest commandment? 

Forming Faith at Vine Street

Last fall and winter, a group gathered regularly to discuss and discern how we, as a congregation, might support the work of life-long faith formation. The taskforce included: Melissa Freeman, Laura Miller, Lydia Grubb, Quentin Flowers, Alex "Rico" Carls, and Allison Ruari.

Recently, the taskforce introduced their work to the elders, Ministry Council, and the Administrative Council. In their conversations, they named 11 core components that they felt were integral to building life long faith formation at Vine Street. Some emphasize different practices (like prayer, sabbath, service, and worship), some emphasize relationships (like listening, authenticity, and intergenerational relationships) and some emphasize continued learning (like biblical foundations and justice).

All of these components are different expressions of how we as individuals and a congregation might live out the greatest commandment!

In what ways do you see Vine Street practicing and living out these components already? For children? For Youth? For Adults?

How might these core components invite and encourage new ways to imagine faith formation at Vine Street?

When will we gather again?

For more than a year, we have fasted from truly communal, embodied worship, and in just a few days, we will celebrate another pandemic Easter. For many of us, this has been the longest Lenten season we have ever observed, with the discipline of the fast extending to touching, singing, hugging, and seeing each other’s faces without masks.

We are grateful for the availability of vaccines, and we look forward to coming together in person, possibly very soon, for worship, study, service and fellowship. We have postponed all baptisms that would have taken place on Easter until Pentecost, May 23, and we are confident that most of us will be able to gather in-person safely then. We will continue to offer online worship services and, as the weather gets warmer in the spring, we will plan limited-attendance, outdoor services and fellowship events. 

So, will we have to wait until May 23 to return to the sanctuary for worship? It may happen sooner, depending on a small number of critical public health metrics in Davidson County: vaccination rates and transmission rates. Our Administrative Council has adopted a policy for returning to in-person worship; it puts the threshold at 

• a vaccination rate of 50-70%;

• a transmission rate of 5-10/100,000;

• and a positive test rate lower than 5%/100,000.

For context, on March 29, the vaccination rate in Davidson County was 15.3% (fully vaccinated), the transmission rate was 23/100,000, and the positive test rate was 5%. We hope that with vaccinations continuing and no new virus variants creating new challenges, we will be able to gather safely for in-person worship before May 23. When we do, we will continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and wash our hands frequently until the risk of transmission is negligible. Here is a shortened version of our rules (we encourage you to read the full text, including cleaning protocols):

1. We encourage individuals who are considered medically vulnerable, or who have contact with vulnerable populations, to refrain from attending in person until it is safe for all to do so.

2. We do not check individuals for symptoms at the doors, but expect all staff, congregants and guests, regardless of vaccination status, to refrain from attending in-person gatherings if they have been exposed to persons who have tested positive for COVID within the previous 14 days, or if they experience symptoms.

3. When possible, we prop main entrance doors open to minimize touching handles. Greeters/Deacons at the main entrances welcome worshipers and point out where masks and hand sanitizer stations are as well as bulletins and pre-packaged communion supplies.

4. We do not cap the number of attendees at services, but we limit it by roping off every other pew in the sanctuary and marking seating on the remaining pews to ensure social distancing.

5. We require congregants and guests (including children age 5+) to wear masks/cloth face coverings that cover their mouth and nose while arriving, attending, or departing from any events; disposable masks are provided.

6. We require all staff, including nursery workers and volunteers, to wear masks/cloth face coverings before, during, and after services as well as during church office hours; masks/cloth face coverings may be removed when staff are at their desks by themselves, or when they speak or sing during worship. 

7. We encourage all to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or to make use of the hand sanitizer stations at the entrances.

8. We expect that social distancing recommendations be observed by all at all times (no hugs or handshakes; maintain physical distance of 6ft when seated; try to maintain physical distance of 6ft when moving).

9. Elevator use is limited to 2 riders per cab (more if all belong to the same household).

10. Water fountains are taped off to discourage their use.

11. We do not include congregational singing in our services for the foreseeable future, but continue to have small ensembles leading hymns; some congregants may find it meaningful to hum along, and we do not discourage that practice. 

12. Deacons offer prepackaged communion elements to worshipers at the entrances; we partake at the usual time in the service, but remain in the pews.

13. We do not collect an offering during worship services; worshipers may leave their offerings in trays or baskets at the doors or use mail-in or online giving options. 

14. We expect other groups who use our building to follow these guidelines.

15. Our Administrative Council will change these rules as circumstances allow or require.

Praying with our feet

For several years, a small group of Vine Street members and friends, in various constellations, have been meeting on Wednesday mornings to study the Bible, and to read and discuss various books. We just finished A. J. Levine’s The Sermon on the Mount, and now we’re getting ready to read another recently published book with a Nashville connection. Lindsey Krinks, a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and co-founder of Open Table Nashville, wrote Praying With Our Feet to tell her own story, to invite her readers to look at our city from below, and to reflect deeply on what we see there.

The Wednesday morning group will resume meeting on March 10 at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom (usually we talk for about an hour) and we invite others to join us. Follow this link to read what the publisher has to say about Lindsey’s book. If you want to join us, please let Thomas Kleinert know. We have three copies of the book available (first come, first served), but you can purchase it anywhere where books are sold.

Christmas Eve

Join us at 9 pm as we livestream our Christmas Eve service from the Sanctuary. Once again we'll hear the story of God's faithfulness to all of creation, fulfilled in Christ's incarnation. The service has been modified to include fewer readings and a blend of live and recorded music. And while we won't be able to share the flame of the Nativity candle in person, we will continue to share the light of Christ until all of creation is filled with its glory. Please have a candle ready. Toward the end of the service you will be invited to light it and place it in a window.

The Livestream will be available here as well as on our Facebook Page. You will also able to access the recording any time after, should you wish you worship at the more traditional 11:00 pm hour.

A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven

A.J. Levine, one of the best teachers of the Scriptures alive, has written a brief but spectacular study on the Sermon on the Mount. She has dedicated it “with special gratitude to The Temple (Congregation Ohabai Shalom) in Nashville, Tennessee, which has for two decades welcomed not only Jews but also Christians and the religiously unaffiliated to study with me, for three weeks a year, texts and histories that Jews and Christians share, including the Sermon on the Mount. Those nights at the Temple are evidence of the kingdom of heaven in our midst.”

For about eight weeks, we will sit at the feet of Dr. Levine, not in person, but by following her short and enlightening study book with Thomas Kleinert as convener and fellow student. Beginning on December 9, we will meet via Zoom on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m. If you would like to join us, please get a copy of the book and send Thomas a quick email so he can send you the Zoom link. You don’t have to be a member of the Vine Street congregation (or live in Nashville, for that matter) to participate, and you don’t have to identify as a Christian - please join us if you enjoy digging into some of the most beautiful and challenging teachings of Jesus!

Plans are for us to gather on December 9 for getting to know each other and sharing first, second, or seventh impressions from reading through Matthew 5-7.

On December 16 we will discuss the introduction.

Then we will take a break and resume our study meetings on Jan 6.

The individual chapters are about 18-20 pages long and very readable. Still have questions? Just get in touch with Thomas. We hope you’ll join us!

Proud sponsors

Vine Street sponsored Journey to Wholeness, a virtual event to support the work of Insight Counseling Centers. The recording is a good introduction to this great organization and their mission.

Ready for some hands-on work?

Westminster Home Connection offers small-team volunteer opportunities, and some of our members and friends may be ready for a little work that doesn’t involve a computer screen or a phone! Plans are underway for a ramp build on October 16, and volunteers of all skill levels are welcome!

• To learn more about the work of this Nashville non-profit, go to www.westminsterhomeconnection.org

• For answers to frequently asked questions about volunteering, please refer to this document

• And to sign up for the October 16 build, go to Signupgenius!

Disciples - Who We Are & What Holds Us Together

Join Thomas for a book group

The conversation about who we are as disciples and Disciples, and who we are to be, is never finished. We engage in it all the time - we tell a co-worker what we love about the Disciples tradition of the church (or what frustrates us - and sometimes that’s the same thing) ; or we ask a friend to help us sort through Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness or how faith sustains their hope. Such conversations are part of the one ongoing conversation that helps us clarify our personal, theological affirmations, and allows us to work through layers of Disciples history and identity so we can inhabit and embody this tradition with more intentionality.

Michael Kinnamon and Jan Linn, both retired seminary and university professors who grew up Disciples, wrote a short book that’s just right for small group discussion, to invite fellow Disciples  to examine and reclaim our unique gifts to the renewal and witness of God’s church. In nine chapters, each only 10-14 pages long, they explore several Christian themes and practices that hold particular significance for Disciples: Unity, Mission, The Lord’s Table, Covenant, Baptism, etc. 

You’re invited to join Thomas Kleinert for a 9-week book group via Zoom on Monday evenings, 6 -7 p.m., or Tuesday mornings, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., starting on September 28 and 29. The book is available for purchase wherever books are sold, but the first seven to register will receive a free copy. 

REGISTER

Summer Water Project

“Wash your hands” has become an essential public health mantra during the pandemic. What a privilege to be able to simply turn on the faucet, and there it comes: clean, healthy, plentiful water. For our neighbors experiencing homelessness, access to this essential resource is a lot more complicated. And for many people around the globe, reliable and affordable sources of water are often out of reach.

During the month of August, in worship and during our personal devotional/study time, we will pay attention to our need for water: for drinking, washing, cooking, laundering, growing things, swimming and splashing, the list goes on and on. We will share videos, articles and other resources to help us grow in our understanding of this most basic human need and the challenges so many of our neighbors face daily in seeking to meet it.

As we pray and learn, we will raise much needed funds to make a difference in two parts of the world: here in Nashville and in Kenya.

Our friends and ministry partners at Open Table Nashville wrote earlier this month, “It's hot outside and we need gallon jugs of water that we can deliver to our friends staying in encampments. These larger containers are much easier to use and deliver than plastic water bottles.” Staying cool and hydrated is a big challenge every summer, but particularly during the pandemic. Half of the funds we raise will be used to purchase water for OTN.

The other half will allow us to pay for a local water kiosk for hundreds of people in a community in Kenya. Church World Service coordinates this effort with local partners to “cut down on the time it takes families (mostly women and girls) to get clean water so they’ll have more time to go to school, plant gardens or start businesses.” Each kiosk costs $500, so our goal is to raise a total of $1,000 by the end of August. To learn more about the work of Church World Service, go to their website or read their 2019 Annual Report. The video below is a great introduction to the work CWS is supporting in Eastern Kenya.

How about Paul?

How about Paul? The Apostle, that is. You are invited to join us for study group on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 am on Zoom. Beginning on September 9, the Wednesday after Labor Day, we will read What Paul Meant by Gary Wills. Wills writes in a very accessible style, and his positions are sure to create lively discussion! Here’s a review from Publisher’s Weekly. To participate, just get a copy of the book, and please let us know you’ll be joining us by completing this registration form. And feel free to invite a friend to join us!

Worship update

What does the Lord require of us? The answer the prophet Micah suggested in asking the question has shaped our imagination and our actions for generations: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). The global health crisis and the varied responses to it have changed so very much in our life together; what has not changed is the great need for people who follow the way of Jesus Christ. Like no other, he embodies and exemplifies how to fully integrate the doing of justice with kindness and humility. It is good for us to remember him as we overhear or participate in discussions about next steps in our shared life with COVID-19.

Nashville saw a positive improvement/stability of metrics for 14 days, and began Phase Two of the Roadmap for Reopening Nashville on Monday, May 25. As far as our congregational life is concerned, this means that:

• People age 65+ and high-risk are asked to continue to stay at home;

• All wear masks in public and observe social distancing rules;

• Small gatherings up to 25 persons are now possible.

For our congregation, this development will not result in any dramatic changes. Beginning on Sunday, May 31, we will modify our current  Sunday morning worship and introduce opportunities for people to gather in person:

• We will continue to livestream services and assume that a majority of worshipers will participate via livestream/video, rather than in person.

• We will continue to lead worship from the sanctuary, now with a team of about 10-15 persons, including ministers, musicians, elders who wish to serve in person, and tech support. We expect all to wear masks, except when they sing or speak. We expect all to wash their hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer.

• We will continue to disinfect contact surfaces (door knobs, light switches, rails, bathrooms, window sills) before Sunday morning; cushions and pews are not likely to harbor live viruses between uses.

• We will not significantly increase the number of in-person participants in Sunday morning worship until Nashville moves into Phase Three of the Roadmap for Reopening Nashville. This step may be further delayed due to renovation work at the church (e.g., certain bathrooms may not be accessible).

Our desire to come together in person is great. We invite congregants to safely gather in small groups for worship, prayer, and singing. To make sure these groups don’t get too large, they are only open to those who signed up in advance:

• Sunday Evenings in the Chancel (Sundays at 5pm in the sanctuary, starting on June 7). Groups of 10-15 gather for approximately 30 minutes of prayer, scripture reading, and conversation. Chairs are pre-arranged in the chancel. This service is not livestreamed, and we ask that all participants sign up in advance.

• Outdoor Hymn Sing. Katie and T.J. McLaughlin have scheduled one for Tuesday, June 2, at 6:30pm. Depending on congregational response, this may also become a recurring event, but only when the weather allows. You may sign up here.

When the city moves into Phase Three, and the renovation process permits it, we may increase the number of in-person participants in Sunday morning worship. However, we will not “re-open the church” until it is safe for all of us to come, including those age 65 and older and others who are facing higher mortality rates in case of infection. We are aware that it may be months before a vaccine may become available for all, making it safe for all to return to familiar patterns of public life.

Elders - A Vine Street study

Human leadership has taken many different forms throughout history, and “the elders” are among the very few that have been part of the record consistently for thousands of years. In the Bible, a long arc stretches from the well-known burning bush scene, where God tells Moses, “Go and assemble the elders of Israel…” (Exodus 3:16), to the last book, Revelation, where twenty-four elders are repeatedly part of the seer’s vision (Revelation 4:4; 19:4; etc.).

Linda Brandau, Vine Street’s Chair of Elders for the past two years, has identified a redefinition of “eldership” and “spiritual leadership” as central to how we practice congregational leadership and governance, now and in the future. She asked Thomas Kleinert to plan a study, and now invites the Elders (currently serving or not) of Vine Street Christian Church along with all congregants, to a brief summer study series via Zoom.

Each session will include lecture and conversation, and last 60-90 minutes. To participate in any or all of the sessions, please register online so we can share the Zoom meeting information with you. 

Why Salvation?

by Thomas Kleinert

Will you join us on Wednesday mornings for study and transformative conversation? Beginning on May 27, we will meet via Zoom to discuss Why Salvation? by Joel B. Green. His book was first published by Chalice Press in 2003, in the Understanding Biblical Themes series. Abingdon Press published an updated version in 2013. The publisher writes, 

Salvation is the bedrock of our faith and the touchstone for faithful living. It is the good news of God drawing near to us as individuals but also as communities of faith. This book helps us understand that when we say “Jesus saves,” we stand on scripture that proclaims a God who, through Jesus, heals, liberates, and rescues. Like each generation that has gone before, we too must find our own awareness and then respond and participate in God’s work as transformed people, serving together as the Body of Christ. ... In this book Joel Green shows how salvation can illumine new categories for conceiving the world, for making sense of our experiences, and for directing our lives.

Please purchase a copy of the book (see a 45-page preview), it’s available in paperback and e-book formats, and sign up so we can share the Zoom meeting information with you. We meet every Wednesday morning at 8:30 and have used the Zoom video conferencing option for several weeks. If you have any questions about the group or the book, please contact Thomas Kleinert. 

Sign up here

More time to study and learn together

by Thomas Kleinert

The Wednesday morning Bible study group is about to wrap up its discussion of this remarkable little book, Jesus According to the New Testament, by James Dunn. It is a very accessible condensation of over 50 years of teaching on Jesus by one of the great New Testament scholars, honed in discussions at the university level as well as in congregations. I wholeheartedly agree with a colleague who wrote in a review last year in Presbyterian Outlook, “For all who want to keep going deeper in the knowledge of Jesus: Read this book. Gather a study group in your church. It’s the best.” The feedback from the Wednesday morning Bible study participants has been positive across the board, and in several cases, quite enthusiastic. Frankly, that’s why I decided to invite others to join me for another round!

I have not set a day or time for our Zoom meetings yet, but want to discuss the schedule with those interested in participating, including the option of having two groups, one meeting during the day, the other in the evening. If you are interested, please complete the sign-up form. The study can be comfortably completed in nine weeks (see the contents below).

“Undoubtedly the best Bible book study I have ever experienced. It was moving and spiritually rejuvenating. Thomas does a masterful job of augmenting the text with vast knowledge and background.” Charlie Biter

“I had two excellent adult Sunday School teachers, Marsha Kump and Jack Forstman. Reading together the James Dunn book about Jesus according to the writings of the New Testament with our Wednesday Bible study group has been another rich experience in talking about who is Jesus to me. Dunn’s reflections are relevant, encouraging, and very honest. I appreciate the theology and his personal approach to the reader. Thomas is remarkable as the leader/teacher. I encourage you to get a copy of the book and dive in!” Carol Doidge

“James Dunn’s book … provided excellent background on the New Testament writers. We had many great discussions and Thomas added rich insight. I highly recommend anyone interested in knowing more about the NT to get a copy of this book and join the next study group with Thomas.” Jack Wallace