Adult learning

Intentional faith formation

At St. Paul, we take lifetime faith formation seriously. We’re lifelong learners who delight in growing our relationship with God. We ask the right questions rather than presuming to have all the answers, especially on complex issues. There are all kinds of ways to grow in faith.

Sunday morning adult learning

On Sunday mornings, you’ll find a variety of presenters and topics for adult classes, 10:15-11 a.m. Meet up with God’s word, some riveting ideas, and interesting people. No need to register in advance. Grab your cup of coffee and settle in. Sunday morning learning resumes on Sunday, Sept. 13. Contact: Pam Garrett, pam@stpaulqc.org

In the Chapel

Oct. 11 – Gray Matters Collective
Haley DeGreve, Founder and CEO, Gray Matters Collective QC
When we encounter someone struggling with mental illness, we often don’t know what to do or say. Haley teaches practical skills to recognize mental health needs and respond with confidence. These tools help support others and advocate for our own mental wellbeing. The Gray Matters Collective of the Quad Cities seeks to empower people to become mental health advocates and to save lives. Through education, community engagement, and fostering mental health awareness, the Collective is working to create a world without suicide. Haley DeGreve presents a discussion of the tools and knowledge needed to become a confident mental health advocate. She offers ways to identify mental health issues within us and others as well as strategies for talking about this vital issue. 

Oct. 18 – Safe Families for Children
Jessica Trowbridge, Quad Cities Chapter Director
Families in crisis often have one choice: accept separation through foster care or face it alone. Safe Families for Children works to create a third way, placing trained volunteers alongside struggling families to provide support, stability, and a bridge back to self-sufficiency. Jessica Trowbridge shares how this model prevents child abuse and neglect while keeping families intact — addressing one of our most urgent community needs with a deceptively simple strategy: neighbors helping neighbors in real time.

Oct. 25 – Blessings for leaders
Dan Ebener, Professor of Organizational Leadership, St. Ambrose University
The Beatitudes offer surprising wisdom for modern leadership. Dan Ebener explores how the spiritual practices embedded in each Beatitude shape leaders from the inside out, and how that inner work translates to the challenges we face in leading communities, organizations, and movements.

Nov. 1 – Christian Nationalism
Eric Stewart, Professor and Chair of Religion, Augustana College
Christian Nationalism merges political ideology with faith in ways that distort Christian teaching and undermine religious freedom. Eric Stewart examines what Christian Nationalism is, why it has gained traction in recent years, and its corrosive effects on both church and democracy.

Nov. 8 – Our Neighbors, Then and Now
Julie Nelson, Site Services Specialist I, Black Hawk State Historic Site
The Indigenous peoples of the Quad Cities region have deep roots here stretching back centuries, yet their history and ongoing presence often remain unknown. Julie Nelson shares the story of the tribes who first inhabited this area and the living Indigenous communities here today — crucial context as St. Paul works to build relationships grounded in truth, healing, and genuine partnership.

Nov. 15 – Advent Organ Devotional 
Chris Nelson, St. Paul director of music ministries  
The Advent Organ Devotion is a musical journey through the season of Advent. Twenty-seven organ works, spanning more than four centuries, trace Advent’s inner movement from listening and waking to warming, radiance, and ultimately the joy of Christmas. Each piece is paired with a brief reflection, not as an explanation, but as an invitation to deeper listening. Together, the music and reflections offer a space to dwell within the season, learning to wait, to notice, and to remain open to what is quietly drawing near. 

Nov. 22 – Mark in a hurry: An introduction to Mark’s gospel 
Mark Niethammer, St. Paul senior pastor
In the three-year cycle of readings for worship, this Advent season begins a focus on the Gospel of Mark.  Come for a conversation and introduction to the shortest, most urgent, and most surprising of the four gospels. We’ll take a sweeping look at the whole story and explore what sets Mark apart: its fast-moving pace, a Jesus who keeps telling people to be quiet about what they’ve seen, and parables that read less like lessons than like riddles to be lived with rather than solved. No background is needed, only curiosity. Come meet Mark on its own terms, so that when it is read aloud in worship this year, you’ll hear it with fresh ears. 

Nov. 29 –

Dec. 6 – Life in Bethlehem: Stories from the Holy Land
Amer Hannunah, Xian Community, Bethlehem
Christian families in Bethlehem and Jerusalem live at the intersection of faith, culture, and political upheaval. Amer Hannunah shares stories of families whose lives have been fundamentally shaped by ongoing conflict and the collapse of tourism that once sustained their communities, offering a direct window into the lived experience of Christians in the Middle East.

Dec. 13 – No Chapel forum, Please enjoy the St. Paul Christmas pageant!

Dec. 20 – A Safe Haven: Clock, Inc. 
Mary Francis, Event & program coordinator community outreach 
For many LGBT+ people, finding true community feels risky. Clock, Inc. creates a space where that changes — where people can be fully themselves while accessing mental health support, practical resources, and advocacy rooted in lived experience. Mary Francis shares how Clock moves beyond mere acceptance to genuine belonging, and why safe community centers matter for healing and resilience.

Dec. 27 & Jan. 3 – Chapel forum is on winter break and returns Jan. 10.

In Luther Loft
Sacred landscapes: God of gardens and wilderness Bible Study
Sundays, Sept. 13-Oct. 18, 10:15-11 a.m., Luther Loft
Nature imagery is bountiful in the bible, but two settings provide the backdrop to some of the most well-known stories in the biblical narrative. Join intern Sarah Yotter in Luther Loft over the next six weeks to dive into the Gardens and Wilderness of scripture, exploring the themes of each and their relationship to one another. Beginning in the garden of Eden and ending in the garden city of Revelation, we will explore wandering the wilderness, the prophets, Jesus’ baptism and temptation, and the Garden of Gethsemane and the tomb. Contact: Sarah Yotter, sarahyotter@stpaulqc.org

Bible studies

Fed on Scripture-Lunchtime Series
Mondays, 12 noon, Library Commons
Spend your lunchtime in conversation about Jesus and his teachings. Using a contemplative practice of Bible study called Lectio Divina, we read, share and pray through Jesus’ words from the Gospel of John. No experience necessary, just an open heart and your own lunch if you want it. Each week covers a new passage, so come when you can! Mondays, 12 noon. Library Commons Contact: Sara Olson-Smith, sara@stpaulqc.org. 

Bible Study: Heart|Soul|Mind 
Thursdays, beginning Sept. 17, 9:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall  
Dr. Lisa Powell explores the book of Genesis to discover how God is a God of covenant. From creation and the garden to Abraham and Sarah, from the flood to the captivity of the Hebrew people, explore what God’s promises and relationships teach us about faithfulness, trust, and belonging to God’s story. Whether you’re familiar with these stories or encountering them for the first time, this study invites you to ask questions, engage deeply, and encounter the God who calls us into covenant relationship. Contact: Lisa Powell, PowellLisaD@sau.edu  

Learning Groups

Cinema and Spirituality
Guided by the book Films for All Seasons by Abby Olcese, explore themes of waiting, celebration, revelation, sacrifice, resurrection, and growth through cinematic storytelling.
Third Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m.,
The Last Picture House, Davenport
Upcoming films include:
▶ Oct. 20: Coco (Legacy)
▶ Nov. 17: The Bishop’s Wife (Faith)
▶ Dec. 15: Children of Men (Hope)
Sign up online at stpaulqc.org/signups. Sign ups go live the first Thursday of each month. $5 tickets (cash preferred). Contact: Tim Suddarth, timsuddarth@yahoo.com

Conversations of faith and culture 
On the first Thursday of each month, come together with Pastor Mark to discuss select articles from the Christian Century magazine and similar publications and blogs. Articles will be available in the library two weeks prior to each gathering. Contact Mark Niethammer, mark@stpaulqc.org. 

Theology Pub
Third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m., 
Boozies, 421 W. River Dr., Davenport
Word has it that some of the best theology has been fashioned over tables loaded with good food and drink, and an atmosphere of strong friendship. Come to enjoy a rich mix of people and perspective, as we informally explore the many ways in which our faith intersects with our lives and the world. Contact: Justin Marquis, justinmarquis@stpaulqc.org