bible study groups: fall 2025

Written by: Jennifer Rothschild
Led by: Tammy Bolen
Start Date: August 10
Sunday Mornings: 9-10:30am
Meets in room 305
8-week Bible Study
Child care is available through Bibleopolis
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
 
Amos is often called the prophet of doom. And when you begin to read his prophecy, it doesn’t take long to realize why! On the surface, his prophecy doesn’t sound like a happy formula for the good life. However, every condemnation he gives serves as an invitation for us to “seek God and live” (Amos 5:4). In this group, you’ll be invited to live assured, faithful, chosen, humble, justly, prayerful, and hopeful. This kind of living will bring us and others around us peace and true prosperity!

Led by: Amy Moran
Sunday Mornings: 10:45am-12pm
Meets in Room 301/302
On Going Group
Child care is available through Bibleopolis

Beauty Out of Ashes is an ongoing Sunday morning women’s Bible study group. For more information about the class schedule and current Bible study, contact Christy Brink at cbrink@mpccministry.com

Written by: Lysa Terkeurst
Led by: Debbie Henninger
Start Date: September 7
Sunday evening: 6-8pm
6-week Bible Study
Meets in Debbie’s home
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
 
Are you exhausted trying to keep everything under control because you fear God won’t come through? When hard times come and it seems God is deviating from the plan we want for our lives, we’re much more likely to want to tame God, not trust Him. It’s then that we begin to press into our own ways and our own timing. No human can carry the weight of being their own god, but so many of us try. Join us for this group as we discover the places of distrust in our own hearts and explore the Scriptures that will teach us how to truly trust God!

Led by: Christy Brink
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday morning: 9:30-11:30am
Meets in the Chapel
9-week Bible Study
Cost: $7
Child care available

Many of us know stories and teachings from the Bible, but we struggle to know how it all fits together. What is the overall story of the Bible? How does it all connect? What is God telling us through his Word?
This group will dive into the historical context of the Bible, and tackle the difficult and confusing questions we often wrestle with: Why did God require animal sacrifice? Does the Old Testament law apply to me? What is the difference between Israelite, Jew, Hebrew, Semite, and Gentile? Where did Pharisees come from? What language were people speaking: Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or Latin? What happened in the time between the Old Testament and New Testament? And SO much more!
There will be weekly Bible reading, small group discussion, and a lot of teaching in this group. Whether you have been in church for a while, or whether you are new to Christianity – this group is for you!  It will open your eyes to the beauty of God’s Word and his relentless pursuit of relationship with you!

Study by: Lynne M. Baab
Led by: Lisa Franklin
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday mornings: 9:30-11:30am
8-week Bible Study
Meets in room 306
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
Child care available

Are your prayers stuck in a rut? In this group we will find new words and new ways to pray through the prayers of Mary, Simeon, Anna, Peter, Paul, John, and Jesus himself. Their words and patterns can serve as rich models for us in our own conversations with God, helping us get out of our ruts and onto fresh new paths of prayer!

Study by: Kay Arthur
Led by: Pam Stemerick
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday morning: 9:30-11:30am
9-week Bible Study
Room 305
Cost: $25
Child care available

How do we live the Christian life joyfully regardless of people or circumstances? What is the purpose of suffering and the Christian perspective on death? Do we have the “mind of Christ”? How can we discover true, deep-down joy in our life that the world cannot take away?
Join us for this in-depth look at the book of Philippians. In this group we will explore themes such as joy, unity, humility, and perseverance in the Christian life, all rooted in the example and teachings of Christ, as Paul encourages and instructs the believers in Philippi!

Study by: Kay Arthur
Led by: Stephanie Travis
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday morning: 9:30-11:30am
6-week Bible Study
Room 303
Cost: $23
Child care available

Join us for this in-depth look at the books of Jonah and Amos, two small, but powerful books found in the Old Testament. Whether you have found yourself running away from God, struggling to find compassion for your enemies (like Jonah), or feeling like you are called to save others from impending judgement and wanting to proclaim a warning of hope (like Amos), this group is for you! This is the perfect Bible study follow-up to our summer sermon series at Mount Pleasant. But even if you were unable to attend that sermon series, this group will challenge and encourage you to remain faithful and obedient to a loving, just God.

Study by: Jim Cymbala
Led by: Katie Brown
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday Mornings: 9:30-11:30am
6-week Bible Study
Meets in room 301/302
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
Child care available

What happens when the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within our life and within the church? What does Holy Spirit power look like in our own personal life? In this group we will explore how to make room for the Spirit, how to use your gifts and talents to enable you to do what only he can do, to listen to the voice of the Spirit in prayer, and how to apply God’s Word to your life. Join us as we discover how the Spirit can transform our lives, the church, and the world! This group is also offered Tuesday evenings!

Study by: Melissa Spoelstra
Led by: Pam Eckart
Start Date: September 16
Tuesday evenings: 7-9pm
7-week Bible study
Meets in room 301/302
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
 
Life seems to move at break-neck pace. Days are filled with noise, screens, and appointments. Sometimes worry and fear are constant companions. The chaos can leave you looking for a place to be still, but that resting spot always seems to be an elusive destination. But Jesus offers a different kind of life. He offers peace. In fact, He IS peace.
In this Bible study group, we will slow down and linger with the living Word. We will grow to appreciate the pace of the Savior who never hurried but completed all that the Father called Him to accomplish. The peace that Jesus offers is not an ease of circumstances, but a stillness of the soul. Join us as we learn to grow in intimacy with Him, and learn to live, serve, and rest in His peace.

Study by: Jerry and Marilyn Fine
Led by: Jennifer McCarty
Start date: August 26
Tuesday Evenings: 6:30-8:30pm
8-week Bible Study
Meets in the Chapel
Cost: $25

Have you ever wanted to read and study the Bible on your own, but you weren’t sure how to start? If so, this group is for you! One on One with God is an easy, practical tool to help you learn the discipline of daily time in God’s Word through the 3-P process: pondering scripture, picturing scripture lived out in your life, and praying through scripture. This method will help you develop a lifestyle of walking daily in intimate fellowship with Him!

This group will follow the workbook, but it will be modified from the traditional intense 15-week commitment, to a more doable 
8-week class. 

Study by: Jim Cymbala
Led by: Katie Brown
Start Date: August 26
Tuesday Evening: 6:30-8:30pm
6-week Bible Study
Room 305
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)

What happens when the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within our life and within the church? What does Holy Spirit power look like in our own personal life? In this group we will explore how to make room for the Spirit, how to use your gifts and talents to enable you to do what only he can do, to listen to the voice of the Spirit in prayer, and how to apply God’s Word to your life. Join us as we discover how the Spirit can transform our lives, the church, and the world! This group is also offered Tuesday mornings!

Study by: Elizabeth Woodson
Led by: Marvelle Ilko
Start date: August 13
Wednesday Mornings: 9:30-11:30am
8-week Bible Study
Room 305
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)

We long for peace and lives marked by freedom from difficulty and pain. We look to countless places to fill this need – our possessions, relationships, intellect, spirituality, political affiliations, and so on. But, by relying on these things for freedom, we unintentionally make them our savior instead of Christ. This exchange leaves us enslaved to a false gospel and to the very things we hoped would set us free. In this group we will walk through the book of Galatians and explore how through the gospel alone we gain what we desire – freedom from sin and freedom to experience true peace, living the abundant life Jesus offers!

Led by: Nancy Witham and Paula Spencer
Start Date: August 14
Every-other Thursday Morning: 9:30-11:30am
Meets in the Chapel
6 Sessions
Cost: $7
Child care available
Meeting Dates: Aug 14, Aug 28, Sept 11, Sept 25, Oct 9, Oct 30

Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape the Holocaust, once said, “We so live as beggars, when we are rich children of the King.”
The book of Ephesians beautifully unpacks the spiritual riches believers have in Christ. As heirs of the King, we possess a royal identity and have access to the boundless resources of our Heavenly Father. What a striking contrast this is to the limitations of what the world can offer!
Join us for a 6-week deep dive into the book of Ephesians—a letter rich in doctrinal truth and centered on the theme of God’s sovereign grace. In it, the Apostle Paul provides not only profound theology but also practical instruction for daily living: “How, then, shall we live?”
Come learn—and live—as rich children of the King!

Study by: John Mark Comer
Led by: Danielle Patten
Start Date: September 11
Thursday morning: 9:30-11:30am
8-week Bible Study
Meets in room
Child care available
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your materials)
 
What if following Jesus isn’t just about believing the right things but about becoming the kind of person He was? We are constantly being formed by the world around us. But what if our desire and intention was to be formed into the likeness of Christ? What would that look like and how do we do it?
In this group, we will explore the core practices of Jesus – Sabbath, silence and solitude, prayer, Scripture, simplicity, and community – not as religious duties but as rhythms of life that shape us into Christlikeness. This group shows us how to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did. This course is ideal for anyone desiring a deeper life with God – whether you’re spiritually curious, weary of surface-level faith, or ready to reshape your life around the practices of Jesus!
This group is part of our core Faith Formation classes at Mount Pleasant and helps to develop the foundational practices of our faith!

Written By: Ruth Chou Simons
Led by: Christy Varney
Start Date: August 28
Every-other Thursday morning: 9:30-11:30am
6 Sessions
Meets in room 305
Child care available
Cost: Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)
 
Do you ever feel like your present moment is so far from where you really long to be? Do you ever struggle with embracing your right now because you are so focused on the future? Too often, we feel disappointed with our life circumstances, relationships, our lack of progress towards our dreams and goals, our daily grind. We want to do so many things – good, godly things – but our situations don’t allow us to step into them.
If you can relate to that restlessness in your current season of life, then join us for this powerful Bible study that will remind us that right now matters and help equip us to live faithfully in the tension between what is and what is not yet. God is active and using this exact moment for the very purpose he is calling you to!

Written by: Priscilla Shirer
Led by: Amber Hassett
Start date: August 28
Every-other Thursday Evening: 7-8:30pm
6 Sessions
Meets in room 301/302
Free (but you are responsible for ordering your workbook)

One of the greatest challenges among women in our culture is taking time to cease from all the activities and just breathe. We are in bondage to busyness. We constantly strive to complete the limitless to-do lists that hinder us from experiencing all that God has for us. But neglecting time for tranquility, serenity, and repose, we limit our Christlikeness and miss out on some of God’s greatest gifts. In the Old Testament, Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a gift, and it is still a gift for us today! If you are weary, worn out, and exhausted, then this Bible study group will be a breath of fresh air! Join us as we discover how the concept of Sabbath can change our lives.

Led By: Beth Summitt
Start date: September 4
Thursday Evenings: 6:30-8pm
4-week Bible Study
Meets in room: 305
Free

In 2 Timothy we read Paul’s most intimate letter to his precious spiritual son, Timothy. The note is both personal and impactful. Paul’s final instructions provide solid teaching and encouragement that applies to our lives as well. As Paul prepares for his death he wants to prepare Timothy for the future. We will study Paul’s encouragement, instruction, and warning to Timothy. Paul role models transparency and an example of true discipleship that we follow. Real faith requires preparation that creates a real legacy.