The Fellowship is preparing to launch our first book club meeting, via conference call, on the third Sunday evening in 2011: January 16, 7 – 8:30 pm, Central Time.
By the way, just so you know up front, the conference call number is not an 800 number. Each caller pays for their own phone call.
The book chosen to inaugurate the Fellowship book club is Amish Peace, by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Here’s what one on-line reviewer wrote:
“What a wonderful book and what unique people. The book explores how the Amish view time, money, community, forgiveness and the sovereignty of God. The author, Suzanne Woods Fisher, spent days with them in order to learn their stories so she could share them with us. The attraction that I now have for the Amish lifestyle is summed up in one word…simplicity.”
I’m told the book includes commentary on the West Nickel Mines school tragedy, when the Amish community surprised the world by forgiving the murderer and comforting his family.
Amish Peace can be borrowed through your library or purchased at a local bookstore or on-line. The purpose is to read the book in advance — you have plenty of time, as it’s an easy read — and be able to discuss the ideas on January 16.
As interest in a Fellowship spirituality book club has increased, some have asked about having local face-to-face book clubs. Of course that would be wonderful. People in Chicago’s north suburbs have indicated they might want to form a group. If you’d like to start a local spirituality book club in your area, let us know where you live, and maybe we can help.
If you have not written us of your interest in the conference call book club, just scroll down and click “Leave a comment” below. And then write what your interest is. About one week before the first book club meeting we will send contact information to those who have specifically said they are interested.
Mind is infinite. And Mind is infinitely revealing itself. It can be humbling and inspiring to learn about deeply spiritual cultures and experiences outside our own familiar circles.
Hello,
At present I’m interested in the conference call book club. Because, I live in the Western Suburbs(Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton area); and I don’t believe there are members in this area, but if they are, I might be interested in the face to face meeting.
Thanks
Barbara Ohannes
i’m interested in participating — is it possible to be part of the conference call from afar [i’ve translocated to washington state]. sounds like an interesting read. conversation will be nice!
thank you for doing this. 🙂
Barbara,
We’ll note your interest in face-to-face. And to clarify, the book club is an open one not having “members” as such. New voices/faces are always welcome at both the Gatherings and the book club meetings. So if you have local friends who might be interested in a face-to-face book club, talk to them.
And Vicki from afar, yes! That’s the beauty of the conference call. Folks can participate from wherever they are. The main consideration would be the time difference between Washington state and Illinois. We’ll put you on the list!
As mentioned in the blog, we’ll send Conference Call information to those interested about a week before the event.
This sounds interesting. I’ll put it in the weekly CSMC bulletin this week so others can start reading!
I especially like this since I can call in from TX. I’m looking forward to getting out of this snow. I really do think that to learn about others beliefs does so much to release apprehension of the unknown.
I like the idea of having a face to face group in a home…and also participate in the conference call. As we are on est we could meet earlier discuss the book and then call into the conference call.. We will give it some thought.
Please include me in the conference call invitation as the time draws closer. Thank you.
Like “Vicky from afar” (altho not quite as afar!) I’d like to join this one. The Chesterfield fellowship already read the book, and I actually went to part of the discussion but never read the book. So, this will get me going. Thanks for the prod…
Please include me in the invitation for the conference call as the time draws closer for the bookclub
Happy to include you, Ruth! You probably already know our first choice, for Jan 16, is Amish Peace.
You’ll be receiving conference call information January 9, or before.
We look forward to your joining the conversation!
Shirley,
I loved reading about your Book Club because we too have one—a Fellowship Book Club that is about to meet for its third annual get-together. (First Church, Raleigh NC)
We’ve read The Shack; Eat, Pray, Love; Three Cups of Tea; Girl Meets God; The Heart of Christianity; Blue Like Jazz; Blood Done Sign My Name, and others. No one really reads them all, but each one reads at least one. We have about 4-5 choices each year and we announce the choices months in advance.
Our purpose is to get to know what others find inspiring. Then we find common ground with CS where we can, and feel more comfortable sharing our views if/when appropriate. Mostly we learn to love others more—our eyes and hearts have been opened to them with this reading project.
Regards,
Cynthia from Raleigh
Some members of the Chagrin Falls Church have started a book group that will meet in the our public library. The first meeting is Feb 3 at 10:00 am. We are reading A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. Thank you Shirely for your Book List and amen to your purpose for starting the club. My question to you: Was there any one book that you have already read that promoted good discussion or that your group found particularly helpful?
Bless all, Karen
A little hello to Cynthia and Karen – the two comments prior to this one. I want to thank both of you for your interest in our Chicago Fellowship book club, and also for sharing what’s happening with your own book clubs.
Since you both addressed me specifically, I also want to clarify that I didn’t play any specific role in organizing this book club, because I was out of town all Fall. Rindy and Sandi are the two who have worked hard to get the ball rolling here.
I’m also very excited about these activities here, because I love to see the way new ideas lead to new action. Karen, to be specific about your question, I have read a number of books lately that inspired me to support this whole idea. Most of the books I have read relate to my studies in seminary — and all of that study is for the purpose of learning where Christian Science fits in the great religious discourse of today.
The books I would recommend that relate very strongly to the role of Christian Science in today’s religious world are: The Gospel of Mary, by Karen King; and Radical Welcome, by Stephanie Spellers. Our leadership team is in the process of discussing just what kind of books would be most beneficial to our Fellowship purpose. Stay tuned! We’ll find out right along with you.
We just finished our first Book Club session tonight, and I must say it was a great experience for me. I’m sure that a face-to-face book club meeting has great advantages and perhaps much more than this conference call, but on the other hand, I loved hearing from people all over the nation, Wisconsin, Texas, Maine, and Missouri, and of course Illinois and loved sitting in my comfy chair listening. I felt the facilitator, Tim Hayes, did an outstanding job of guiding the discussion with great questions, moving the topics along in a gracious manner and respecting everyone’s comments equally.
The club members were gracious as well; no one dominated, and all had insightful and thoughtful comments, which I really enjoyed hearing.
I thank all who participated, Tim, and all of those who organized it. I am so looking forward to the next book, “The Art of Blessing”, which I’ve heard so many grand comments about.
Again, thank you all for our first meeting… and o many more!
Oops… that “o”at the end of my comment should be the word “to”. ( Rats, needed one more edit!)
“To many more!”