Faith Formation Programs

Faith Formation Programs

Short Film Study Group

Join our group in the Chapel on Sundays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm following coffee time. Each 8-14 minute film is chosen to complement the Worship themes and is followed by a 30-40 minute discussion. You are invited to search, question, and join the discussion. For more information, contact David Wray.

NOOMAis a series of short films promoting spiritual perspectives on individual life experiences. The films feature pastor Rob Bell of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The name NOOMA comes from a phonetic spelling of the Greek word pneuma meaning 'wind,' 'spirit,' or 'breath.'

BASIC WHO IS GOD? Francis Chan explores the weighty topic of the Trinity, distilling the reality of the nature of God into foundational truths. The seven unique sessions engage small groups in challenging, innovative, and accessible discussions of the nature of God and what that knowledge means for those who believe in Him.

Friday Films of Faith

Our evening film series focuses on longer films with a faith message. Some of the films which we have seen, or are of interest, include the following adaptations of books by Mitch Albom:

Tuesdays with Morrie, came about after Mitch Albom viewed Morrie Schwartz’s interview with Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline in 1995, in which Schwartz, a sociology professor, spoke about living and dying with a terminal disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateralsclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease). Albom, who had been close with Schwartz during his college years at Brandeis, reconnected with his former professor, visiting him in suburban Boston and eventually coming every Tuesday for discussions about life and death. The television movie was produced by Oprah Winfrey for ABC, starring Hank Azaria as Albom and Jack Lemmon as Morrie. It was the most-watched TV movie of 1999 and won four Emmy Awards. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Five People You Meet in Heavenis the story of Eddie, a wounded war veteran who lives what he believes is an uninspired and lonely life fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, Eddie is killed while trying to save a little girl from a falling ride. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a location but a place in which your life is explained to you by five people who were in it who affected, or were affected by, your life. The 2004 television movie stars Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Imperioli and Jeff Daniels. Directed by Lloyd Kramer, the film was critically acclaimed and the most watched TV movie of the year, with 18.6 million viewers. (Source: Wikipedia)

For One More Dayis about a son who gets to spend a day with his mother who died eight years earlier. Charley “Chick” Benetto is a retired baseball player who, facing the pain of unrealized dreams, alcoholism, divorce, and an estrangement from his grown daughter, returns to his childhood home and attempts suicide. There he meets his long dead mother, who welcomes him as if nothing ever happened. The film explores the question, “What would you do if you had one more day with someone you’ve lost?” On December 9, 2007, the ABC aired the 2-hour television event motion picture "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day," which starred Michael Imperioli and Ellen Burstyn. Burstynreceived a Screen Actors’ Guild award nomination for her role as Posey Benetto. (Source: Wikipedia)