All Souls 101 (9/30 and 10/21):  This one-session course provides a basic orientation to All Souls membership.  All prospective members are encouraged to take this class before joining.  Pre-enrollment requested. 

The Artist’s Studio:  Develop your inner Van Gogh in this art techniques series for all skill levels and ages. [Photography with Mike McRuiz (9/23-10/14); Drawing with Linda Stilley (10/21-11/11).]   Pre-enrollment required.  

Eboo Patel (11/18):  Spend an evening with Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core.  Patel was recently appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Initiatives.  In this capacity he is working to realize the president’s priority of interfaith cooperation.

Eckhart Tolle and the Power of Now (10/7-11/11):  Dr. Walter Exon and Antoine Harris lead an in-depth discussion of Eckardt Tolle’s first book, The Power of Now.  In this seminal work, Tolle argues for leaving the higher intellectual self and the ego behind and for being fully present each and every moment.   Discover this modern classic of spirituality for yourself.   Pre-enrollment required. 

Emotions as Messengers (9/23):   M. Christine Krumm, LCSW, leads this exploration of emotions as clues to understanding ourselves and others. 

Evening MUMs (2nd Wednesdays):  Rain Johnson hosts this forum for working parents wishing to discuss issues relevant to their childrearing experiences.

Gospel of Inclusion (10/14 to 10/28):  In this three part series, Rev. Marlin Lavanhar discusses The Gospel of Inclusion by Bishop Carlton Pearson.  Since publishing this work, Pearson has been deemed a heretic, a sinner and a universalist.  Lavanhar says he personally identifies with all three of these monikers and thinks that anyone else who identifies with one or all of them ought to take this class.  If you are not sure if you are a heretic, sinner or a universalist, you should come and try and find out.  And if you are sure you are none of the above, you must come to be dissuaded of such a notion.  Pre-enrollment required. 

Healing for Fundamentalism (9/23-10/7):  Did you belong to a church that emphasized legalistic and wooden interpretations of the scripture?  A church that proclaimed a narrowly defined Jesus as the only way to God?  Experiences in these religious milieus can range from annoyance to appreciation to abuse. In this class taught by Dr. Chad Johnson and Rev. Tamara Lebak, participants will explore their past religious experiences and seek to understand, appreciate, grieve, heal, and reconcile them with current perspectives for spiritual growth and transformation.  Pre-enrollment required. 

High School Senior Coffee Hour (10/7):  Youth director Kate Starr facilitates this life skills class for high school seniors. 

Humanism through the Ages (9/23-10/14):  Dr. Glenn Visher leads this discussion of humanism from ancient Greece to modern America.  Participants will read from the instructor’s text, Understanding the History of Humanism.

Japan to Jerusalem (12/9):  Let Rev. Marlin Lavanhar take you along with him on his three-year around the world mountain bike odyssey.  You don’t really know Marlin until you watch him relive the adventure he took while in his twenties.  You will travel over the Himalayas and into the homes of desert nomads, Chinese cave-dwellers, and through some of the roughest terrain and most beautiful scenery on earth.

Meditation 101 (9/23-ongoing):  Rev. Victor M. Parachin leads this class whose goal is to clarify, teach and practice the art of meditation.  All skill levels are welcome.   

Paradise Faded--The Fight for Louisiana (10/7):   This documentary explores the state of the Gulf Coast 4 years after Hurricane Katrina and examines the devastation that it brought.   After the film, Warren Sapp, a counselor who worked in Louisiana for a year following the storm, will lead a discussion.

Roots  (10/28-11/11):  Rev. Marlin Lavanhar and Rev. Tamara Lebak lead this three-week course covering the principles, history, and traditions of Unitarian Universalism.  Pre-enrollment required. 

Stitching Together (9/23–ongoing):  Darlene Backhaus hosts this group for quilters and needle artists of all types.  Bring your projects and work in good company.  Special projects will be taught from time to time.

Tai Chi Chuan  (9/23-ongoing):  Join Adam Green for this introduction to the ancient art of gentle movements known as Tai Chi Chuan.  Participants will learn movements designed to increase balance, health, longevity, and self defense.

Yoga  (9/23-ongoing):  In this intergenerational yoga class, Stacie Pryor introduces students to conscious breathwork (Pranayama), physical postures (Asana), and the six other aspects of yoga.  This class is open to all ages and body types.

For more information, please visit us online at www.allsoulschurch.org, or contact Brian Cross, Adult Religious Education Coordinator, at 743-2805, ext. 503.  For classes requiring pre-enrollment, participants may also sign up at the ARE table in Emerson Hall.