If you have never been part of a Small Group, why not try it out? If you are a perennial participant, welcome back! Space may be limited for many groups, so sign up soon! Whether you opt for in-person or virtual groups, the promise that the Holy Spirit is present when two or more are gathered in God’s name remains a constant.
Click on the Small Group Name to read more.
| Start Time |
SUN |
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | |||||
| 1:30 p.m. | |||||
| 4 p.m. | Parables (gr. 4-8) |
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| 6 p.m. | Parables | ||||
| 7 p.m. | Art of Faithfulness: CreatioDivina |
Parables | |||
| 7:30 p.m. | Faithfulness: Photography |
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| 8 p.m. | Immigrant Experience on Film |
Parables: Stories Jesus Told
Linked In Learning Series
Readable, accessible, and perpetually relevant, we never tire of hearing a parable. Like every well-told story, repeat readings bring fresh insights and deeper appreciation. This Lent, come sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to his stories one more time. Some are familiar and could be recited from memory. Others may be heard for the first time. Each brings a word of comfort and a word of challenge. Read together, they teach, through concrete examples, about forgiveness, redemption, sacrifice, and faith.
This Lenten Linked-in Learning theme emphasizes the accessibility of the parables, and most Adult Education classes will be led by laity, the people in the pews. Jesus shared simple, relatable stories to communicate complex themes, and these leaders will bring their own story, perspective, areas of experience to these Sunday morning sessions. Small Groups will join in the theme. All are invited to add their own story and perspective to the discussions. Finally, Sunday sermons in Lent, including Youth Sunday will also focus on parables.
Sundays, February 19 – March 26, 6:00-7:00 PM
Virtual on Zoom
Mani Pulimood has been worshiping at NPC for a long time, with his wife, Monisha, and two sons, Nikhil and Philip. He enjoys participating in and leading small groups at Nassau. He is also the author of the book, Spiritual Dimensions – Musings on Life and Faith. One of his favorite ministries is online evangelism (https://twitter.com/ManiPulimood). He also enjoys biking and hiking.
Mondays, February 20 – March 27, 12:00-1:30 PM
In-person at the home of Corrie Berg in Princeton, NJ.
light lunch (soup & bread) provided
This group is full
Corrie Berg, is the Director of Educational Ministries and always delighted to talk about Bible stories, whether it’s with grown ups or with children. She finds that she often learns the most by discussing the stories of our faith with the people of our church.
Mondays, February 20 – March 27, 1:30-3:00 PM
In-person at the home of Carol Wehrheim in Skillman, NJ
This group is full
Carol Wehrheim, a writer and Christian Education consultant, finds that Lenten small groups deepen her own prayer life and her connection to her church community.
Parables – just for Kids (4th-8th graders)
Mondays, February 20 – March 27, 4:00-5:00 PM
In-person at the home of Corrie Berg in Princeton, NJ
Register Here
Corrie Berg is the Director of Educational Ministries and always delighted to talk about Bible stories, whether it’s with grown ups or with children. She finds that she often learns the most by discussing the stories of our faith with the people of our church.
Tuesdays, February 21 – March 28, 7:00-8:30 PM
In-person or on Zoom?
Register Here
John Parker appreciates the fellowship and faith development that takes place in Nassau’s Small Groups. He is thankful for the witness of the wonderful people he has met through past small groups. John looks forward to meeting new participants — and hopefully deepening some existing relationships too — as we read the parables of Jesus together.
Additional Small Group Options
Movies About Making Movies and Those Movies
Sundays, February 26 – April 2, 7:00-8:00 PM
Virtual on Zoom
This group is full
Making films and distributing them is challenging. A few get mired in legendary pitfalls and sometimes waterfalls. It may be years before their creators complete them and find an audience. We will look at three documentary films about the making of a specific movie. We will also watch the movie the documentary covers. Inspired by books including The Reel Truth by Reed Martin and A Guide for the Perplexed by Werner Herzog, participants in this series will discuss movie making obstacles and learn about the Herculean and even Sisyphean efforts it takes to achieve an artist’s vision. Movies: Lost in Lamancha; The Man Who Killed Don Quixote; Man on the Moon; Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond; Burden of Dreams; Fitzcarraldo
Marshall McKnight, a lifelong movie buff, has been a Nassau Church member since 2011. He is a deacon and is active on the Mass Incarceration Task Force. He also serves on the Adult Education and Membership Committees. He was a journalist for seven years and for the last 19 has worked for the State of New Jersey.
Adventures in Barth, season 7
Mondays, March 6 – 27, 7:30-9:00 PM
Virtual on Zoom
This group is full
Get “Barth Smart” as we continue to dive into Barth’s dramatic treatment of justification and our total acquittal in Christ. First-timers and experts are welcome as we gather around this rigorous challenge to church and world. Reading is ~30 pages/week.
Mark Edwards joined Nassau as Director of Youth Ministries in September of 2013. He is a lifelong Presbyterian and holds a PhD in Philosophy and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has taught at Princeton University, The College of New Jersey, and Princeton Theological Seminary. His Christ is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth is forthcoming in ‘22. Mark is married to Janine, and they have two great kids, a dog, a cat, seven chickens, and a bunch of bikes.
The Art of Faithfulness: CreatioDivina
Mondays, February 27 – March 27, 7:00-8:30 PM
Assembly Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church or on Zoom
CreatioDivina, hosted by BeauFolio Studio, incorporates the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina alongside a guided practice of sacred art-making with the benefit of fostering ideation, collaboration, and courageous conversations. During this 5-week journey, we will utilize creativity to explore the question, “what were we created to create?” Painting is the medium, but no prior expertise is required. Supplies will be provided and will include oil pastels and cambric cloth. CreatioDivina kits for virtual participants will be made available for pick up at church prior to the series. The sessions will include reflection on our own histories, images of Jesus, community, and prayer, using the process of painting as a pathway towards a deeper connection with God and each other.
Carmelle Beaugelin (www.carmellebeaugelin.com ) is a Haitian-American visual artist based in Princeton, NJ. Her creative focus includes paintings inspired by Afro-Latin Caribbean art styles and Christian spirituality. She is the Founder and Lead Curating Artist at BeauFolio Studio. Carmelle received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
The Immigrant Experience on Film
Wednesdays, March 1 – April 5, 8:00-9:00 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom
Register Here
We will view and discuss films made between 1950-2015 with a focus on the immigrant experience. Why do people leave their homelands? What challenges do they face in their new country? How has this experience changed over the years? We will also discuss the different approaches the filmmakers haven taken to the subject, and how their vision is influenced by their own historical and political times. Movies: Stromboli (1950), America, America (1963), The Godfather: Part II (1972), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), In America (2002), and Brooklyn (2015).
Liz Beasley, an ordained elder and deacon at Nassau Church, is active on the Mass Incarceration Task Force, volunteers with Villages in Partnership, and coordinates activities for the Present Day Club. She retired from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2019, and is a lifelong devotee of fiction, theater, and film.
Aruna Bhargava is a former college professor and author of 8 books – fantasy/adventure for children and entrepreneurship/entrepreneur stories for adults. Aruna and her husband run a nonprofit to help unemployed youth and underprivileged women in India to become entrepreneurs. Her passion is to help seniors maintain optimum mental and physical health and a joyful well-being.
Lina Genovesi, a member of Nassau Church for over 5 years, is active in the Mission and Outreach Committee, serves as a Commissioner with the Civil Rights Commission in Princeton, and advocates for peace and justice in the Middle East with Churches for Middle East Peace. She is a practicing attorney with a New Jersey law firm and resides in Princeton with her husband and two cats.
Art of Faithfulness: Photographing Parables
A man scattering seed on the ground. The bandaging of a victim’s wounds. A son so impoverished he is tempted to eat what pigs eat. A silver coin, one among ten, lost and then found. Parables aren’t just words. They are visual and meant to be seen as much as heard. Sacred Art of Photography returns during Lent with a focus on the parables. Over six weeks we will give ourselves the gift of taking a good look around and seeing parables present in our world. No technical skill or experience in photography is required, just your imagination and the means to take a digital photograph.
Thursdays, February 23 – March 30, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom
This group is full
Ned Walthall is a photographer based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He received his MFA from the Institute of Art and Design at New England College (formerly the New Hampshire Institute of Art). His work has been shown throughout the United States and abroad.
Tim Brown has led and participated in numerous small groups. He has been an amateur photographer going back to when cameras used film and lenses had to be focused by hand. For over fifty years he has been on a photographer’s journey of discovery; reveling in the light of the world.
Eric Barreto is Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, an ordained Baptist minister, and a Nassau parent. He earned a BA in religion from Oklahoma Baptist University, an MDiv from Princeton Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from Emory University. Prior to coming to Princeton Seminary, he served as associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, and also taught as an adjunct professor at the Candler School of Theology and McAfee School of Theology.
