• Matthew 25 Book Group – Our Matthew 25 Book Group will meet on Mondays, May 18 and June 15 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the book Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis by Norman Wirzba. In the book Wirzba recasts hope not as something people have, like a vaccine to prevent pain and trouble, but as something people do. It grows in contexts of nurture and belonging. Hope ignites when people join in what Wendell Berry calls “love’s braided dance”—a commitment to care for one another and our world. Come join us as we hope together. Contact Bookmarks or order your copy or click on the “book clubs” section of their webpage and look for Highland’s Matthew 25 Book Group. You will receive 20% off when ordering there. Reach out to Debbie Layman with questions or to sign up.

• Poverty Book Group: Our Poverty Book Group will conclude our discussion of There Is No Place for Us on Tuesday, May 26.This book shares the stories of five families in Atlanta and helps us understand more about our neighbors who are working and unhoused. Contact Debbie Layman if you have interest in joining the discussions.

• Listening to Black Voices Book Group: Join us via Zoom at 7:00 p.m. May 19 as we continue reading and reflecting on the experience of our African American neighbors and consider what our faithful responses might entail. If you are interested, please contact Randy Harris.

• LGBTQ Book Group, Summer Study: Queer Communion: Religion in Appalachia, by Davis Shoulders. Our group will gather on a date to be determined (in September) at 4:00 p.m. in the Ardmore Room to discuss this beautifully written collection of twelve essays, poems, and stories that follows and fractures the expectations surrounding LGBTQIA+ Appalachians and their religious beliefs. Gathered by Davis Shoulders, the pieces delve into themes of chosen family, loss, congregation, and alternative expressions of faith. Set against the backdrop of Christian cultural mores and a region considered to be deeply pious, these writings offer diverse perspectives on religion, queerness, and growth. Queer Communion explores everything from the joy and excitement of worship to the complexities of navigating one’s queerness and spiritual convictions in oppressive environments. Copies are available through Bookmarks. You will receive 20% off when you tell them at the time of your order you are with the Bookmarks’ Book Club program. Contact Debbie Layman with questions or to sign up.

• Highland Pageturners Women’s Book Group: This group meets the 3rd Wednesday every month at 7 p.m. at rotating homes and are having a fabulous time together along with lively discussions. The book for May is Conform, by Ariel Sullivan. Contact Ednamae Fisher for more information or to sign up!

• Thursday Morning Women’s Study: This group meets every Thursday, 10:00–11:30 a.m., Ardmore Room, and will be learning from Lynn Japinga’s book: From Daughters to Disciples: Women’s Stories from the New Testament, March 5-May 7. In this second of two volumes, Lynn Japinga acquaints readers with the women of the New Testament. From faithful forerunners like Anna and Elizabeth to female disciples like the sisters Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene to first-generation followers like Lydia and Dorcas, readers will encounter a wealth of foremothers in the faith in all their messy, yet redeemable, humanity. This Bible study introduces and retells every female character who contributes to one or more New Testament stories, diving deeply into what each woman’s story means for us today. Please contact Heather Ferguson for more information.