August 30, 9:30 - 10:15  am

Education Building Room 200 / Thompson Parlor

Teachers: Erlantz Hyppolite, Executive Director, Fonkoze USA and Kevin Cavanaugh, Director of Resource Development, Fonkoze USA

Fonkoze is a family of organizations working together to provide financial and development services that empower Haitian women and their families to build lasting pathways out of poverty toward economic independence. This will be an interactive class for participants to learn more about Fonkoze, the people involved with the organization, and the Haitian women who receive services from Fonkoze.

Big God, Big Questions: Exploring the PC(USA) 

Taught by Dr. Diane Tuttle and Rev. Dr. Brian Lays

Sundays, September 13 - October 18

Education Building Room 302/303

Curious about what it means to be Presbyterian? Whether you are a new member, a long-time member, a parent of a youth in Confirmation, a Confirmation mentor, or simply someone who wants to learn more about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), this seven-week Sunday School class is for you!

We will explore the foundations of our faith, the beliefs and practices of the PC(USA), and some of the "big questions" that shape our lives as Christians. Loosely following the PC(USA)'s Big God, Big Questions Confirmation curriculum, this class offers a welcoming space to learn, ask questions, and engage in meaningful conversation—no prior knowledge required.

Come discover what makes the Presbyterian tradition unique and deepen your understanding of our shared faith. Everyone is welcome!

Participants may also join via Zoom in a listen-only format. Look for a link a week before the class begins.

Diane Tuttle has been a member of the PCUSA denomination for over 45 years, serving as an elder in three congregations and a deacon in one. While living in Pennsylvania, she and her husband served for seven years as youth leaders for middle and high school students. This led to involvement with the Fun in the Son Northeast Regional Conference, where Diane served as co-director for approximately 10 years while David led the Work Crew. At RPC, Diane began teaching confirmation shortly after arriving and has enjoyed helping adolescents explore their faith and how to deepen, express, and live it.

Professionally, Diane has served nonprofit organizations throughout her career and recently retired after 26 years as CEO of Angelwood, Inc., a Jacksonville nonprofit serving people with developmental differences. This May, she completed a Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives from Portland Seminary. In quasi-retirement, she is doing nonprofit consulting and executive coaching and will begin teaching at George Fox University as an adjunct faculty member this fall.

Of all she has been able to do and be, Diane believes the most important is the gift of faith that allows her to believe in the triune God: the Creator; Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Sustainer.

Rule of Life: Ancient Christian Practices Reimagined for Today 

Teacher: Kristen Maiocco, Associate Director of The Playground at Flagler College’s Center for Religion and Culture

Sundays, September 13 - October 4

Education Building Room 200, Thompson Parlor

What if your daily life could become a place of encounter with God? A Rule of Life is an ancient, surprisingly practical way of ordering our days around the things that matter most — prayer, rest, work, community, and attention to God’s presence. 

In this class, we’ll explore what a Rule of Life is, where the practice comes from, and how ordinary people (not just monks!) have used it for centuries to live with greater intention and freedom. Together we’ll examine the life of St. Francis of Assisi to consider the rhythms already shaping our lives and prayerfully imagine ones that might sustain us. You’ll leave with the beginnings of a Rule of your own — a gentle, personal framework for living more fully in God’s grace. No prior experience needed, just curiosity and an openness to slowing down.

Kristen Maiocco is the Associate Director of The Playground at Flagler College’s Center for Religion and Culture in St. Augustine, where she designs and leads experiences in Christian formation, contemplative practice, and pilgrimage. A 2017 Flagler graduate, she has guided groups through formational journeys ranging from Franciscan pilgrimages in Rome and Assisi to retreats grounded in the rhythms of prayer, rest, and community. She is a lay leader in the PC(USA) with a longstanding interest in how ancient Christian practices can shape everyday life. Kristen is drawn to the places where faith and lived experience meet, and she’s delighted to spend these Sundays exploring the Rule of Life with the Riverside community.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis 

Taught by Ed Pratt Dannals

Sundays, October 11, 18, and 25

Education Building Room 200/Thompson Parlor

C.S. Lewis’s "The Great Divorce" is a theological allegory that imagines a bus journey from a grey, joyless town (hell or purgatory) to the outskirts of heaven, where souls are invited to embrace grace and reality. Through a series of encounters, Lewis illustrates how pride, self-deception, and attachment to sin prevent individuals from accepting the fullness of divine joy. Together, we will look at these issues and consider the nature of free will, repentance, and the eternal significance of everyday choices. To get the most out of the experience, we encourage you to begin reading the book before the first session. 

Need a copy of the book? Emily Heeg has copies available in her office for $10, or you are welcome to purchase your own before the class.

Ed Pratt-Dannals has been a member of Riverside Presbyterian Church and an adult Sunday school teacher for over 30 years. He retired in 2013 after a 36-year career in the Duval County Public Schools, where he served as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and Superintendent. He has been married to Jo Pratt-Dannals for over 50 years and has two adult children who live with their families in North Carolina. He enjoys studying and interacting with fellow members in Sunday school.

The Spirituality of Parenting Children:  5 Conversations about Faith and Family Life

Taught by Rev. Dr. Brian Lays and Emily Heeg 

Sundays, November 1 - 29

Education Building Room 306

Parenthood is filled with joy, wonder, exhaustion, and constant change. In the midst of caring for children, it can be difficult to care for your own spiritual and emotional well-being.

This five-week conversation series is for parents seeking to grow in faith while navigating the realities of family life. Each week will focus on a different topic and stand on its own, making it easy to join whenever you're able. Through Scripture, honest conversation, and practical spiritual practices, we'll discover God's presence in the chaos of family life. 

Week 1 - When Life is Overwhelming

Week 2 - Anxiety, Worry, and Trust

Week 3 - Emotions are Part of Spiritual Life

Week 4 - Building Rhythms that Sustain Us

Week 5 - Hope, Resilience, and Community

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, looking for deeper connection, or simply want to grow alongside other parents, we hope you'll join us for these meaningful conversations.

Click here to learn more about the nursery and Sunday School options for children.

The Theology of Work: Living Faithfully in Every Season of Work

Teacher: Michael Maiocco

Sundays, November 1, 8, and 15

Education Building Room 200/Thompson Parlor

We live in a world that constantly asks, "So, what do you do?"—and then uses our answer to decide how much we matter. It’s easy to get caught in the middle: either treating our work as an idol that defines our worth, or writing it off as meaningless filler while waiting for our "real" life to start.

This series offers a biblically grounded framework to help us untangle our Identity, our Calling, and our Work. Whether you're a student, an early-career professional, an at-home parent, caring for someone or something you hadn't planned on, or walking into retirement—this course is for everyone. Through teaching, guided reflection, and open discussion, we will look at what Scripture says about image-bearing, vocation, and daily labor in order to give us the tools to live and work faithfully.

Participants may also join via Zoom in a listen-only format. Look for a link a week before the class begins.

Michael Maiocco is from Flagler Beach, Florida, and has been married to Kristen since October 2017.

Michael works as a Creative at Compassion International, where he is part of the visual storytelling and creative strategy for partnerships with artists, churches, and influencers. He is driven by the conviction that the most important stories in the world deserve our most disciplined craft — and that what we see shapes what we love, and what we love defines who we become.

Michael’s interests are all over the place — he played baseball professionally, and these days he surfs, rock climbs, trains in Muay Thai, and plays the harp. He has a deep love for learning and holds an MATS, an MDiv, and a ThM in theology and the arts.

Ruth & Esther: Women Who Made the Way for Jesus

Teachers: Rev. Dr. John Ragsdale and Claudia Calhoun      

Sundays, November 1 - December 13

Education Building Room 302/303

Only two books in the Bible bear the name of women: Ruth, a foreigner taken into an Israelite family who becomes an ancestor of Jesus, and Esther, a Jew who becomes queen of an empire stretching from Egypt to India and the first person on record to fight anti-semitism. We will look at these two carefully crafted literary works and art that has been inspired by them.

Rev. Dr. John Ragsdale

After working in banking and finance for fifteen years, John responded to a call to ministry.  John attended Columbia Theological Seminary for his master’s and earned his doctorate from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.  He served as the pastor of churches in Orange Park, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Green Cove Springs, Florida, as the Executive Director of the Montgomery Presbyterian Center, and as Mission Coordinator for Leadership of the Presbytery of St. Augustine, retiring from full-time ministry in 2013. John and his wife, Sally, have two sons and live in Jacksonville, Florida, and Cashiers, NC. 

Claudia Calhoun

Claudia's background has been in teaching and practicing art, nonprofit consulting, and community volunteering.  She received a Master's degree in Christian Education in 2017 from  Union Presbyterian Seminary. There she began to connect how art can play a role in illuminating scripture and shaping how we see the world around us. Claudia and her husband, Jack, became members of Riverside after moving to Jacksonville from Lively, VA in 2020.

Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes: An Advent Study

Teachers: Rev. Dana Riley and Rev. Dr. Brian Lays

Sundays, November 29 - December 20

Education Building Room 200/Thompson Parlor

Join us for a four-week Advent journey through Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes. Using the imagery of four different “homes,” the book invites us to step inside each Gospel and experience the Christmas story through its unique perspective. As we explore Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we’ll discover how each Gospel reveals a different facet of who Jesus is and why His coming matters. 

Participants may also join via Zoom in a listen-only format. Look for a link a week before the class begins.