Adult Ministry
Adults
Adult faith formation can happen in many places including worship, Sunday School, conversations over coffee, small groups, service opportunities and more. Our goal is to offer a variety of programs and opportunities to help you grow and mature in your faith.
Small Groups
If you are interested in joining a small group but don’t see one that fits your schedule or interests, please contact Emily at emily.heeg@rpcjax.org.
Small Group 2: Men's Small Group
This is a casual Tuesday morning gathering for men of all ages to discuss their lives and faith. Interested? Contact website@rpcjax.org
Small Group 3: Women (30s)
Mondays at 7:30 pm, twice a month.
A group for women in their 30s. They meet to build spiritual friendships and deeper connection to God. Group meets once/month in a small group member’s home and once/month at a restaurant.
Questions? Email us.
Small Group 5: Women (50s plus)
Third Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. A group of women, mainly with children in college and beyond, who gather once a month for fellowship and a chance to share their lives and pray with each other. Interested in learning more? Contact Emily Heeg.
Living Your Strengths 6-Week Small Group
Living Your Strengths: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts
Thursdays from 10:30 - 11:30 am in the Thompson Parlor beginning April 9
Facilitator: Emily Heeg
God has uniquely created each of us with strengths meant to bless the church and the world. This 6-week small-group experience will help you discover and deepen your understanding of your God-given talents through Living Your Strengths (Church Edition), a resource based on the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment.
Together, we will:
Explore what Scripture says about gifts and calling.
Identify and celebrate our personal strengths.
Learn how different strengths work together in the body of Christ.
Discern how to use our strengths in church, family, work, and community life.
Create a personal statement of call rooted in our strengths.
Participants will take the CliftonStrengths assessment and use their results as a guide for conversation, reflection, and prayer. Each week will include Scripture, discussion, and practical activities that connect faith with everyday life.
Click here to register. Spaces are limited.
Ongoing Bible Studies
Monthly MORNING Women’s Bible Study
All women are invited to a monthly Bible study exploring Finding Resilience, Joy, and Our Identity in Jesus Christ. Led by Nancy Schneider
The group begins at 10:45 AM with light refreshments and time for conversation and connection. At 11:00 AM, Nancy Schneider will lead participants in a thoughtful and encouraging study of Scripture, focusing on familiar passages in the New Testament.
This group will typically meet on the first Monday of each month, and women are invited to participate each month as they are able.
Come and be part of a welcoming community of women growing together in faith.
Meeting Dates for MORNING Bible Study:
October 6
November 3
December 1
January 5
February 2
March 2
April 13
May 4 (includes Salad Luncheon)
Monthly AFTERNOON Women's Bible Study
All women are invited to this monthly Bible study exploring Finding Resilience, Joy, and Our Identity in Jesus Christ.
This group gathers at 12:30 pm for a time of connection and fellowship. Many participants bring their lunch/snack to enjoy during this time.
At 1:00 pm, Emily Heeg leads the group in a thoughtful and encouraging study of Scripture, focusing on familiar passages from the New Testament.
This group will typically meet on the first Monday of each month from 12:30 - 2:00 pm.
Meeting Dates for Afternoon Bible Study:
October 6
November 3
December 8
January 5
February 2
March 2
April 13
May 4 (includes Salad Luncheon)
Pastor Brian's Bible Study (1st and 3rd Wednesdays)
1st and 3rd Wednesdays in the Thompson Parlor.
Join your fellow Riversiders and Pastor Brian on the first and third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am for an ongoing study of various books in the Bible. This conversation-based class will begin with the Gospel of Luke, and offers an opportunity to study scripture in community.
You are also invited to come at 9:30 am to enjoy some relaxed conversation time with donuts and coffee.
Adult Sunday School Classes
Sundays, 9:30–10:15 am
Apr 12 - May 17: Living Your Strengths: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts
April 12 - May 17 at 9:30 am
Education Building Room 302/303 at 9:30 am
Teacher: Emily Heeg
God has uniquely created each of us with strengths meant to bless the church and the world. This 6-week small-group experience will help you discover and deepen your understanding of your God-given talents through Living Your Strengths (Church Edition), a resource based on the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment.
Together, we will:
Explore what Scripture says about gifts and calling.
Identify and celebrate our personal strengths.
Learn how different strengths work together in the body of Christ.
Discern how to use our strengths in church, family, work, and community life.
Create a personal statement of call rooted in our strengths.
Participants will take the CliftonStrengths assessment and use their results as a guide for conversation, reflection, and prayer. Each week will include Scripture, discussion, and practical activities that connect faith with everyday life.
No sign up necessary for this class.
April 12 - May 17: Letters that Shape the Soul
April 12 - May 17 at 9:30 am
Thompson Parlor, Education Building Room 200
Facilitator: Nancy Schneider
This class is based on the NY Times best-seller “The Correspondent”. This epistolary novel offers a unique opportunity to explore the relevance of ancient truths from Paul’s New Testament letters in addressing universal life themes related to the story’s protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp.
Topics include the freedom in forgiveness, the work of reconciliation, the potential in human connection, the practice of perseverance, and legacy building for the good.
Participants will find it helpful to have completed "The Correspondent" prior to the class and will need a copy of the book for ongoing reference. Nancy Schneider will be facilitating the interactive class, with John Ragsdale guiding the analysis of Paul’s coordinating letters.
Ongoing Class: Parents of Young Children: Faith and Family
Sacred Space
April 12 - May 17
For most of the school year, we’ve offered a Sunday School class for parents of young children. For the final five weeks, we’re taking a break from that class and trying something a little different.
After dropping your children off at 9:30 am, we invite you to take some time for yourself. Many of our parents like to gather at Brew (1024 Park St) for a cup of coffee and some conversation with other RPC folks. Some other choices are to go for a walk, enjoy a cup of coffee at one of our other neighborhood coffee shops, or simply find a quiet moment before worship begins. We hope this can be a small gift of rest on your Sunday morning.
May 31–June 28: Neighborhood Church: Reimagining Our Role in the Community
May 31 - June 28, 9:30 - 10:15 am
Education Building Room 200 / Thompson Parlor
What if our church became an even more vibrant, life-giving presence in our neighborhood?
In Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation into a Powerhouse for Mission, authors Eric Van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller offer a hopeful and practical vision for congregations as active partners in the communities around them. Drawing on years of parish experience, real-life stories, and the principles of Asset-Based Community Development, they invite churches to listen deeply, build meaningful relationships, and discover new ways to engage the gifts already present in their neighborhoods.
In this 5-week class, we’ll explore key ideas from the book and reflect together on Riverside’s role in our own community. How is God already at work around us? And how might we join in?
Join us for conversation, reflection, and imagination for what could be.
July 5–August 30: Stories of Transformation
July 5 - August 30, 9:30 - 10:15 am
Education Building Room 200 / Thompson Parlor
Riverside Presbyterian Church’s core values are belonging, connecting and transforming. Through the Be the Church campaign and our work with church consultants, we have learned that many of us struggle to understand and discuss how God and the church have transformed our lives. This summer, we’re inviting congregants to help us explore this together by sharing stories of transformation.
Each Sunday, a new church member or friend of the congregation will share how they have experienced transformation in their own life, personally or through a group or organization.
Through these personal stories, we will grow in our understanding of transformation and how this core value shapes who we are as individuals and as a community.
We hope you can join us for these enlightening conversations.
College Students
Our ministry with college students of our church focuses on a few things.
- Going to Montreat College Conference in January
- College Secret Pal Ministry (each college student has a "secret pal" who will send them encouraging notes / gifts throughout the school year. They are revealed at the end of the school year!) If you know someone who should have a Secret Pal, please call the Church Office, (904) 355-4585.
Need help getting connected to a college ministry at your school? Contact
rpcyouthadmin@rpcjax.org
