Adult Ministries

The desire to know God and grow in relationship with him is innate and lifelong. Whether you grew up in a house of worship, or have never stepped foot in one, you are welcome to join any of our adult faith formation opportunities at any time. Grace offers several distinct Sunday school classes for adults as well as midweek small groups, all-church studies, and spiritual retreats. Newcomers are always welcome! Take a one stop shop and sign up for all the faith formation groups by clicking here.

Sunday morning groups

Portico Connections

Portico Connections meets Sunday mornings at 9:15AM in Room 231. This is a great group to join if you have children or youth at 9:15AM Faith Formation Hour or if you attend 8:00AM or 10:30AM service, and want an hour of study and fellowship with a great group of people. Everyone is welcome! Contact Stefanie Abderhalden via email with any questions. Our next study begins on Sunday, September 21. Join us for a six-week study of Josh Scott's Parables.

Forum Class

The Forum Class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15AM in Room 232. This faithful and welcoming group enjoys a spirited study of the scriptures as well as presentations from guest speakers, often incorporating discussion and thought-provoking audio/visual material. Contact Sandy Bray via email for more information. Join us May 11 through September 7 as we discuss N. T. Wright's Studies of the Gospels (no class July 6). Everyone is welcome!

Hearts on Fire

Hearts on Fire gathers Sunday mornings at 9:15AM in Room 250 with a welcoming atmosphere to share in fun but challenging and meaningful discussions around faith and discipleship. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion! Contact Bob Pacanowski via email for more information. Join us May 25 through June 29 as we discuss Breaking the Code-Understanding the Book of Revelation by Bruce Metzger.

Questors

Questors welcomes all adults on Sunday mornings at 9:15AM in Room 254 to participate in presentations/discussions on a variety of topics: contemporary living issues, religious history, Biblical studies, etc. Class offers mission and fellowship opportunities. Everyone is welcome. Contact Betty Long via email or Joan Bratton via email for more information.

weekday groups

Temple Builders

Temple Builders meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:00AM in the Activity Center for exercise and strength training. Please contact the church office for information and availability.

Sisters Study

Sisters Study meets on Mondays at 1:00PM in Room 254. All women are invited to join in the discussion. Our next study will begin in September. Stay tuned for more details. Please reach out to Pastor Cindy Marino via email if you have any questions.

Parenting with Grace Mom's Group

Parenting with Grace Mom’s Faith Formation Group meets on Tuesdays at 7:00PM to 8:15PM in Room 231. Our Fall Study begins September 2, and we will study the book, Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul: 25 Devotions for Autumn by Anna Rendell. The season of autumn is both beloved and brief. In this book, author Anna E. Rendell encourages you to drink deep and savor this favorite time of year. Each of the 25 days includes a Scripture verse, devotion, reflection question, and an ‘extra shot’ (recipes, inspiring quotes, and fun autumn ideas) which are like espresso for your soul! Feel free to purchase the book by clicking here or just come for the discussion. All moms are invited! If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Abderhalden via email.

Disciple Bible Study

Come join us on Thursday mornings at 9:30AM in both Room 254 and on Zoom. Two Disciple Fast Track 12-week studies for 2025-2026 will be Letters of Paul, beginning September 18 through December18. In January through March, we Weill study Luke-Acts. Our Disciple Study is a welcoming, warm fellowship. The cost is $20. Register at peopleofgrace.org/adultgroups, or please contact either Sandy Bray via email or Pastor Doug Bowden via email.

DreamTables Planning
Team

After a season of looking up and out—praying together for God’s new possibilities and divine direction through our Grace Breakthrough Prayer—what comes next? It’s time to gather and name what the Spirit may be saying and doing.

Be part of a team that will train with leaders from the Innovation Center of United Theological Seminary to plan an all-church event at Grace called DreamTables. This will be a church-wide gathering for the people of Grace to recognize, share, and name the stirrings and invitations from the Holy Spirit. Together, we will sift our collective sense of call and begin shaping next steps in faithful response to our breakthrough prayers.

The team will train together in person at the church, with a leader of the Innovation Center joining us via Zoom. The training dates are:

TUESDAYS at 5:00PM to 6:30PM

Session 1 - Tuesday, September 9

Session 2 - Tuesday, September 30

Session 3 - Tuesday, October 14

Session 4 - Tuesday, November 4

Grace Breakthrough Prayer:
A group of prayer warriors got together back in late 2021 to explore a book called Flood Gates by Sue Nilson Kibbey. The following spring the team spent time with each group in the church to explain and teach the idea of ‘breakthrough prayer,’ praying for God to enter our lives in an extraordinary way. The team developed a ‘breakthrough prayer’ for Grace that we have used in worship for the last 3 years.

Almighty God, the people of Grace long to fulfill your purpose for us. Holy Spirit, show us the way in Jesus’ name. Amen.

All Church Book Read Fall 2025

Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become like Him, Do as He Did by John Mark Comer
Who Are You Following?

Everyone is being shaped by someone—or something. Whether we realize it or not, we’re all disciples. The real question is: Who—or what—is forming you?
If you’re sensing a deeper call… If your heart longs for more than just going through the motions… If you want to live intentionally, grounded in purpose and powered by God’s Spirit—then this journey is for you.

Join us this fall for Practicing the Way

This 8-week book and group experience is an invitation to a life of transformation. Together, we’ll discover how arranging our lives around the patterns and practices of Jesus opens us to the very power that raised him from the dead. This isn’t about behavior modification. It’s about becoming who you were created to be. Inspiration meets action. Faith meets formation. This is your moment to grow—deeper, fuller, truer—in the way of Jesus.

Here’s how to get started:

Get the book: Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer (order from your favorite bookseller)
Join a group: Sign up now for an 8-week discussion group on Mondays beginning September 15 at 1:00PM to 2:30PM or 6:00PM to 7:30PM
Explore more: Visit practicingtheway.org for free downloadable resources
Worship with us: A sermon series aligned with the book begins September 14, 2025.
Sign up today: Register at peopleofgrace.org/practicingtheway

Come discover the practices that shape a life—and a world—transformed by Jesus. Let’s practice the way together.

fellowship groups

Over 50 Fellowship

Are you Over 50? You are invited to gather and meet some new friends or gather with some old friends. Register for these two dates coming up this fall! Register online at the links below or at the Welcome Desk. Payment is due upon registration. You can pay via credit card online or in person at the Welcome Desk with cash or check. If you register online, you will receive a confirmation email once you register. If you don't receive one, that means your registration did not go through. Please resubmit or contact Pastor Kim at kim.neace@peopleofgrace.org.

Thursday, September 18 from 12:00 to 2:00PM – Country Western Shindig
Register at peopleofgrace.org/over50country
Celebrate some 60’s and 70’s Country-Western music led by professional host MARIO C., the same musician that led our “Over 50 Sock Hop.” Stomp, clap and sing-along to music from the likes of Willie Nelson, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, and many others. Be sure to wear your Western duds and try your hand at a simple square dance and a couple of line dances led by our own Pastor Kim.

Thursday, December 4 from 12:00PM to 2:00PM – Trip to Antarctica
Register at peopleofgrace.org/over50antarctica
You are invited to join the Over 50 Cruise Ship as we travel to Antarctica. The tour guide is our very own Bobbi Khant sharing her travelogue. We may even see a few penguins if we are lucky!

Guys Gathering Together

Guys Gathering Together is a group for men who share common interests. Get out, eat, have fun, and have enjoyable conversations about various topics in a casual setting that impact each of us in today's world. The goal is to build relationships with other men around common values of integrity and honesty, while learning with and from each other. Stay tuned for details of our next gathering. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Bob Pacanowski via email.

Grace Community Builders

Grace Community Builders help build a stronger sense of community within our church. This powerful idea is based on getting to know other members of our church better and to have an enjoyable time while doing it. Each (GCB) Group is comprised of six people and each Community Builder will spend approximately one hour a week with a different participant in his/her group over a period of five weeks. The meetings are set up by each participant and can be at the church Gathering Space, at a restaurant, coffee shop, or wherever you choose. At the end of five weeks, we will have a potluck at the church for participants and their spouse, significant other, or a friend.

GCB is starting group meetings beginning Sunday, October 12. To signup for a group or for more information, concat via email or at 913-961-2903 by October 3.

Working for Racial Justice Group

Anyone interested in racial justice and eager to help Grace UMC and our community demonstrate how to love our neighbor and truly love our neighbor despite race or ethnicity is welcome to join the Working for Racial Justice Group. This group strives to provide opportunities for creating community and relationships among people of all races and ethnicities. In addition, this group hopes to provide opportunities for learning how to help our community and our world stand up against racial injustice through various offerings of speakers, service projects, book studies, and events. Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00PM in Room 254.

amplify media
digital faith formation resources

Amplify Media is a service that Grace subscribes to so that every member can have access to resources that encourage deeper discipleship and equip them to pursue their faith formation journey with greater impact. Amplify has videos that can be used in your small groups, Bible studies and, of course, in your own personal faith journey. You can access all of these videos anytime and on almost any device.

Who: Amplify has resources for all ages (adults, children, and youth) that can used for your own individual faith journey or as part of a small group. The resources are from publishers like Cokesbury and include popular authors such as Adam Hamilton and N.T. Wright.

Where: You can access all of these videos anytime and almost any devices.

How: To access our Amplify account, click here and enter our Access Code: BTSNPM

Why: To engage more deeply in your faith and to builder deeper community with Christ and others in a new way.