This week, we’re asking: how do you fit a full Sunday School lesson into twenty-five minutes? Our worldwide church is shifting to shorter lesson blocks, and teachers everywhere are feeling nervous. Isaiah in 25 minutes? What do you cut, what do you keep?
Today we’re sitting down with Patrick and Melissa Mason to think through this transition and to really embrace it as an invitation to consider what church is actually for. We talk about the difference between content and communion, why less can genuinely be more, and get some great tips for preparing for these blocks.
We get into the unglamorous but invaluable art of ending on time, and for anybody worried about the quick transitions, Patrick invites us to consider whether getting stuck in the hallway to catch up with a friend or hear about what’s going on in the life of a neighbor might not be defeating the purpose of church so much as fulfilling it.
Patrick is the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University and Melissa is a clinical social worker and therapist whose work focuses on relationships and personal growth. Both Patrick and Melissa spend so much of their daily lives teaching, listening, and engaging in meaningful conversation, and we couldn’t imagine better people to help us think through how these 25 minutes might become genuinely nourishing and powerful moments in our spiritual lives.
Patrick and Melissa will both be joining us at Restore:Connect this year so if you’d like to hear more from them, you can get your tickets now!
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JOIN US AT RESTORE!
Announcing our speakers and topics for Restore:Connect!
Friends, we are so pleased to share the speakers and sessions for Restore:Connect, happening September 24-26 in Orem, Utah.
STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS
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JOIN WAYMAKERS IN WASHINGTON, DC ON SEPTEMBER 19!
This event is FREE and open to the public (ages 16+), but registration is required. Space is limited especially in the afternoon workshops, so be sure to register now…then invite your friends to do the same!
“Peacemakers Needed” will be a half-day workshop featuring multiple keynote addresses and interactive workshops. You’ll learn practical, skills-based strategies from experienced teachers that can help you navigate interpersonal, interfaith, and political conflict with greater understanding and confidence.
JOIN MWEG FOR A SPECIAL COMMUNITY SCREENING ON SEPTEMBER 17
Join us for a free community screening of “9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero,” a powerful documentary that explores the story behind the rebuilding of Ground Zero and the people who came together in the wake of tragedy to shape a shared future.
This documentary invites us to reflect on resilience, healing, and the importance of community. Through stories of collaboration, remembrance, and hope, it highlights how people from diverse backgrounds worked together to honor those lost while creating a space of dignity and renewal.
Following the screening, attendees are invited to participate in discussion focused on peacemaking, understanding, and the power of respectful conversation. We’ll explore how listening to one another’s perspectives and building relationships can strengthen our communities and inspire collective action.
This event welcomes all community members. Registration is required.
