Home

Adults

G.I.F.T. (Growing in Faith Together)

What questions do you wrestle with in your faith? How can you deepen your relationship with God? What are we called to do in this world as Christians? This is a time when adults of all ages gather together to learn, share, and grow in their faith. A variety of different series and opportunities are planned throughout the year and are offered from different ministries within Southminster like Creation Care, Discipling, Mission & Social Justice.

G.I.F.T. Classes

Rob Bell’s “Luggage” Talk

Gift Hour Sunday February 15, 2026 Rob Bell’s “Luggage” Talk

Rob Bell is a prominent former evangelical pastor who remains a significant, though controversial, figure in Christianity today, known for challenging traditional doctrines, emphasizing inclusive love, and focusing on present experience over rigid dogma.

We will review God’s desire for us to have healthy relationships through Rob’s insight and suggestions in the video “Luggage”.

Lenten Series GIFT Hour

Lenten Gift Hours: Ray Vander Laan—That the World May Know

Sunday 11:15 AM GIFT Hour Series
NOW LOCATED in the Community Room downstairs in the basement.

Ray’s preaching and teaching ministry is focused on understanding the Bible in light of the historical and cultural context in which God placed it. This perspective on the Bible highlights God’s call for His people to be a transforming influence on their culture. He uses research of the top scholars in the fields of archaeology, history, and Biblical study as tools to explore the Biblical text ever more deeply. His gifts, expertise, and calling are to link that cultural information and the Bible so that its message applies to our lives today in very practical ways.

Lenten Dates for this series:

March 1: Lamb of God—Mount of Olives

March 8: The Weight of the World—Capernaum and Gethsemane

March 15: The Last Passover

March 22: The Fifth Cup—Our Way of Hope

March 29: Roll Away the Stone—Garden Tomb

Please plan to attend these presentation—you will gain some new insights around Jesus and the last week of his life.

Past G.I.F.T. Series
Video Recordings

Featured Speaker from a Cloud of Witness Faith Stories

Featured Cloud of Witness Faith Story for February/March 2026

Southminster has a tradition each summer for members to share their faith stories. We are looking back at stories shared in the last few years and highlighting one member every two months.

For February/March we are featuring Janine Milner.

I have enjoyed others faith stories because each has been unique, but Jesus in their lives has been the constant. The Cloud of Witnesses, is all the people that God has put in our lives. Some have come and are gone and others are in for many years. I thank God for all those that He put into mine. I grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church before moving to the Moorings with my sister. Ruth has been a longtime member of Southminster. After being here for over seven years that I have found a church home. Read my story.

To hear Janine’s faith story: Link to Janine Milner August 21, 2022

Unlocking the Bible

“Unlocking the Bible” by Colin Smith

Sunday 11:15 AM GIFT Hour Series

The whole Bible is one story. It begins in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, with the Creator and His new creation, the garden of Eden. The Bible ends in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, in a city, the new Jerusalem. All the way through, the Bible points us to Jesus Christ as our Savior. Colin presents the big picture of the Bible story—like a high-altitude flight over a range of mountains, you will receive a glimpse of the Bible’s highest peaks.

You won’t be told what to believe but will discover what the Bible teaches. These lessons are basic and easy to understand. Regardless of you level of Bible knowledge, we hope that you will join us.

This series will give you a place to better understand the Bible.

Dates for the 10 Key Series:

October 12 Key 1 “The Garden Click to watch video
November 23 Key 2 “The Law” Click to watch video
November 30 Snow Day – Church Closed
December 7 Key 3 “The Sacrifice” Click to watch video
December 21 Key 4 “The Invitation” Click to watch the video
January 4 Key 5 “The Manager” Click to watch the video
January 11 Key 6 “The Cross” Click to watch the video
January 18 Key 7 “The Tomb” Click to watch the video
January 25 Key 8 “The Spirit” Click to watch the video
February 1 Key 9 “ The Fight” Click to watch the video
February 8 Key 10 “The City” Click to watch the video

Protecting Earths Natural Resources

On November 16, we will welcome Dr. Nancy Tuchman from Loyola University Chicago. This will be at Southminster’s GIFT Hour after worship at 11:15 in the Sanctuary. Dr. Tuchman will raise our awareness of the unsustainable consumption of Earth’s natural resources. She will present the amazing accomplishments of Loyola’s youth-based Socio-Ecological Systems. What will we learn? How to move forward as we care for God’s Earth, our home. Practical steps we can take as individuals. The stumbling blocks we may face.

Click Here for the Video

Social Justice Team Presents

10/26 Presentation Myths & Realities About Affordable Housing by Hugh Brady Housing Task Force – Click Here for Video

11/2 Presentation Houseless Friends, Monica Stajniak from Northwest Compass – Click Here for Video

What are the Risks and Rewards of Coming Out as LGBTQ+ ?

National Coming Out Day was celebrated by the LGBTQ+ Community on October 11th of this year. Coming out as LGBTQ+ can be a scary step forward for those who have been closeted. In today’s political climate, especially, it takes courage to first come to terms with who you are and then share this personal news with family and friends. Click Here for the Video

Keys to Unlocking the Bible

Sunday Oct 12, 11:15 Gift Hour: Lesson 1 “In The Garden,”

This will be the first of 10 lessons we will offer from a DVD series entitled, 10 Keys to Unlocking the Bible, by Colin S. Smith. Lessons 2-5 will be done this Advent season and Lessons 6-10 will be done during Lent, 2026. This series will give you a place to better understand the Bible. Click Here for Video & Handout.

NOTE: We will continue this series with 4 weeks during Advent and 5 weeks during Lent.

Rob Bell Nooma Videos

Please join us for these 2 GIFT HOURS. Rob Bell’s Nooma video series provide different, creative, thought provoking ways to look at our relationship with God.

Come join us these 2 Sundays as we seek, in a quiet, reflective atmosphere, to gain new perspectives, insights, thoughts, and maybe even new questions about our relationship with God.

September 28: Rob encourages us to ponder whether or not our lives are in tune with the “song that has a melody, a groove, a certain rhythm, which people have heard for thousands of years across continents, cultures, and time periods, and they’ve wanted to hear more”. Click Here for Video & Handout
October 5: Rob uses his memories of a time hiking with his 1 year old son when suddenly a thunderstorm struck. His son burst into tears and Rob had to cuddle him tightly against his heart and kept whispering to him, “I love you buddy. We’re going to make it. Dad knows the way home.” In the storms of our lives, God wants to tell us the same thing. Click for Video & Handout