As the academic year begins, we are delighted to introduce a new series of community events, the Civitas Book Club. As our tagline—Reading the Classics in Community—suggests, our desire is not only to enjoy, discuss, and be enriched by great books, but to do those things together: to read and enjoy great books in fellowship, as part of a community of readers.
A good book is one of life's great joys, and in my experience, a good book club is a wonderful enhancement of that joy: the pleasure of knowing that others are reading alongside you; the enjoyment (and even merriment) that arises from gathering together for discussion of a book; the way fellow readers, through those discussions, help one another understand tricky passages or gain new and deeper insights into the reading; and ultimately growing together in fellowship through the shared experience of delving together into some of the most compelling, moving, and excellent stories ever written.
So come and join Civitas teachers, students, parents, and members of the local Christian community in reading and discussing these great books! There will be three meetings in the 2024-2025 season: Jane Austen's comedy of manners, Persuasion; the Old Testament book of prophecy, Ezekiel; and the medieval fantasy Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
These are free, informal events; you can come to one or all as you choose. The idea is to read the book in advance and come for discussion (led by a Civitas teacher) and fellowship with others who have also just read the book. (And if you haven't completed the reading, but just want to meet and take part in the discussion—then you're still warmly invited to join us!)
Meeting 1
Book: Jane Austen’s Persuasion
Led by: Joseph & Isabella Leake
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: Presbyterian Church of Manchester
Meeting 2
Book: The Book of Ezekiel
Led by: John Sundet
Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025 [NOTE CHANGE OF DATE!]
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: Presbyterian Church of Manchester
Meeting 3
Book: Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
Led by: Joseph Leake
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: Presbyterian Church of Manchester