Educational Galas are opportunities to discuss practical, theological, and biblical topics that we aren't able to cover on Sunday mornings or in home groups. Each 90-minute seminar is followed by time to gather and share in conversation. Refreshments will be provided. To help us prepare resources, please contact Pastor Mike to choose one of the following seminars to attend:

Trauma-Informed Community: Pathways for Deeper Empathy
Pearl Church strives to be a community “where there is space for every part of you.” For many of us, traumatic experiences have been part of what has shaped us into the persons we are today. While the details of the experiences vary from person to person, there are often similarities in how those experiences have shaped our brain, and as a result, our ability to connect to others. Participants in this workshop will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which our brain and neurological system often adapt in the face of traumatic experiences and how those adaptations can adversely affect our relationships. We will also consider ways in which our woundedness, explored or unexplored, can be unexpectedly triggered as we engage with others who have similar places of wounding. Finally, we will look at tools that we can continue to develop as a community in order to become a community with deeper empathy for each other. It is through relationships--a tangible expression of the body of Christ--that we can find both the Healer and healing. Facilitated by Krys Springer, member at Pearl Church, Professor of Developmental Psychology, and Chaplain.

An Ethical Framework for Discerning Good
If the Bible isn’t a rule book or a clear-cut moral guide for every decision that we need to make, how do we go about discerning what is good? This is a question that our pastoral staff spent a few months discussing, which resulted in an ethical framework for discerning good in an array of circumstances. This framework considers collective and personal stories, principles, as well as several questions that can be asked in order to inch closer toward goodness. Perhaps you’re in the midst of making a big decision, or perhaps you wrestle with knowing how to discern what’s best when making decisions, or perhaps, as you’ve come to realize that the Bible doesn’t definitively direct particular judgments that you need to make about life and godliness, you’re looking for a thoughtful way to make wise decisions. If any of these statements speak to where you’re at, you may appreciate this seminar. Facilitated by Pastor Mike.