Adult Classes
Check out our classes!
These are open to all in the community.
Please register online or call reception
for assistance at (352) 376-6615.
Upcoming Classes
Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul
Celtic wisdom for reawakening to what our souls know and healing the world
Tues 9/1-10/27 | 9:30-10:45 AM OR Wed 9/2-10/28 | 6:30-7:45 PM
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Bio: Stan Beckerdite’s Christian journey has led him to the Spiritual Formation movement: a process whereby we are conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. He is retired from the U.S. Navy and UF and is married to a fellow Navy retiree, Ann Abbott. His primary reason for leading classes is to gain and share insight and wisdom by discussing spiritual topics with fellow Christians.
Spanish for Lifelong Learners
A task-based, communicative class
Tues 9/1-12/29 | 5:15-6:15 PM
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Bio: Jonita Stepp-Greany has served in the recent past as an educational consultant, providing professional development workshops to foreign language teachers. She was formerly the Spanish Language Program Director at Florida State University, where she supervised curriculum and instruction and taught Spanish, as well as a world language teaching methods course. Previously, she worked as a classroom instructor of French and Spanish in Alachua County and subsequently at UF’s P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School. She has been a content writer and reviewer for several foreign language textbook publishers and has published a number of her own articles in foreign language teaching journals.
Getting Your Ducks in a Row Before the Time Comes
Planning ahead for senior living
Wed 9/2-10/21 | 4:00-5:00 PM
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Bio: Cindy Capen has been a member of Trinity UMC for over 20 years. She is a mother and grandmother and is now a retired nurse of almost 50 years. It was her experience as a hospice nurse that led her to this class, having seen the many ways planning ahead in our senior years can matter to peace of mind as our bodies become less able. Her goal is to help fill knowledge gaps and motivate action for those who choose this class.
Joy in the Journey
A Study of the Book of Philippians
Wed 9/2-9/16 | 6:30-7:45 PM
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Bio: Brian Myers is a passionate student and teacher of Scripture. A longtime member of Trinity UMC, he has held numerous leadership and teaching roles and is currently Co-Lay Leader for the North West District of the Florida Conference of the UMC. He also hosts the Awaken To Grace podcast, produced by the Florida Conference of the UMC. He and his wife, Margaret, are the parents of two adult sons.
The Good Life Through Film
Movies are a sublime and accessible art for studying the divine
Wed 9/2-10/14 | 6:30-8:00 PM
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Bio: Adam Naim - A bio as provided by his 9-year-old Maddie: "My Dad slash Adam has a good sense of humor. He wants to start a movie conversation club because he likes to talk during movies. Also, after the movie. But mostly during the movie. Which means we have to pause a lot. Sometimes the movies can be short (Like "Bluey"). Sometimes they can be long (like "Hamilton"). You will have to be patient with him because he was born in the late 1900's when Netflix streamed through the mailbox." I don't think I could have done it better myself. I'm 47, I like stories; books, movies, plays...wherever stories are found. As with parables, I think stories are a powerful tool for conveying truths about the world and our experience in it. The best way to understand such truths is through discussion. Join me, won't you?
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
Insight into the mystery of God’s Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven
Wed 9/2-11/11 (off 10/21) | 6:30-7:45 PM
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Bio: Lance Hastings is a retired ordained missionary and frequent facilitator of classes at Trinity. He has a strong background in both Judaism and Christian theology. Tom Vencuss is a retired Methodist minister with an equally strong background in missions and both Jewish and Christian theology.
Rising Resilient
A Christ-centered journey toward healing, resilience, and wholeness
Wed 9/9-10/21 | 6:30-7:30 PM
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Bio: Gabrielle Maurer is a trauma-informed Yoga teacher and MSW intern with a clinical focus on mental health therapy, nervous system regulation, and resilience-building practices. Gabrielle is passionate about creating accessible spaces for reflection, growth, and healing within faith communities.
Called to Journey, Called to Welcome
A Biblical Perspective on Immigration
Thurs 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, 11/19 | 9:30-11:00 AM
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Bio: Eric L. Papaya is the Director of Faith Mission, a campus of Trinity United Methodist Church. Eric holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Ministry from Messiah University (2009), a Masters in Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary (2013) and a Masters in Higher Education from Messiah University (2019). Prior to his role at Trinity, Eric worked in Africa for ten years in micro-finance, developing and teaching theological curriculum, and overseeing a network of church partnerships in Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique.
Beginnings and Blessings
A Study of Genesis 1-12
Wed 10/14-11/4 | 6:30-7:45 PM
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Bio: Brian Myers is a passionate student and teacher of Scripture. A longtime member of Trinity UMC, he has held numerous leadership and teaching roles and is currently Co-Lay Leader for the North West District of the Florida Conference of the UMC. He also hosts the Awaken To Grace podcast, produced by the Florida Conference of the UMC. He and his wife, Margaret, are the parents of two adult sons.
Hope for the Homeless is US
Gain a deeper understanding of homelessness
Wed 10/21 | 6:30-8:00 PM
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Bio: Fred Schilffarth has been working with the homeless since 2008, when he became the Director of Homeless Services at CCMI. In 2010, he founded “Friends of Lee County Home”, working on a street level assisting the homeless, providing education and referrals, and was the “go-to guy” to the homeless community. He started the shower ministry in June 2010 and was involved in the beginning of the homeless bicycle ministry at First Baptist Church of Ft. Myers. He was the 2011 recipient of the Dean Blietz Memorial Award and joined the Lee County Homeless Coalition Board in 2012, as well as the Family Health Services Board of Directors in 2013. Fred was a Lay Leader at St. John UMC. He has been a board member of Heartland Coalition for the Homeless since 2017 and served as the Chairman of the Central FL Continuum of Care in 2019. Since moving to Gainesville and rejoining Trinity UMC, he has volunteered with Gainesville Community Ministries, St. Frances House, and is a member of the Leadership Council of Alachua Continuum of Care and Board Chair of NHDC.
Contemplative Watercolor
Painting Fall Leaves
Wed 11/11 | 6:30-8:30 PM
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Bio: Melody Lozano is an award winning watercolorist whose luminous, rhythmic paintings have been exhibited in local, state, and international juried watercolor exhibitions. She credits her most important art education to her grandmother who first introduced her to the basics of watercolor but more importantly taught her to view the world with an artist’s eye. Melody enjoys living in the Gainesville, Florida area because there is no shortage of inspiration and beauty in the natural landscape. Melody’s artist statement is: “There are ordinary moments on ordinary days when suddenly a veil is lifted, and for a fleeting moment we catch a glimpse of abundant beauty, insight, or depth beyond words. My work is about awakening our attention to these moments in order to drop deeper into these spaces of expanded reality and divine resonance. My intention is to invite others to unlock the beauty and mystery hidden in their own everyday lives, and to be inspired to participate in their own wordless conversations with love and joy.”