Faith Formation for Adults

Many of our adult classes are offered via a hybrid (on site/online) model. For more information or to receive the Zoom link for any of our adult Sunday or midweek classes, please contact Pastors’ Assistant Meredith Koliba in the church office.

Reformed and Always Reforming 

• (Trent Room/Hybrid)
• Join us as we explore the parables of Jesus and what they reveal about the Kingdom of God. Guided by Proclaiming the Parables: Preaching and Teaching the Kingdom of God by Thomas G. Long, we’ll examine these familiar stories in their biblical and theological context, discovering that they are far more than simple moral lessons. Instead, the parables proclaim the surprising, transformative reality of God’s Kingdom and continue to challenge, encourage, and shape Christ’s church today.
  Purchasing the book is optional. Weekly parables and Scripture passages will be provided so participants can prepare by reading directly from the Bible, and the class will be taught with the expectation that not everyone has the book.
  Come ready for thoughtful discussion as we deepen our understanding of Jesus’ teaching and grow together in our appreciation of the wisdom, grace, and power of Jesus’ parables.

The Open Door Class

• (Session Room/Hybrid)
• Join the Open Door class as they begin the fall by studying the following two books. The class will select a third book to read in spring 2027.
  • The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger About Loving Our Neighbors by Emily Smith (2023). Written by an epidemiologist who teaches at Duke University’s Global Health Institute, Dr. Smith uses stories and data to explore what one of Jesus’ most well-known parables can teach readers today about “neighboring.” For her, epidemiology is “the quantifying of a need through data.” The interpretive lens of the Good Samaritan helps Smith explain difficult ideas like historical inequities, structural violence, and systemic racism and challenge Christians to “not walk by” but choosing to center what Jesus centered on and see our vulnerable neighbors.
  • How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde (2023). Budde is the Episcopal bishop of Washington, DC who gained a level of notoriety because of her interactions with President Trump; first in 2020 as a result of Black Lives Matter protests in Lafayette Square and secondly in 2025 during the inauguration prayer service where she beseeched Trump to “have mercy on those in our country who have fear.” Weaving together stories from the Bible, from history, from popular culture, and her own life, Bishop Budde delineates decisive moments people face and calls readers to act courageously in ways that align with their values in such moments.

Faith, Facts, and Fellowship

• (Reading Room/Hybrid)
• It’s a rebrand, baby! Welcome to the next phase of Covenant Conversation. The class will now be called Faith, Facts, and Fellowship: Exploring Christianity through History, Devotion, and Conversation.
  The class will be a deep dive into topics that have been sitting on the edges of polite conversation for some time and are just begging for a closer look.
• Topics like what?
  • When was the Bible first written down? Why?
  • What does it mean to live your life like Jesus?
  • Where did Israel come from?
  • What do we actually know about Mary from Magdala?
  • What does the Bible actually tell us about homosexuality?
  • How can we be true Christians in a dysvangelical America?
  • Where is and what the heck is the Ark of the Covenant?
  • Where did our version of Satan originate?
• These will be short, 1–2 week lessons crafted to challenge your mind and open your heart. We can’t wait to start the conversation!

Words on the Word

• (Lemon Library/Hybrid)
• Adults see the world through the lens of their life experiences, backgrounds, and transitions. Participants in the Words on the Word class bring diverse perspectives, including different religious experiences. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of Scripture and explore how God’s Word speaks to our lives today. The class uses the Feasting on the Word curriculum, which follows the lectionary readings for each Sunday. Each week, we engage with a Gospel reading along with selections from the Old Testament, Psalms, Prophets, New Testament, and Epistles. On September 13, our first Sunday of the school year, we will explore Matthew 18, Romans 14, and Psalm 102.
• The lectionary follows a three-year cycle, covering approximately 90% of the New Testament and 20% of the Old Testament. Our ministers often draw their sermons from these same readings, providing additional insight into the day’s Scripture.
• The class also occasionally explores secular literature that offers fresh perspectives on the biblical texts. Through discussion, reflection, and shared exploration, we seek to engage Scripture in meaningful ways. So, dust off the Bible on your nightstand or bookshelf and join us as we explore God’s Word together in this weekly adult Sunday school class.

Faithful Families

• (Klein Classroom)
• Faithful Families is an adult Sunday school class for couples, parents, and individuals seeking to grow in faith through meaningful conversation, Bible study, and authentic community. We believe that every stage of life offers opportunities to deepen our relationship with Christ and learn from one another.
• We’ll begin the year by exploring themes of grace, redemption, forgiveness, hope, and purpose through the lens of popular culture, including Ted Lasso, The Good Place, and Wicked. From there, we’ll branch into a variety of biblical and contemporary topics throughout the year, always seeking to connect God’s Word with everyday life. Come join us as we learn, grow, and encourage one another in Christ.

POP-UP Sunday School*

• (Fellowship Hall, *First Sunday of the Month)
• Gather the first Sunday of the month for POP-UP Sunday School. Drop in for an interesting topic or guest speaker. Topics will include updates from our mission partners, stories from the history of Second, religion in art, and other important topics facing the modern church.

Believing & Belonging (Hospitality Room, Seasonal)

• Fall Dates: September 20 & 27, 2026
• Spring Dates: TBD
• Join our ministers George Anderson and Elizabeth Link for a seasonal two-week class on what it means to be a Presbyterian, and what it means to be a member of Second Presbyterian Church. This is a great class for visitors and new members! Contact Connie Polly, Engagement Coordinator, with questions.

Confirm Not Conform for Parents (Café, Fall Series)

• Geared toward the parents of confirmands, this companion class will parallel parts of what our youth will be learning in confirmation this year, encouraging conversations at home. Meeting 6–8 times in the fall, participants will be invited to ask questions they have always wanted to ask and explore their faith from an adult perspective. The emphasis will be on building an authentic faith, and lessons will cover basics on the Bible, creeds, sacraments, and topics which may have been ignored or lost in the mists of time.

“The Bible in Black & White”

• See the dedicated Bible in Black & White dropdown below for more details on this year’s offerings. 

Men’s Bible Study

• (Thursdays, 7:15-8:15 a.m., Reading Room/Zoom)
• Beginning September 17, 2026, the Men’s Bible Study at Second meets weekly to read, pray, and be guided by the Holy Spirit as we faithfully interpret Scripture together for our day and time—right here in Roanoke. This fall, we will begin a study of the Gospel of John using a study guide entitled Encounters with Jesus by Frances Taylor Gench.
• The Men’s Bible Study is committed to a careful, faithful reading of the text. Our approach is exegetical, letting the text speak to us rather than our manipulating the Word to our satisfaction. This practice has deepened our faith, strengthened our community, and most importantly, grounded us more firmly in the Word. Come participate and enjoy what Christ is saying to us through Scripture today.

Women’s Bible Study

• (Thursdays, 10:30 a.m., Session Room)
• Beginning September 10, 2026. Join Elizabeth Link this fall for an engaging Bible study and discussion based on Rachel Held Evans’ 2012 book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood. In this thoughtful and often humorous memoir, Evans chronicles her yearlong experiment of taking many of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible—from covering her head and making her own clothes to calling her husband “master” and even spending part of each month outside. Along the way, her unusual journey becomes a springboard for deeper questions about Scripture, tradition, culture, and faith.
• Over ten weeks, we’ll read the book alongside Scripture as we wrestle with challenging passages and explore what faithful biblical interpretation looks like today. Together, we’ll approach the Bible with both reverence and curiosity, honoring its historical and cultural context while seeking the liberating, life-giving heart of the gospel. Whether you’re a longtime Rachel Held Evans fan or reading her work for the first time, you’re invited to bring your questions, your experiences, and your whole self.

2PC Clubs provide our congregation with opportunities that encourage a sense of community and foster not only established friendships but new ones, as well.

We are excited about our club options for the Second Presbyterian Church family this year! Clubs include: Book, Coffee, Knitting, Lunch, Morning Walking, Movie, Pickleball, Restaurant, and Roots & Wings. If you would like information on joining an existing club, please contact the church.

• Signup for 2PC Clubs 2026-27 by September 13, 2026.

The Bible in Black & White is a successful, collaborative Bible Study that began in 2022 and brings together people of diverse backgrounds and various congregations for a month-long Bible study, conversation and community building. Those who attend The Bible in Black & White are a unique group of people representing different races, churches, and communities. They gather to learn, but also to form relationships that promote healing within our community. The four-to-six-week study takes place every fall and spring in the Fellowship Hall of Second Presbyterian Church.
Sponsoring Churches: Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, High Street Baptist Church, Hill Street Baptist Church, Loudon Ave Christian Church, Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, Second Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church

Fall 2026: Letter from Birmingham Jail

• Wednesdays in October | 12:00 p.m. | Fellowship Hall
  This October, the Bible in Black & White community will consider Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” dated April 16, 1963. We will look at the historical context of the letter, its content, its biblical basis, and the impact it made on the nation during the tumultuous Civil Rights era. Together, we will ask what we modern readers need to gain from its reading to continue the pursuit of justice and understanding today.
• Facilitators: Dr. Bill Lee, Dr. George C. Anderson, and ministers of other sponsoring churches.

Spring 2027: Hooked by the Word

• Wednesdays in April | 12:00 p.m. | Fellowship Hall
  What scripture passage gets under your skin and refuses to let go? In this session, various community pastors will share the specific biblical texts that have permanently hooked them. These leaders will reveal the passages that continue to deeply disrupt, shape, and inspire their thinking, praying, ministry, and daily behavior in the world.
• Facilitators: Dr. Bill Lee, Dr. George C. Anderson, and ministers of other sponsoring churches.

The Edmunds Lecture Series of Second Presbyterian was established in 1985 by S. Spencer “Buddy” Edmunds as a way of honoring his father’s commitment to joining scholarship with congregational life. Dr. Spencer Edmunds served Second Presbyterian as its Senior Minister from 1923–1941. The lectures continue to attract outstanding preachers and theologians to educate and inspire the Roanoke Valley.

Past lecturers include Peter Enns, Ben Witherington III, Bud Robertson, Walter Brueggemann, Barbara Brown Taylor, Miroslov Volf, N.T. Wright, F. Dale Bruner, Brian Blount, Eric Wall, Ted Wardlaw, and Ben Witherington, to name a few.

Original art has been produced for every lecture series since 1999, when Dr. Bud Robertson was the speaker. Each piece depicts the theme of the lecture the year in which it was commissioned. All the works can be found somewhere in the church facilities, with several them hanging in the hallway between the Associate Pastors’ offices. The hope is that the art collection of the church will inspire both memories and theological reflection.

The 2025 Edmunds Lectures took place on November 10 & 11 and featured guest speaker Andrew Root, PhD. Andrew is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations. His most recent books are Evangelism in an Age of Despair (Baker, 2025), The Church in an Age of Secular Mysticisms (Baker, 2023), Churches and the Crisis of Decline (Baker, 2022), The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), and The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019). In addition, he serves as theologian in residence for Youthfront.

The Edmunds Lecture Series is a biennial series hosted on odd-numbered years. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming lectures.

Evening Vacation Bible School is an intergenerational, annual event at Second Pres, and it showcases special opportunities for education and growth for all ages. Evening VBS encompasses four evenings full of fellowship, learning and fun! Each summer, we host an invited speaker to speak for four nights about a specific topic or theme. The event kicks off with a dinner and program. Children (Pre-K–5th grade) enjoy a special parallel theatre camp, and childcare is available for any younger children attending.

2027 | Save the date for our next Evening VBS: June 6–9, 2027!

2026 | Evening VBS: June 7–10

“Paying Attention to God in Daily Life” with Guest Speaker Dr. John McCall, June 7–10, 2026 (Sun.–Wed.)

• Adult Evening Study Theme: Following Jesus is a lifelong journey of growing in His love. As we learn to love God and our neighbor, the pace and pressures of daily life can easily distract us from spiritual growth. Yet God continually invites us to notice His presence. During our evenings together, we explored practical and meaningful ways to cultivate an attentive, God-centered life in the midst of everyday routines.
• About Our Speaker: Dr. John McCall has served as a mission co-worker in Taiwan for 29 years, teaching Preaching, Spiritual Theology, and Pastoral Ministry at the three Presbyterian seminaries in Taiwan and in China. He has also pastored three churches in the United States. John’s ministry, both in Asia and in the US, focuses on helping people cultivate a vibrant, world-blessing faith.
• For 4 Year Olds–Middle School: Children’s Theatre Camp: We were thrilled to welcome back Meghan Griffith as the leader for our Evening VBS Children’s Theatre Camp!

Each fall, women are invited for a weekend of refreshment and nurturing of faith and fellowship. We alternate annually between a weekend retreat away and a day-long retreat held here at home.

2026 Gals’ Gathering

• “Advent Waiting” | November 20–21 (Fri.–Sat.) | Alta Mons Camp & Retreat Center
  • We hope you’ll join us for this year’s overnight Gals’ Gathering, Advent Waiting, at Alta Mons. We will welcome guest speaker Rev. Donna Hopkins Britt, Pastor of Buchanan Presbyterian Church.
  • Many of us feel like we are wandering through a kind of wilderness. Yet even in these challenging places, we can prepare the way for the Lord to come to us. Together, we can identify the obstacles that stand in our way and discern how to address them so that the themes of Advent may be more fully seen, experienced, and lived out in our community. Along the way, we will journey through each Gospel, exploring hope through Matthew’s perspective, peace through Mark’s, joy through Luke’s, and love through John’s.
  • View the retreat brochure to learn more. 
  • Register by Wednesday, November 11.

This event provides an opportunity for men of all ages to gather for a relaxing weekend of fellowship, build connection with one another and with God, and engage in discussion about work-life balance and what it means to be a Christian today.

2026 Men’s Retreat

• “Virtuesmaxxing: Either the Next Big Thing or What We Were Supposed to Be Doing All Along” | October 23–24 (Fri.–Sat.) | Eagle Eyrie Conference Center
  • This year’s Men’s Retreat, October 23–24 at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg, VA, will explore the theme of virtuesmaxxing with guest speaker Carter Brothers.
  • Today’s culture seems to be all about maxxing. Social influencers tell us to be all about “looksmaxxing.” Our politicians seem to be more and more interested in “vicemaxxing.” All the while, the rest of us just experience more and more “sadmaxxing” as loneliness increases and happiness decreases. This fall, the men of 2PC will gather to confront these challenges by “virtuesmaxxing” at Eagle Eyrie on October 23 and 24. Carter Brothers will lead the charge while looking at the Christian virtues highlighted in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and how his story about wizards, hobbits, and elves (oh my!) can teach us how to be more fully human in the 21st Century. We will worship together, feast together, laugh together and, of course, fellowship together!
  • We are excited to welcome back the Rev. Chris Vogado, Pastor of Salem Presbyterian Church, who will be leading music with Carter. We are also pleased to extend this year’s invitation to the men of Salem Pres. We hope you’ll join us!
  • Register by Wednesday, October 14.

(Wednesdays in Lent) – Kairos is an ancient Greek word that means “the right or opportune moment.” It has been used over the centuries to describe time for spiritual reflection, and even, to put it simply, “God’s time.” For the Wednesdays in Lent, we invite you to create space in your week to experience the Holy.

2026 Kairos Offerings: This spring, we offer a blended Kairos Lenten worship experience, with opportunities for worship in person and online. Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services will be held in person at the church, and midweek Kairos video reflections will be made available online via YouTube channel and Facebook in the weeks between.

Join us each Wednesday during Lent for a new installment in our Kairos devotional series, “The Other Disciples.” In this series, we’ll take a closer look at the lives and faith of some of Jesus’ twelve disciples, especially those we don’t often hear much about. Beyond Peter (who is the focus of our Sunday sermon series, “On This Rock”), there are faithful followers whose stories helped spread and inform the Christian faith. Through Scripture, reflection, and prayer, we’ll explore what their journeys can teach us about doubt and courage, misunderstanding and growth, failure and faithfulness.

The annual Churchwide Retreat at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center outside of Lynchburg, VA is a weekend of intergenerational fellowship which provides opportunities to study, worship, grow spiritually, make new friends, and enjoy time in recreation! A mere hour away from Roanoke, Eagle Eyrie provides accessible hotel style accommodations with a dining hall to meet all tastes and needs. Programs and activities are available for all ages.

2027 | Save the date for our next Churchwide Retreat: August 20–22, 2027!

2026 | Churchwide Retreat August 21–23 | “Love Build Up”

•  The 2026 Churchwide Retreat was held August 21–23 at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg where we enjoyed a weekend of worship, fellowship, recreation, and renewal, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. Our guest speaker, Dr. Rachel Thompson Orfield, led us in times of reflection and spiritual growth as we explored what it means to live faithfully and joyfully in community.
• Retreat Theme: “Love Builds Up: Unity, Conflict, and Grace in the Body of Christ.” Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians addresses a church in crisis. The community was being torn apart by factions, arrogance, and selfish behavior, weakening their witness to Jesus Christ. In his letter, Paul speaks honestly to the church about these struggles and invites them into a way of life that prioritizes love, diversity, and belonging. Paul’s words, though ancient, still resonate today. Using First Corinthians as our lens, this retreat invited us to explore what it means to live as the body of Christ—learning how love can shape our relationships, guide us through conflict, and draw us toward deeper unity. Through Scripture, reflection, and shared conversation, we considered how God calls us to build one another up so that, together, we may more faithfully reflect Christ to the world.
• Guest Speaker: Rachel Thompson Orfield is Associate Pastor of First Pres. in Charlottesville. Prior to this role, she served as Pastor and Head of Staff at Harpeth Pres. in Nashville, TN, and as Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at Second Pres. in Roanoke, VA. Rachel earned a degree in Classics and Sociology from Furman University, an MDiv from Duke Divinity School, and a DMin from Columbia Theological Seminary. Her greatest joys in ministry are in community building, faith formation, and preaching. In all aspects of her ministry, Rachel is committed to sharing the expansive love of God.

*This event is made possible by a generous grant from the Richter Fund, with guest speaker funding from the Trent Fund.