Christian Book/Movie Club to Begin in September

A Christian Book/Movie Club is to kick-off on Saturday, September 9, at Stephens City UMC at 10 am.  The gathering will be in the study room on the second Saturday of each month.  The club will be led by Kathie Czerwinski.  Kathie can be reached at kathieczerwinski@gmail.com.

“I have always loved reading books, paper books.  I like using a bookmark and turning pages.  I use to walk to our local library as a child (things were different then) in the summers and continued the library tradition with my children.  About 10 years ago, I was stuck in a rut of just reading mysteries. Our local library was starting an Adventure book club, and we joined,” said Kathie Czerwinski.  Czerwinski began reading books that she would not have personally chosen.  “We were a diverse group of people, and I loved the discussions and different points of view.  Then COVID hit.  I signed up for an online book club but still missed the fellowship,” she said.

When Pastor Bertina Westley asked the congregation to identify new ideas for the church, Kathie was moved to suggest a book club.  The plan is to discuss Christian books turned into movies, and participants can either read the book, watch the movie, or do both.  “I added the movie aspect because not everyone is a reader.  There may be some couples in which one individual reads books and the other does not, so in this manner, they could participate together,” Czerwinski said.

The program should promote some good discussions, comparing the two different media.  Not everyone will especially enjoy the stories the club is reading, and that is understandable. The idea is to respectfully share our points of view and accept the ones we do not agree with.

As the mediator, Czerwinski plans to ask questions regarding the book/movie plot, what we enjoyed, what we did not enjoy, what surprised us, etc.  How is the book’s author’s description of God different from your concept of God?  What parts of the description did you like or not like?  Did the book change any of your opinions about God or Christianity?

The first book/movie on the agenda will be “The Shack.”  According to Czerwinski, the book is very moving and has wonderful visuals.  It is very hard to get through the beginning of the book. It is heart-wrenching.  But those emotions are needed to experience the rest of the story.  The story is about one man’s journey to reestablish his faith in God.  In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?”

Everyone is welcome, and you do not have to be a church member to attend.  This gathering is all about revisiting old friends and meeting new friends.   As with any gathering, light refreshments will be served.  Czerwinski believes that food is an essential component of the bonding experience.  The Saturday gathering will end only when the discussion dwindles down, or everyone has tired of talking.

Here is a list of Books/Movies and scheduled discussion times and dates.

The Shack, by William Paul Young, September 9, 10 am.

I Still Believe, by Jeremy Camp, October 14, 10 am.

Same Kind of Different as Me Denver Morrie, by Ron Hall & Lynn Vincent, January 13, 10 am.

The Case for Christ, by Lee Stroebel, February 10, 10 am.

The Stephens City United Methodist Church is located at 5291 Main Street, Stephens City, Virginia, 22655.