Is this a Bible study?

Sort of? We center our study on biblical texts, but the way we study is probably nothing like any Bible Study you’ve attended. This is a study where you are listened to before you are taught. Where theology mixes with vulnerability. Where all voices are valued. Where the Story of God is a multi-faceted gem that each of us can hold, turn, and discover. Welcome to a space where you can have more questions than answers—a space that offers healing and wholeness and sacred transformation. 40 Orchards circles are held in small, intimate groups led by our skilled teachers. We call a 40 Orchards study a Scripture Circle and, within each circle, we apply the concepts of midrash to biblical texts, combining the diverse questions and insights of the group with foundational understandings of the original language, history, and culture of these texts.

Come bring your questions, doubts, grief, frustrations, and longings, and sit in a circle with us. Click here to learn more about our Scripture Circles and here to learn more about midrash.

Who can attend a 40 Orchards circle?

Our circles are open to everyone. All are welcome. Whether you are curious, doubting, or skeptical—whether you have a religious background or none at all—your voice matters here. If you don’t want to study in the Bible, if you only want to stick with literal readings of scriptures, if you’re not alright with questions, or if you need everyone in the room to believe the same thing, you may not enjoy this way of study. But if you wonder if the Bible might be saying more than you’ve ever experienced, join us. Click here to explore our upcoming circles.

Do I need to know a lot about the Bible in order to gather with you?

No. Come exactly as you are, with whatever you know. Everyone in our circles has a different level of experience with the Bible, and every voice and perspective is valued. We do recommend you bring a Bible to the Scripture Circle when you study with us, but if you don’t have a Bible handy, you can easily download the passage on your mobile device.

Is 40 Orchards affiliated with a specific faith tradition?

40 Orchards is not affiliated with any particular faith tradition or denomination. Many, but not all, who study with us would say they are Christian. Most would say they have gone through some sort of “deconstruction” of their faith and are looking for a new way to engage. We welcome anyone who wants to ask questions and wrestle through faith and life with us.

How did 40 Orchards begin?

Years ago, a wise and kind teacher named Rabbi Alan was brought by a couple named Becky and Rick to their Twin Cities living room. At first, they had to push and bribe their friends to come. It felt like a stretch to pay money and give of valuable time to spend an afternoon, or even a whole day, immersed in the Bible with a strange Rabbi. Then, people discovered this way of gathering around the Scriptures wasn’t like anything they had experienced within the Christian tradition. The spaciousness for varying perspectives, the wisdom of communal voices, and the exploration of the multiplicity of the Hebrew language opened to something that, though it was rooted in tradition, felt brand new. Eventually, there were waiting lists to gather, and we knew something beyond one Rabbi was being born. So, in 2016, we founded 40 Orchards with the vision of expanding this way of studying Scripture to more teachers and a wider community. More than 7 years later, 40 Orchards has become more than we could have known at the time. Rabbi Alan has moved on, Steph and Lisa have become co-leaders, and 40 Orchards has moved into a new mission and vision that fits not only who we have been, but who we are becoming.

Why are you called 40 Orchards?

In Scripture, we see the number 40 repeated often… It’s the number of days and nights it rains during the flood, it’s the number of days the spies scope out the Promised Land, it’s the number of years the people spend in the wilderness, it’s the number of days Goliath taunts the people of Israel, it’s the number of years of David’s reign, it’s the number of days Jesus spends in the wilderness… and more. In each case of 40, we see something dying as something else is born. Since 40 weeks is the gestational period of a human child, we don’t believe that’s an accident. We believe it’s important to see and embrace the cycles of life, welcoming the death and trusting the process of rebirth that God can bring. We hope our leaders can be midwives to you in your own journey of 40. What is waiting to be brought to life from the goodness that is you?

Speaking of life, we often talk about Genesis 1 in our circles. Why? Because it is there that we see goodness, tov in Hebrew, mentioned over and over again. We see a creator putting the seeds of life into creation, and rejoicing when the creation brings them forth. We often say that goodness is life that brings life that brings life that brings life. What a better picture of this process than an orchard? It is not a seed or an apple or even a tree, it is a community of trees, who depend on each other to bear fruit, and do so year after year after year.

One more thing. We talk about our approach to Scripture as midrash. One way of understanding the process of midrash is 4 levels of questions: peshat, remeze, darash, and sod. (You can read more about that here.) As an acronym, those 4 words form the Hebrew word pardes, which means orchard. We hope our circles contain an orchard of questions that will plant seeds of new life in all of us.

Why do 40 Orchards circles cost money?

In many churches or religious organizations, several people “tithe,” or donate money in some regular percentage-based way. Through those funds, those churches then have paid staff and budgets that can offer things “for free” that have actually been paid for by someone else. At 40 Orchards, our budget is funded both through the generosity of regular donors, and through connecting donations directly to our program fees. The fee of a Scripture Circle is connected not only to the time of the circle itself, but also the staff investment in curriculum development, community relationships, and preparation for each gathering. We are a 501(c)3, so all fees are in fact tax deductible donations. In addition, every circle has alternative payment options available, from paying nothing up front to choosing a sliding scale. We never want cost to be the thing that keeps anyone from attending. Want to help keep our program fees low? Become a donor by clicking here.