A series of community learning seminars addressing important issues affecting those in the community will begin on Monday, March 20.

The seminars will be held at the First Christian Church located at 210 N. 5th Street and will run in weekly sessions for two to four weeks. The duration of each session will be approximately an hour in length and are intended for small groups of eight to 12 people.

This project is stressed to not be one with a religious focus, but from a desire to share helpful information with the community.

“[The seminars are] a way to get folks out in a small group talking to each other,” said Stan Brown. “These are heavy topics, so heavy topics should lead to some pretty good discussion, I think.”

The first topic will cover the impact of poverty on children. Generational poverty can have dramatic impact on children’s attitude about life and their future, these sessions will promote the understanding of the cultural of poverty and possible responses helpful to children affected by poverty.

The first session will be from 4 pm to 5 pm on Monday, March 20.

The second session will cover meaning and productivity in later life. This seminar will focus on a variety of topics including finding success, happiness and deep purpose in the second half of life; what makes life meaningful; what happens to the brain as someone ages; and more. This session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 4 pm to 5 pm.

More sessions are in development with topics including memory and brain health, and loneliness and health.

The session on memory and brain health will explain the importance of keeping one’s brain in good shape, how memory is the key to brain enhancement, and how to make the most of memories.

The session on loneliness and health will share information on how loneliness has become a public health concern, the healing aspects of connecting with others, how loneliness affects work, attitude and children, and how to interact with others in a fun and meaningful way.

Theses future topics currently do not have a set date at press time.

Those wishing to participate in these seminars can register and find more information by calling the First Christian Church’s office at 580-762-1667.