CLL: Community Classes

A new opportunity for 2025!

Purposeful Retirement
A Special Workshop Series

Are you interested in meeting with a group of people to design or improve your retirement to make it more meaningful and purposeful?

The Center for Life and Learning and the Volunteer Ministry Council at Fourth Church invite you to participate in a purposeful retirement workshop series.

Details

WINTER 2025 COMMUNITY CLASSES
All Community classes are open to both CLL members and non-members!

These classes do not require a CLL membership to attend; however, they require registration and may have an additional fee when noted in the listings below.

Mindfulness Meditation
Every Monday and every Friday
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: Free

Sign-up through CLL; the Zoom link will be sent from the facilitator, Regan Burke.

Bridge Group
Every other Monday
1:00–4:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

This group is currently full. Contact Linda Daly if you are interested in being put on the substitute list.

Monthly Book Group (on Zoom)
Second Tuesday of the month
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Led by Alan Bath
Cost: Free

All are welcome to join us for lively and thought-provoking discussion each month.

January 4:
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

February 11:
Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets it Wrong, and What it Means for Our Health by Marty Makary

March 11:
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

Men’s “Great Ideas” Discussion Group
Every other Wednesday
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (In person)
Cost: Free

A discussion group that provides a safe and supportive environment for men to discuss and work through challenges of current topics that are facing the world at large. Before each meeting we will read an article from “Foreign Affairs” magazine and then discuss as a group.

Winter Meeting Dates:
January 8 and 22
February 5 and 19
March 5 and 19

Midweek Meditation
Wednesdays, January 8–March 26
11:00–11:30 a.m. (In-Person)
Cost: Free

Join CLL Director Annette Mileski on Wednesdays for 30 minutes of mindful restoration, meditation, and gentle movement. All are welcome.

Film Series
2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
2:00–4:00 pm (in-person)
Cost: Free

Join us to enjoy a current film! Register to receive a list of this month’s movie selections.

Dates for Winter:
January 8 and 22
February 12 and 26
March 12 and 26

Matters of Health
Thursdays, January 9–March 20
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: Free

Matters of Health is a weekly series which provides participants with information and resources about five areas of health. Local experts facilitate lively discussions about physical, mental, social, financial, and spiritual health, as all these areas contribute to healthy aging.

Participants register for the whole series and will receive a weekly email reminder about the topic and speaker for that session. This program is free and open to all, and is offered in hybrid format, meaning you can attend in person or virtually.

Foreign Affairs Perspectives
Every other Tuesday
1:00–2:00 p.m. (On Zoom)
Cost: Free

This is a member-led small group discussion based on articles from the magazine Foreign Affairs. Group members are required to subscribe to the magazine. For each discussion, one group member selects an article from the magazine, develops questions about the article, and moderates the discussion. Each member is expected to moderate one or two discussions during each term.

This group meets every other Tuesday on the following dates:
January 7 and 21
February 4 and 18
March 4 and 18

Art Days (Make & Take)

Third Thursday of the month, 1:30–3:00 p.m. (In Person)
Cost: $5 will be collected during class for materials.

Avid creative crafter, paper lover, and CLL director, Annette Mileski facilitates this monthly group in different hands-on artsy endeavors. All crafting experience is welcome so come join the fun while chatting and stretching your creative brain!

Hooray for Hooks!
Knitting and Needle Arts
Fridays, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (in person)
Cost: Free

Interested in learning how to knit or crochet? Or do you already know how, but would love to sit and stitch with a group? Have we got a space for you! Heather Groh will be facilitating this group every other week and all skill levels are welcome. She will be able to help you get started with some simple patterns if you are new to the craft and will provide support if you are feeling a bit stuck in your stitching.

This group meets every other week in the 4th-floor lounge of Gratz Center:
January 10 and 24
February 14 and 28
March 14 and 28
December 13

February 2025

Storytelling Workshop
Thursdays, February 6–February 27
3:00–4:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: Free for CLL Members, $40 for Non-members

Stories and storytellers have been a part of human history throughout time. It is one of the things all cultures share. It is the way we connect with those who have gone before us and provides guidelines for those who will come after us. Stories are threads which bind us to one another.

Storytelling requires a teller and a listener; little else. When we tell a story, we invite the listeners into the moment of the story with us, and when we listen to a story our imagination begins to make connections; trying to connect to information we already know or experiences we have had.

How do you welcome someone into your family or group? How do you include others? You tell them the story of your group.

Participants in this four-week interactive workshop will learn basic storytelling techniques as well as tips to create and develop their own personal stories. This is a great opportunity to learn something new, stretch your neurons, and meet new people!
Everyone is a storyteller, and everyone is a story listener.

CSO Dress Rehearsal
Wednesday, February 19
10:00–12:30 pm (In-Person)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and non-members
This rehearsal will be held at the Chicago Symphony Center. Tickets will be available to be picked up from the CLL Office and we will meet at the CSO the day of the concert

Oscar Preview Party
Thursday, February 27
2:30–3:30 p.m. (In-Person)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and Non-members

Join Matt Helms for the CLL Oscar Preview Party. This in-person party will be a celebration of this year’s nominees and all things related to the Academy Awards!

March 2025

New Orleans: A Celebration
Tuesday, March 4
3:00–4:00 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: Free for CLL Members, and $10 for Nonmembers

If cities have a love language, New Orleans’ language is joy. Turning everyday into a celebration. No matter what Mother Nature or mankind sends the city’s way, the people persevere. It’s what keeps the city going despite the horrific tragedy of New Years Eve or the utter devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In this presentation, we’ll take a fun look at what makes New Orleans unique. From its strong French roots to its important role in D-Day to the pageantry of Mardi Gras. Come celebrate with Jean Klingle on Fat Tuesday!

Destination: 1965
Wednesdays, March 5–March 26 (4 weeks)
1:30–2:30 (Hybrid)
Cost: Free for CLL Members, $40 for non-members

Carl Sagan said, “To read is to voyage through time.” So let’s take a trip by reading what was published the year that the program that would become the Center for Life and Learning was born. This four-week class will be a quick exploration of what people were reading as they pondered the “Great Society,” the first U.S. combat troops in Vietnam, and Petula Clark’s “Downtown.” Tasting the fiction, non-fiction and poetry of 1965 might remind us of what we know about that time — or prompt us to re-examine what we think we know.

Susan Quaintance, OSB, has cherished being a part of the Center for Life and Learning community — whether as Program Coordinator, Director, or friend — since 2014. Still keenly interested in issues affecting older adults, she is currently Director of Heart to Heart Ministry, a program designed to help seniors remain independent in their homes, at St. Gertrude Catholic Parish in Edgewater. She also serves as subprioress for her religious community, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. For twenty-three years she taught English and Theology at St. Scholastica Academy in Rogers Park, and she has facilitated retreats, days of reflection, and discernment processes for adults all over the country. Susan turned 2 in 1965.

Move and Swing into Spring
Thursdays, March 6–27
1:00–2:00 (In-person)
Cost: $40 for CLL Members, $60 for non-members

The exercise and dance floor is open! Join David Harbin to groove for an hour of physical activity using resistance bands, circle and line dancing, movement, and exercise. This 4-part in-person class is a great way to tune up for spring! A chair may be used for balance and support.

David Aaron Harbin brings enthusiasm and energy into every class session, along with tips for a healthier lifestyle. His interest in older adult health began with his own family and has expanded across other Chicago-area communities. David is certified in senior fitness through the American Institute of Fitness Educators as well as Stronger Seniors Specialty Training and Silver Sneakers.

Meet a Chicago Artist
Monday, March 17
3:00–4:00 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and Nonmembers

CLL Member Roberta Dawson will welcome and interview local artist, Steve Puttrich. He is a versatile artist with over 35 years of experience, having honed his skills in architectural illustration, graphic design, and fine art at the American Academy of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Under the mentorship of Irving Shapiro in watercolor and Eugene Hall in oil painting, Steve's artistic journey has been marked by significant achievements, including his role as vice president of creative services and innovation at the Parsons Corporation. Steve will share his journey in becoming an artist and also bring samples of his work to show. Steve's art is characterized by a harmonious interplay of light, color, and emotion, transforming his life experiences into creative energy.

Visit www.steveputtrich.com to see examples of his works.

Dark Money in U.S. Elections
Monday, March 24
3:15–4:45 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: $10 for CLL Members, $20 for non-members

Sally Sachar will discuss and present on the Citizens United SCOTUS decision and its implications on our elections including in 2024. This special policy topic is more pertinent today than it ever has been in the past!

Sally Sachar was a presidential appointee where she served in four major leadership roles at the U.S. Labor Department including as Deputy Chief of Staff, Associate Assistant Secretary for Policy and others. Sally also created the Ibis Collaborative and runs her own consulting firm, where she focuses on maximizing the impact of non-profit and small business enterprises.

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