Barna will present an overview of the history of McDonald Observatory along with a look at some of the cutting-edge research that the observatory’s astronomers are conducting and planning.

      A research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory is one of the world’s leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach. Observatory facilities are located in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. The Observatory’s administrative offices are on the UT-Austin campus. For more information about the observatory, see www.mcdonaldobservatory.org.

      The Prime Timers gather at 10:30 a.m., usually in Fondren Hall, and the program begins at 11. Lunch for $5 is served to those who make reservations by January 6 via 713-528-0527 or info@stpaulshouston.org.

      One does not have to be of Prime Timer age or a St. Paul’s member to attend the Prime Timer meetings.

St. Paul’s is located at 5501 Main Street at Binz/Bissonnet, across from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Free parking is available across Fannin Street from the church, and the Museum District MetroRail stops are within walking distance of the church. Website: www.stpaulshouston.org.

The 12 “minor prophets” of the Hebrew Scriptures are “minor” only in terms of the length of the books, not their messages. They dramatize the character of God as few other books in the Bible do, particularly highlighting three aspects of God’s character: sovereignty, holiness, and love.

This multimedia series will enlighten serious Bible students and interested lay persons on these important, often overlooked, books of the Bible and help identify the truths found in the text that apply to life today.

At 5501 Main Street, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is in the modified English Gothic structure on the corner of Main and Binz/Bissonnet, across from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The church is within one block of both Museum District MetroRail stops, and free parking is available in two lots across Fannin Street from the church. Website: www.stpaulshouston.org

This free program will be from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2, in the Jones Building at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Childcare will be provided for those who make reservations by 5 p.m. two days prior to 713-528-6779 or spschool@stpaulshouston.org.

Affiliated with St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Houston, St. Paul’s School has provided quality education for children from age four months through kindergarten for more than 50 years. The first preschool in Houston to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, it recently was one of the first to earn NAEYC accreditation under the organization’s new, more rigorous standards.

At 5501 Main Street, St. Paul’s Church is on the corner of Main and Binz/Bissonnet, across from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The church is within one block of both Museum District MetroRail stops, and free parking is available in two lots across Fannin Street from the church.