The Theologian in Residence 2004 Advance Workshops started Jan. 11 and will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sundays through April 11 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt.

The workshops, sponsored and led by members of the In-depth Bible Study Group at Plymouth, is designed to familiarize participants with the research methods and work of New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan.

Crossan is scheduled to visit Lawrence April 18-19 as the special guest of the Theologian in Residence 2004 program, which is hosted by a consortium of campus ministries at Kansas University, Lawrence congregations and academic departments at Kansas University, Baker University in Baldwin and Washburn University in Topeka.

The advance workshops at Plymouth are free and open to the community. Participants do not need to have read Crossan’s books ahead of time, or bring his books to the sessions.

Priscilla McKinney, a lecturer in English literature at KU, will lead this weekend’s session, examining Crossan’s book, “The Essential Jesus.”

For more information on the workshop, call 843-3220.