Christian Education


Sunday Church School
September through May, 9:10 to 10:10 am, with an attended nursery provided for children up to three years in age.

Our Sunday Church School begins promptly at 9:10am in the Adult Classrooms of the Educational Building, where youth and adults gather for praise, prayer, and announcements.  Then to classes by 9:15am.

The goal of our Church School is to form us into Christian men and women, effective and winsome disciples of Christ.  The method by which we attempt to achieve this is by deepening our knowledge, love and practice of what God has revealed of his will and way for us and of what it means to be his People.

SUNDAY SCHOOL: PRESCHOOL through ELEMENTARY

Our Pre/K through 6th grade students are gearing up for Sunday classes which will feature new curriculum, a computer lab, a crafts room, and even a touch of music (thanks to our Parish Musician). For all that's new, though, the mission of the Church School remains the same:

• Connecting with God's Word: Students reflect on their own life experience in some particular area, preparing them to hear and investigate God's Word.
  
• Studying God's Word: Students discover what God's Word has to say about the particular area focused upon.
  
• Interacting with God's Word: Students consider how they might put into practice what God has revealed to us.
  
• Applying God's Word: Students decide ways in which they will take into their daily lives what they have learned from the God.

SUNDAY SCHOOL: MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL

Mature middle and high school students will engage in a challenging and fun year-long course in preparation for the Rite of Confirmation, which will take place in Spring 2008 during the visitiation of the Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin, Bishop of Horsham, England. Faithful attendance, week-by-week, along with active participation in classroom discussions and exercises are requirements for Confirmation.

SUNDAY SCHOOL: THE ADULT SCHOOL

BLOCK 1 September 16 - November 18, 2007

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE THROUGH ITS LITERARY FORMS
Instructor: Father Duncan, Rector

Some people have been kept from God, and others have misunderstood his revelation, because they do not know or understand Scripture's literary forms. And so they wonder such things as:

• Why would God make all humans suffer because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve?
• Why would God "play" with Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his son to Him and stopping him at the last minute?
• Why would Jesus praise a dishonest steward?

Christianity is just one way to God, right? That's a popular notion these days, but it is wrong. Christianity is not a way to God, it is the way. But how do you explain that to someone from another faith? Or to someone who has no clue that there are any significant differences between Christianity and other faiths? How is Christianity different from other religions? Why do these differences matter? Can you clearly and honestly explain the differences while respecting what is on point in other faiths? If you can't, then this class is for you. (If you can explain all these things, then come and share them with the class!)
This course will explore the core beliefs of ancient primitive religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Judaism. We'll contrast these beliefs with Christianity. And we'll focus on ways to share this information with others in clear but non-threatening ways. Learning about other faiths will help us to deepen our understanding of our own faith, and increase our ability to effectively witness to our faith.

BLOCK 3  March 9 - May 18, 2008

This course will be an in-depth Bible study about the Heart of God as seen consistently from Genesis to Revelation.

Tuesday Evening Adult Education

7:00-8:30pm - September 26, 2007 - May 15, 2008

Meeting weekly, with holiday breaks; nursery is provided.

THE RECTOR'S CLASS: CHRISTIAN BELIEVING, CHRISTIAN LIVING

What is really REAL? Why is there something, rather than nothing at all? What is humanity FOR? Why do things seem to be such a mess? Why do I keep making the same mistakes? Why must I die?

These are questions which plague all men and women and to them this course is addressed. The first half examines the Christian Faith. The second half examines the Christian Life, and the gifts God has given us to help us achieve our destiny of eternal life with him: the Church, the Sacraments, the disciplines of spiritual growth. This course, running for the entire weekday teaching year, is also the course by which non-Anglican adults are prepared for membership in the Anglican Communion.

SURVEY OF THE BIBLE
Instructor: Robert Lea, Parish Catechist

This survey course, running for the entire weekday teaching year, is just what you need for a working knowledge of the canon of Scripture. One year the Old Testament and Apocrypha will be surveyed; the next year, the New Testament. But you don't have to take one before the other or take one right after the other. Although the time frame precludes an in-depth study of the Bible, the course will be helpful to those who have had little Bible study and would like a foundation to continue more comprehensive studies in the future. The course should also be useful for those who have already studied the scriptures but need either a refresher course or a better understanding of the history, chronology and organization of the Biblical texts.

TOPICAL COURSES

Course 1: Tough Widow vs. Arrogant King -- The Life and Times of Judith
Instructor: Donna Wheeler, Parish Catechist

You would think a widow named Judith would be the genteel heroine of a sedate, ordinary kind of story, wouldn't you? Not so! The heroine of the Book of Judith - conveniently located in the Apocrypha section of your Bible - was far from sedate or genteel She was a fighter - a fighter for the people of Israel and for Yahweh. Unafraid, she delivered herself into the camp of the evil enemy King, and when she had gained his confidence she struck a fatal blow, and disappeared into the night. Judith was not one to be constrained by society's notions of the role of women. She was tough. She was unconventional. But Judith was absolutely devout in her faithfulness to God.
This work of Jewish fiction provides a glimpse into the fascinating world of Jewish culture, as it explores various facets of living in right relationship to God. The Book of Judith is as lively and entertaining - as well as instructive - for us today as when it was written in the second century BC.

Course 2: Faher Knows Best... Make That Fathers Know Best!
Instructor: Donna Wheeler, Parish Catechist

Life was cheap. Violence was a norm. Babies were routinely aborted. Sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and pedophilia were rampant. The Christian faith was under attack. Heresies sprang up like weeds in an unkempt garden. Sound familiar? Sure it does. That's our world today.
But it was also the world of the early Church. And it was in the era of the early Church that great men of faith emerged to lead the charge against all that was sick and disordered in society. These are those we call the Early Church Fathers. These men stood up for Scripture, carrying on the Tradition of the Church as handed down from Jesus and his Apostles. They helped to clarify, teach, and spread the faith. They took a stand for Christ - even at the risk of their own lives.
Who were these Fathers, and why should we care? This course will provide an overview of the life and teachings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Diognetus, Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Hippolytus, Athanasius, Ambrose of Milan, and Augustine. No dry history lessons here. These were men of action, and passion for the faith. Their stories are inspiring. We owe much of our understanding of Christianity to these brave Fathers. And we live in a world much like theirs - a world they helped to change. Wouldn't you like to know how they did it?

Course 3: Visions of the New Jerusalem: The Revelation to John (The Apocalypse)
Instructor: Donna Wheeler, Parish Catechist

The Revelation to John the Divine, the very last book of the Bible, is brimming with vivid imagery of angels, beasts, creatures, elders, and candlesticks. It's chock full of strange passages, obscure numbers, and frightening accounts of plagues. It has been debated for centuries by scholars and lay people alike. Clearly, the last book of the Bible is also its most enigmatic. How is a good Anglican to make sense of it? Come find out as we explore The Apocalypse in depth. This course will build on the excellent analysis offered last Fall by Father Duncan in his Sunday morning course, Heaven on Earth: The Mass and the Apocalypse (though that course is not a prerequisite.)
We'll explore four distinct ways in which people interpret this book. We'll dig into the meanings of all those symbols, images and characters, to determine what St John was telling us. We'll see how the Mass is detailed in the pages of John's work, and we'll see how it relates to us as faithful Christians today. This book can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. It's a great read, lends itself to rich discussion, and it will help in deepening our understanding of the Church and our faith.