Classes for Adults

Speaker: Dr. Kara Powell, Chief of Leadership Formation and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute
Title: Faith in an Anxious World: What You Need to Know about Young People's Mental Health

You don’t need to look far to see that young people today are navigating unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide. We'll equip you as a parent, step-parent, grandparent, or caregiver with proven and practical answers to your pressing questions of why we’re seeing this surge in young people, and how your home can offer the hope and help your family needs.

Kara E. Powell is Chief of Leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI). Prior to coming to Fuller, she was an assistant professor of youth ministry and practical theology at Azusa Pacific University. She is an honors graduate of Stanford University (BA, human biology, 1991), earned her MDIV from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994 and completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary in 2000.

In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She served as a college pastor (1995–1998) and associate youth minister (1991–1995). During college, Kara began her ongoing commitment to church/parachurch partnerships during her time on Young Life Student Staff in the Stanford area.

Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch,” Kara is the author or coauthor of Faith in an Anxious World (2020), Growing With (2019), 18 Plus (2018), Growing Young (2016), 10 StickyFaith books or curriculum (2011–2016), Right Click (2015), Can I Ask That? 2: More Hard Questions about God and Faith (2015), Essential Leadership: Training Onramps for Your Youth Ministry Team (2010), Deep Justice Journeys (2009), Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum (2009), Deep Justice in a Broken World (2008), Deep Ministry in a Shallow World (2006), Help! I’m a Woman in Youth Ministry (2004), and Mirror, Mirror (2003). Kara is also a regular speaker at Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Conventions, the Orange Conference, the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, as well as retreats and conferences across the country.

Speaker: Dr. Ivan Rusyn, President, Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS), Kyiv, Ukraine
Title: Ministry on the Front Lines in Ukraine

Since the first days of the full-scale war, Ivan Rusyn and others from UETS provide regular worship and communion to Ukrainian troops close to the frontlines of the war. He has led the seminary through missile attacks and an energy crisis, transitioning the campus to provide a massive relief effort to people in Kyiv and surrounding areas. He has been able to receive special permission to leave Ukraine from their government because of the favor the church has received resulting from these relief efforts. He is coming to the United States to share stories, engage in dialogue, and say thank you for our financial and spiritual support for Ukraine.

Dr. Ivan Rusyn is the president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv, Ukraine, and teaches mission studies applied to the Ukrainian and Central Asian contexts. Ivan holds a PhD in missiology from the Drahomanov National Pedagogical University in Kyiv, Ukraine. He is an ordained minister of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church and co-pastors a church plant in Kyiv. His humble and faithful leadership within Ukraine and Central Asia is recognized by the World Communion of Reformed Churches and other global church councils.

Ivan and his wife Liudmyla (Luda) live in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. They have a miraculous story of escape from Bucha just as Russian troops took the city over. Since that experience, the tragedy of the ongoing war and the extreme suffering of people have reshaped his understanding of God, humanity, and mission. Topics such as reconciliation, justice, prayer, and experiencing the presence of Jesus in times of suffering have taken on fresh meaning and have thoroughly transformed his leadership, ministry, and teaching. He has been deeply moved by the generosity and support of people from around the world.

Speaker: 
Title: 

Speaker: Dr. Tremper Longman Professor of Old Testament Emeritus, Westmont College
Title: Ancient Wisdom for God’s People in the 21^st Century

The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to make the reader wise (Prov. 1:2-7). Wisdom helps people navigate life well (practical), live with integrity (ethical), and do so in relationship with God (theological). The book addresses many different topics (for example, family, work, speech, relationships) including how to build and live in a community. This presentation will explore Proverbs’ wisdom to see what insight the book gives us about creating and maintaining a healthy church community in today’s complex world.

Tremper Longman (BA, Ohio Wesleyan; MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary; MPhil, PhD, Yale University) is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies emeritus at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA. Prior to joining Westmont in 1998, he was at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, also Visiting Professor of Old Testament at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology as well as Ambrose University Seminary (Calgary). He has written over thirty books, including several biblical commentaries, as well as Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins with physicist Richard F. Carlson. He is an editor and contributor to the Zondervan Dictionary of Christianity and Science. With John Walton he wrote, The Lost World of the Flood.

Tremper was with us last summer in conversation on The Bible and Abortion. He has been a previous summer Sunday speaker, and was one of the speakers for our 2019 conference with the Biologos Foundation, dealing with the question “can you trust the Bible in a scientific age?” There is a video recording of that conference, including Dr. Longman’s perspective on the relationship between creation and evolution.

Speaker: Cherie Harder, President, The Trinity Forum
Title: TBA

Description Forthcoming

Cherie Harder is President of the Trinity Forum, which is committed to the transformation and renewal of society through the transformation and renewal of society’s leaders. Prior to joining the Trinity Forum in 2008, Cherie served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush. Earlier in her career she was Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a member of this congregation. From 2001 to 2005, she was Senior Counselor to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), where she helped design and launch the We the People initiative to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history. Prior to that Ms. Harder was the Policy Director for Senator Sam Brownback and also served as Deputy Policy Director at Empower America.

Cherie has contributed articles to several publications and various newspapers; Her ghost-written speeches and articles have appeared in Vital Speeches of the Day, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and others.

She holds an Honors B.A. (magna cum laude) in government from Harvard University and a post-graduate diploma in literature from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she was a Rotary Scholar. She serves on the several boards, including Gordon College, and the National Museum of American Religion. Previously she served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush. Earlier in her career she served as Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Margaret Kibben, Chaplain, United States House of Representatives
Title: The State of Faith and Politics

Description Forthcoming

Margaret Kibben is the Chaplain to the House of Representatives. She is a dynamic spiritual leader and strategic-level consultant with more than thirty years of experience in enhancing the resiliency and well-being of the organizations she serves. Prior to this new position, Margaret served as Lecturer in the School of Engineering at The Catholic University of America.

As Chief of Chaplains for the U.S. Navy, she served as a trusted advisor to senior military officers on leadership development, providing a unique, pragmatic perspective in how personal and professional value systems translate both within their command and throughout the world. She holds a deep belief that the integrity of each leader affects the health, welfare, and capability of an organization and guides executives on instilling a culture in their organizations that supports enterprise goals.

Margaret grew up in Warrington, PA where she was confirmed in the Presbyterian Church. She earned her B.A. from Goucher College in Towson, MD and her M.Div. and D. Min. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she serves as President of the Alumni Council and is a member of the Board of Trustees. Margaret also holds a Master’s Degree from the Naval War College in National Security and Strategic Studies.

Margaret has been stationed all over the world, from Quantico, VA and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, to Turkey, Norway and Afghanistan.

Speaker: Rev. David Bailey, Founder and Executive Director, Arrabon
Title: Cultivating a Reconciling Community for the Kingdom of God 

We will explore what a reconciling community is, why it’s essential that Christian communities are reconciling communities, the five challenges in cultivating a reconciling community, and what to do to overcome those challenges. Join us for a shame-free and hope-filled time of learning

David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and The Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, in Richmond, Virginia, where he serves on the preaching team. His greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.

Speaker: Jennifer Wiseman, Astrophysicist
Title: Discovery, Wonder, and Challenge: Science, Values, and Faith in the 21st Century

Science and technology are opening grand new doors of discovery and possibility.  Artificial Intelligence can aid and protect life, gene editing can halt disease, and telescopes are revealing the early universe as well as planetary systems that could be habitable. What are the most promising advances? What ethical challenges are posed by new capabilities? We will discuss how Biblical faith and mainstream science relate in harmony to help our world.

Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astrophysicist who studies the formation of stars and planets in our galaxy using radio, infrared, and optical telescopes. She studied physics for her bachelor’s degree at MIT, discovering comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987. After earning her Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1995, she continued her research as a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and as a Hubble Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Wiseman also has an interest in national science policy and has served as an American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow on Capitol Hill. She is currently a senior astrophysicist with NASA, and is Director Emeritus for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Wiseman enjoys giving talks on the excitement of science and astronomy to schools, youth and church groups, and civic organizations. She is a former Councilor of the American Astronomical Society and a former President of the American Scientific Affiliation. She is on the Board of the Biologos Foundation, for whom regularly speaks and has written articles on the relationship between Christian faith and her field of scientific expertise. She is a member of National Presbyterian Church.

Speaker: Dale Hansen Bourke, Foundation President and Author
Title: Strong Girls, Strong World

In most developed countries girls have made great strides, but globally they continue to fall far behind boys from the very first days of life. Not only is this tragic, it is short-sighted. Experts tell us that educating girls and protecting them from early marriage are key to ending the cycle of poverty. How are churches and Christian nonprofits helping and hurting? What are specific ways each of us can make a difference?

From her experience serving on several boards of several international development organizations, and running a foundation focused on the health of girls and women in Africa, NPC member Dale Hanson Bourke gives us practical and hope-filled ways to support girls and help them thrive.

Dale Hanson Bourke is an award-winning writer, editor, business owner, and foundation president who has served on the boards of several international development organizations, including World Vision, Opportunity International, MAP International, International Justice Mission, and others. She is the author of 12 books, including Strong Girls, Strong World (available 10/23). She has also written “Embracing Your Second Calling” as well as The Skeptic’s Guide series.

Having traveled to 62 countries, she has written about the people she met and the issues they face for a variety of national and international publications. A graduate of Wheaton College (IL) with an MBA from the University of Maryland, she has also served as president of the CIDRZ Foundation, SVP at World Relief, and publisher of Religion News Service, and has been a syndicated columnist.

Speaker: TBA
Title: TBA

Speaker: Kristin Franke, Director of Youth and Family Ministries, with Jonathan Edwards, Director of Serve Ministries for National Presbyterian Church and others
Title: Summer Reports

National Presbyterian Church has had a busy summer. Join us to hear all that our faithful God has been doing through Summer of Serving, VBS, Middle School Camp, High School retreat and more.