Classes for Adults

Location: Chapel and online
Teacher: R.V. Seep
Class notes

This class will be offered both in-person and online. To join via Zoom online, please use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87391794908

We will examine the various Protestant traditions in the order in which they historically emerged. We will probe the historical background and growth of each tradition, its distinctive beliefs, its contemporary setting, and conclude with some observations and general comments. The forces separating us in our culture seem all out of proportion to those uniting us both in our national politics and in our faith commitments. We will examine our calling as the Church of Jesus Christ to witness to and serve that culture in a calmer and more hospitable environment. The course intends to be an invitation to theological generosity and an opportunity to understand the various Protestant traditions as they understand themselves (at least as much as we can manage that). There is a prior perspective that needs to be applied to appreciate the common ground we share and to put our divisions and differences in their proper context.

Notes are available here (coming soon) to guide us through the course.

In addition, for those interested, there will be readings from W. David Buschart, Exploring Protestant Traditions, An Invitation to Theological Hospitality. Purchase online from Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookseller.

Location: temporarily online
Teacher: Nancy Fox

We will start out the semester online. To join us, please use this Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83548272325?pwd=RUlBNlB1WXQrSDJoeHJ1WlFoTEdXQT09

If you are planning to attend church in-person, we are meeting in Agencies Room #105 to watch online on our smart phones between the services. You will need to work with others in the room to be sure that all microphones are muted and only one person's speaker has volume, otherwise there will be feedback.

Using Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World, (class participants will each need a copy), we will explore together what it means to follow Jesus in our world of conflict, injustice, racism and need. Class time will be guided discussion of issues raised by the primary text, select Scriptures, articles, and selections from other books, including Jemar Tisby’s How to Fight Racism; David Swanson’s Rediscipling the White Church; Sarah Shin’s Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey; and A Many Colored Kingdom: Multicultural Dynamics for Spiritual Formation by Conde-Frazier, Kang, & Barrett (participants do not need copies of these). How is God calling us individually and together to bridge the world’s various divides?

You can purchase Mending the Divides from Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookseller.

Location: Garden Room C
Teacher: Currie Renwick

Near the end of his gospel, the apostle John explains why he is writing: “Jesus gave a great many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that in that faith you may have life as his disciples.” (John 20: 30-31). We will read about and discuss these wonderful signs that John shares! There will be plenty to talk about as we learn together about the God who promises us eternal and abundant life through Jesus Christ, “God’s word who became a human being and lived among us.” (John 1:14)

We will be using N.T. Wright’s guide, John: 26 Studies for Individuals and Groups.  Purchase online from Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookseller.

Location: Garden Room A
Teacher: Quinn Fox

Three years ago our congregation embarked on a remarkable year-long journey with “The Story.” From September until Summer, we read thru the Bible chronologically. This year those wishing to engage the Bible in greater depth will have the opportunity to consider the story of God’s grace theologically. While hundreds of people are mentioned in the Bible, and many stories are told, there is one single overarching redemptive narrative that brings coherence to the various parts and shows that history is moving toward a goal planned by God. This is the true story of the world that shapes and informs our lives as Christians. In an age of competing world-views and alternative narratives that claim to explain reality, there is a genuine need for a fresh vision of God’s plan of redemption for his creation. The Bible, in all its diversity, is a single redemptive story that begins in Genesis and concludes in Revelation. God inspired sixty-six different books, written in three distinct languages, over thousands of years, to reveal his single story for the whole world. This year we will explore in depth the identity and character of God and his saving plan for humanity in Jesus Christ that is revealed in the pages of the Bible.

Supplemental study materials (outlines, maps) and optional books will be made available to those who join the class.

Location: Room #109
Facilitator: Elder Peggy Lewis (Chair, Race Task Force)

This Fall our congregation has been invited to engage in a conversation about race using John Perkin’s book One Blood. While there will be small groups reading together on a variety of days, we are also offering a One Blood" Sunday School class to read and discuss the book. We anticipate an engaging and meaningful conversation as we learn and grow together. We hope you can join us.

Copies of One Blood are available for purchase online from Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble, or free through National Presbyterian Church using this form.

Location: Jones Hall in the Education Building
Facilitators: Margaret Gardner and others

Join parents of similar ages and stages for fellowship for a reflection on the Scripture teaching from the Youth and Children's Sunday school program, and to support one another in raising your children to know Jesus Christ as Lord. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow parents and enjoy a great cup of coffee accompanied by meaningful conversation about the Bible lesson your kids are engaging each week.