Christian Education

2010 SUMMER ADULT EDUCATION

While the pace at Westminster shifts substantially during the summer, the Adult Education Committee believes there should still be opportunities for spiritual nurture. Most of our Sunday morning classes take the
summer off, but we plan a program in Fellowship Hall where education, nurture and fellowship happen every week. Below is a list of the weekly topics and teachers for Sunday morning.

  May

30        Whatever Happened to the old Westminster School?
We welcome Kathleen G. Raburn, Head of School, to talk about the roots of the Westminster School ministry and the fruit it has produced in the nearly decade since Currey Ingram Academy opened on Murray Lane. Tom McDow will also help lead this discussion.

  June     

  6-20      Journey Toward Faith in a Post-Modern World

Join Sue Tully Trout for a three week contemplation on how faith is considered by three contemporary American writers.  During the first week we will talk about Comac McCarthy’s novel No Country for Old Men, a dark, spiritual odyssey for Sheriff Tom Bell who grapples with the question of whether or not the nature of evil has changed in the postmodern world and whether there are any forces of goodness with which we can confront this horror.  In the second week we will look at Ron Hansen’s Mariette in Ecstasy, a short, lyrical novel that questions our ability in the contemporary world to acknowledge the miraculous even if it appeared in the form of a young novitiate’s stigmata.  And finally, we will read Mary Karr’s Lit, a book that is part memoir, part spiritual autobiography, and part conversion narrative.  In this book we may find Mary Karr grappling with all of the same questions that McCarthy, Hansen, and we raise as she forges through a terrifying but all too familiar contemporary existence as she moves from resistance to forgiveness, acceptance, and conviction.

    27        Music Camp Performance: A Table for Five...Thousand

                 Led by John Semingson and children from rising K through 7^th grade.

  July

     4         No Class

    11        TBD

    18        General Assembly Update

                 Led by Westminster Member, Giles Caver, an Overture Advocate from our Presbytery, addressing the work of the PC(USA)’s General Assembly that met in Minneapolis, MN in early July.

    25    Fair Trade and Youth”
 Rev. Ben Kane will lead you through his recent trip to Nicaragua, while also discussing how the main fair trade commodity, coffee, travels from bean to bag.  The class will learn about Fair Trade, and how it positively affects the people that are involved with the process Westminster’s youth will be highlighted in their work promoting fair trade at church.

August

     1         The Outreach Foundation’s Work in Mozambique

                 This class will be an update on the work of visiting our friends Nedson Zulu and Sebber Banda, in Tete Province, Mozambique. It will be led by Rev. Rob Weingartner, Executive Director of The Outreach Foundation, and Tom McDow.  Tom will have just returned from  visiting and working with Nedson and Sebber in June.

    8          Mission Overview: Conversation with our 6 Covenant Parners

                 Led by Ann Neely

    15        Youth Mission Trip Report

                 Led by Ben Kane, the Youth Staff, and youth who represented Westminster in mission to Guatemala in June.

    22        Fall Sunday School Kick-off

                 Led by Rev. Guy D. Griffith

    29        The Boehm Boys: Deepening the Dialogue about Israel—Demonstrating the Path to Peace

                 Led by Dr. Frank H. Bohem, a physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and his son, Thomas L. Boehm, the founder and Executive Director of Faith For All. 

OTHER SUMMER SUNDAY CLASSES:

Both the Good Samaritans Class and The Gathering plan to continue throughout the summer.  The good Samaritans Class meets in Goodpasture Hall for fellowship and Bible study in a lecture format. The Gathering Class will meet in M-308 for the summer and will view and discuss movies facilitated by various members of the class.

SUMMER THURSDAY MORNING BOOK STUDY:

This summer we will be studying Eugene Peterson’s Practicing Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ. This is the fifth and final volume in his series of “conversations on spiritual theology” that has included Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Eat This Book, Tell It Slant, and The Jesus Way.  Peterson is the winner of the 2010 Presbyterian Writers Award for The Message, a rendering of Scripture into contemporary English.  Cost of the book is $15.00 through the church; please let Guy Griffith, in the church office (292-5526), if you would like a copy. The class meets Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in the library and will begin on June 3^rd and meet through August 26^th.  

UPCOMING THIS FALL

TOM LONG TO GIVE THE HOHANNESS LECTURE, NOVEMBER 14th:

Westminster welcomes Dr. Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology of EmoryUniversity, to deliver the second annual Hohanness Lecture. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Tom’s Dr. Long's research interests are homiletical theory and biblical hermeneutics and preaching. He also is doing research on the theology and practice of Christian funerals. Prior to his appointment at Candler, Tom taught preaching at Columbia and Princeton Theological Seminaries.  A prolific author of Biblical commentaries and books on preaching and theology, his latest two books are Preaching from Memory to Hope (2009) and Accompany Them With Singing—The Christian Funeral (2009).

DISCIPLE

Bible Study:

(registration required):

The Disciple Small Group Bible study program are in-depth, high-commitment classes which are offered at various times throughout the week and meet for two hours.  Disciple I is an overview of the whole Bible and is the gateway for the other courses.  There will be three new Disciple I classes forming this fall meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and on Wednesday nights.  If you think you might be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Guy Griffith 292-5526.

Disciple I:Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study

This first class is an overview of the entire Bible and is the gateway for the other Disciple classes. Sections are being offered Monday morning and Wednesday morning.

Disciple II: Into the Word Into the World

An in-depth study of Genesis-Exodus, Luke-Acts.

Disciple III: Remember Who You Are

The third level is a study of the Prophets and the Letters of Paul.

Disciple IV: Under the Tree of Life

A study of the Old Testament Writings (Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, I & II Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs) and John (the Gospel of John, I, II, & III John, James, and Revelation).

Jesus in the Gospels: This is a second-generation Disciple Study that builds on the foundation and carries forward the philosophy and ideals that shaped Disciple – high commitment, long-term, disciplined study done in community.  The study is text-based with attention given to daily readings in Old and New Testaments. Jesus in the Gospels is different from Disciple Bible Study in its approach to Scripture – it looks more closely at the Gospel texts and focuses on the portraits of Jesus found in the four Gospels. A section will be offered on Wednesday morning.

Christian Believer: Knowing God With Heart and Mind: This is a DESCIPLE curriculum that focuses on doctrine. It is designed as a small group study with the same format of daily study and is open for anyone who has completed DISCIPLE I. There is a workbook and a companion volume of readings. Rev. Griffith will be teaching at least one section of Christian Believer on Wednesdays.