Education for Faith & Life, 2011-2012

Ancient Texts for New Times: Foundations of our Faith in the Newer Testament

Education for adults at Westminster bridges our faith tradition with real life. Seminary and college professors provide outstanding teaching. Small group studies offer time to dig deeper and get to know others better. Movie of the Month draws on documentaries and feature films to explore the year’s theme. The January All-Church Book Read engages the whole congregation in reading a novel together and meeting for book discussions. Traveling Seminars provide an experience for learning, community, and spiritual pilgrimage to grow in faith as well as in knowledge. Click here for the 2011-2012 Education for Faith & Life catalog.

UPCOMING CLASSES
 
Journey into Faith with the Letter to the Hebrews
Speaker: Dr. Catherine Cory
Wednesdays, February 1, 8 and 15
The New Testament book identified as “To the Hebrews” is surprisingly unique and at times wholly enigmatic. Although it has been called a letter, it has few of the attributes typically found in letters. Some biblical scholars identify it as a theological treatise, a carefully reasoned argumentation about who Jesus is as the Christ and what his role is in God’s plan of salvation. Its imagery is strange at times, and difficult to understand. Other scholars describe it as a sermon designed to encourage people to hold fast to the Jesus gospel and warn against the temptation to give up the faith. These sessions will give us an opportunity to enter into the unfamiliar world of the Letter to the Hebrews, engage some of its arguments, and consider our own response to its call for greater faith.

 From Metro Ephesus:  Words for Emerging Congregations
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Henrich
Sundays, February 5, 12, 19
February 5 A Closer Look at Ancient Ephesus
Where was Ephesus? Who lived there? How does what we know about Ephesus connect with the messages of the letter to the Ephesians?
February 12 A Closer Look at the Letter to the Ephesians
What do we know about this letter, its date and its author? More importantly, what can we learn about Christian belief and communities of believers as we meet them in Ephesians?
Are there words for us? The focus of this class will be on the overall structure of the letter and the first two chapters.
February 19 A Closer Look at the Letter to the Ephesians and Ourselves
We will focus on the final chapters of Ephesians, try to summarize the theology and community-building of this letter and consider what messages, if any, we take from it.
 

  
ONGOING CLASSES

 Virtues, Values, Ethics, and Character
Leaders: Warren Hoffman, Will Larson, Rocky Rockenstein, Jack Terry
Dates: Sundays throughout the year
Time & Location: 9:15-10:15am, Founders Rm. (8:45am Memorial Day through Labor Day)
This class provides weekly opportunities for dialogue and conversation around topics of faith and life. Participants share ideas and experiences as they grow together. Theme for this year is Ideas that Matter and Make a Difference.

 
Living the Faith in the 21st Century
Time & Location: Wednesdays, 5:30-6:20pm, Bates Room
Leader: Dr. Chad Quaintance
This class provides Scripture and book studies to explore what it means to live out our faith in contemporary society. The class is now reading "Paul: A Novel" by Walter Wangerin Jr. You are invited to bring your dinner to the Bates Room; coffee and water will be provided. (Dinner in the Refectory begins at 5:15pm)

  Listen to Audio of Past Adult Education Presentations