Adult Education
Education is an important part of our continuing faith development, especially for adults. We strive to present engaging, relevant and even fun learning opportunities for our adults. Current and upcoming adult classes are described below. All of these classes are held on Sundays from
Sunday, September 12
Doug Dicks, Mission Co-worker from Amman, Jordan
9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
Douglas Dicks, our Mission Co-Worker for Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, will lead a conversation on "Jerusalem 2010: Challenges and Changes to a Sacred Landscape." Doug has been our mission co-worker in the Holy Land since 1995. He lived in Jerusalem and Bethlehem for the first 12 years, then moved to Amman when he was unable to obtain a long-term visa from the Israeli government. He served as staff support for the Middle East Study Committee of the PCUSA and attended the 219th General Assembly in July in Minneapolis. More information on Doug's work is available on the PCUSA website .
Sundays, September 12, 19, & 26
Talking with Children About Faith, led by Rev. John Weicher
9:00 a.m. in the Study
In this 3-week series, we will be learning how to talk with children (week 1), talk about our faith (week 2) and then how to talk with our children about the faith (week 3). This class is for anyone who has children in their lives and wants to connect with them in faithful ways. There will also be an eye towards those who may be teaching church school.
Sundays, September 19 & 26
Understanding Our Sacraments, led by Rev. Lisa Day
9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
Christians live our life between the font of baptism and the Lord’s table – the two sacraments recognized by our denomination. At the font, we are claimed as Christ’s own forever and called to service in the church and the world. It is there we receive the promise that when our baptisms are complete in our death, Christ will welcome us with joy into his Kingdom. In addition to this sacrament which we receive only once, we are given the gift of the opportunity to return frequently to the Lord’s Supper. This communion meal recalls Christ’s sacrifice, feeds and strengthens us for the service to which we are called in this life, unites us with God and one another, and gives us a foretaste of the banquet at which God will be the host. Please join Pastor Lisa Day
for a two week adult education series in which we will explore the rich meanings of our two sacraments: Baptism (September 19) and the Lord’s Supper (September 26).
Sundays, October 3, 10, 17
Peacemaking Series
9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
It is an SPC tradition to use Peacemaking Sunday, the first Sunday in October, as the kickoff to a series of classes led by local and global experts on current peacemaking issue. Our thanks to the hardworking members of the Peacemaking Committee that make this possible. This year's series features the following:
Sunday, October 3
What Muslims Believe: How We are Alike and How We Differ
Rev. Donald Wagner
The Rev. Dr. Donald E. Wagner is an ordained Presbyterian clergyman and former Associate Professor of Religion at North Park University in Chicago, where he was also the Executive Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Don served for more than ten years as Director of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding. He is the author of four books: Dying in the Land of Promise (2003), Anxious for Armageddon (1995), Peace or Armageddon (1993), and All in the Name of the Bible (1988).
Sunday, October 10
Report from General Assembly 2010
Ellen Kecskemethy
Our own Ellen Kecskemethy, now a student at Franklin & Marshall College, served as the Young Adult Advisory Delegate for the Presbytery of Philadelphia at the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in July in Minneapolis. She will report on her experience there and on actions of the General Assembly, especially in the area of peacemaking.
Sunday, October 17
Dr. Mark Braverman
Dr. Mark Braverman is a Jewish American with deep family roots in the Holy Land. He grew up in Philadelphia and trained as a clinical psychologist. Four years ago he gave up his practice to become a full-time activist for peace in historic Palestine. His book, Fatal Embrace, focuses on the role of religious beliefs and theology in the current discourse on Israel/Palestine and on the issue of interfaith relations. It features an introduction by Walter Brueggemann, whom he quotes at length in the book. Mark attended the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has written a two-part blog on the Assembly's actions on the Israel/Palestine conflict.
To view descriptions of previous SPC Adult Education classes,
please visit our Adult Education Class Archive