Sunday Christian Formation Classes for Adults
On Not Settling In
Sometimes our image of the life of faith is one of arrival, of settling in, of not growing. To be a Christian, we may conclude, is to reside comfortably in one place. We at St. George’s prefer the image of Paul the apostle, where he speaks of our always moving forward in spiritual maturity. The God “who began a good work in you,” he wrote, “will carry it in on to completion.”We believe that adult Christian formation (that is, education) happens in a climate of expectancy for ongoing learning and growing. We know we are all “unfinished,” so at St. George’s we are nourishing a culture of becoming lifelong learners in the Christian faith. The groups and classes on this page will help you in that.
Sunday Mornings 10:05am - 11:00am beginning January 6th
Rector’s Forum: Living the Red Letters: Finding Truth in the Words of JesusThe Rev. R. Leigh Spruill, Johnson Hall
(Continued from the fall.) Many publications of the Bible are marketed as “red-letter” editions because these Bibles print the words of Jesus in red. This course will take up the line in a popular country song, Believe, by local artists Brooks and Dunn: “I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red.” The class will seek to deepen our knowledge of the truth of Christ by studying the words of Jesus himself. We will examine the parables of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount, his final words to the disciples at the Last Supper, his verbal communication with outsiders and various seemingly minor characters, as well as his difficult sayings and teachings. The Rev. R. Leigh Spruill will continue his class from the Fall semester.
The Worry Free Life
The Rev. Tony and Cherie Welty, Hampton Hall
This class is based on a book of the same title. For so many of us, even the idea of a worry free life seems like a stretch, but throughout the class we’ll interact with the comforting and challenging truth of what the Bible says about worry, stress, trust, and delight in the Lord. The book was written by Terence J. Sandbeck, Ph.D., a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, and co-written by Patrick W. Philbrick who is a fellow parishioner of Dr. Sandbeck’s. By relying upon the truth of God’s Word and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, we’ll see how the repetitive and often self-defeating patterns of our thought-life can be identified and changed, leading to a more contented and productive life. The foundational verse for the book, and thus the class, is Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Pilgrimage
The Rev. Timothy Jones, Dandridge A & B
Pilgrimage, the Adult Confirmation Classes, is a thirteen session class for those wanting to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church this Spring. The class will give an overview of Christian beliefs, practices of growing in Christian life, and Episcopal customs and history.
Ethics, Theology and Conversation (ETC)
Shirley Hercules (convener), 2nd Floor Conference Room
ETC is a round-table, open discussion of theological, spiritual and ethical issues. Each semester a topic is chosen, based on either a book or materials collected and presented by members. Examples of discussion topics that have been covered include religion and science, religion and health (intercessory prayer), the Eastern Orthodox Church (how the east/west split occurred and how each has evolved), the early Christian Church, and the Anglican Vision (a book in the Anglican Teaching series). During the current spring semester, the class will be reading and discussing the book, “What Paul Meant” by Garry Wills. The book is available on Amazon.
The Rev. Tony and Cherie Welty, Hampton Hall
This class is based on a book of the same title. For so many of us, even the idea of a worry free life seems like a stretch, but throughout the class we’ll interact with the comforting and challenging truth of what the Bible says about worry, stress, trust, and delight in the Lord. The book was written by Terence J. Sandbeck, Ph.D., a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, and co-written by Patrick W. Philbrick who is a fellow parishioner of Dr. Sandbeck’s. By relying upon the truth of God’s Word and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, we’ll see how the repetitive and often self-defeating patterns of our thought-life can be identified and changed, leading to a more contented and productive life. The foundational verse for the book, and thus the class, is Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Pilgrimage
The Rev. Timothy Jones, Dandridge A & B
Pilgrimage, the Adult Confirmation Classes, is a thirteen session class for those wanting to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church this Spring. The class will give an overview of Christian beliefs, practices of growing in Christian life, and Episcopal customs and history.
Ethics, Theology and Conversation (ETC)
Shirley Hercules (convener), 2nd Floor Conference Room
ETC is a round-table, open discussion of theological, spiritual and ethical issues. Each semester a topic is chosen, based on either a book or materials collected and presented by members. Examples of discussion topics that have been covered include religion and science, religion and health (intercessory prayer), the Eastern Orthodox Church (how the east/west split occurred and how each has evolved), the early Christian Church, and the Anglican Vision (a book in the Anglican Teaching series). During the current spring semester, the class will be reading and discussing the book, “What Paul Meant” by Garry Wills. The book is available on Amazon.