Adult Education
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
- Our goal
- that we all would grow profoundly in the knowledge of Christ.
- Our task
- to provide biblical teaching through various avenues that will help us grow in the knowledge of Christ.
Ephesians 4.11-16 aptly summarizes our ultimate task and goal. In this passage, God compares us to a body and tells us that he desires our body to be united, mature, strong and looking more like Jesus every day. God wants us to know Jesus more intimately and deeply. The sort of “knowing” that he is after is a blessed union of information and transformation. God certainly wants us to know about him, how he deals with people, what he has in fact done. But more than that, he desires for us to know him personally and intimately in a way that affects what we want, how we think and how we live. Your elders and your Adult Education Ministry Group share God’s desires.
Avenue #1: Sunday School
One wise way to provide this teaching is immediately following worship on Sunday, since we’re all gathered together in one place already. Here are some more specifics on our plans for Sunday school:
- Three units
We are now working on a “trimester” calendar rather than a “quarter” calendar for adult Sunday school. In between these trimesters are “free” Sundays, set aside for special uses (missionary presentations, women’s ministry kickoff, prayer meetings, congregational meeting). In light of these “free” Sundays, we will guard the Sundays during each trimester for the regular classes being offered.
- Four tracks
We have developed four general categories, or “tracks”, for Sunday school teaching. We seek to offer one class from each category each trimester. Of course, the categories will overlap. They are also flexible and can bend with opportunities and needs that arise. But this will help us maintain a healthy balance in our teaching, and will provide us with different options to choose from. Some classes from each of the categories may be repeated after several years, enabling a person over time to take classes they missed in the past. Bible: Book of the Bible, New Testament overview, study of David, etc.; Theology Westminster Confession of Faith study, theology focusing on Jesus, theology focusing on the Bible, etc. Practical Theology How to study your Bible, depression, relationships, etc. Worldview development“I’m Glad You Asked”, church history, media, etc.
Avenue #2: Resources
Did you know that we have a church library? It is in room 204, shared with the small kitchen. We have an excellent collection of books, tapes and videos which can feed your soul. Recently we also purchased a collection of pamphlets from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF), dealing with issues from anger to pornography. These are yours for the taking! Currently they are in the foyer on Sundays and in the reception office during the week.
Avenue #3: Conferences/Seminars
Plans are in the works for Ed Welch, professor at Westminster Seminary, counselor at CCEF, and author of several books (When People Are Big and God is Small, Depression, Addictions) and numerous articles, to speak at a seminar at Trinity on September 21-22. Look for more information on this incredible opportunity to sit at the feet of a godly, learned teacher.
Avenues #4, 5, 6
Home groups. Evening classes. Book clubs. There are LOTS of avenues for biblical teaching, and your Adult Education Ministry Group may establish some of these ways in the future.
You can assist your Adult Education Ministry Group.
If you have desires and gifts to help your brothers and sisters grow in the knowledge of Christ, you may want to serve on this group. Or you may have some thoughts and input for us. Please contact Mark Whipple..
Your Adult Education Ministry Group:
Mark Whipple (chairman), Mae Fortson, Julia Gibson, Anthony Moore
