Adult Education
St. John's encourages regular study of Scripture at every stage of a Christian's life. Here are our current and upcoming course offerings:
Registration form: Registration for classes
Winter 2008-2009
Sunday Mornings, 9:30 am
- C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters:
Scott Carpenter will be leading a new course on this highly readable and often hilarious series of letters between a young apprentice demon and his much more experienced uncle, which explore the reality of evil and its essential banality. Scott will introduce the letters and encourage discussion of them to better understand the Enemy's tactics. In doing so, we can better use our shield of faith and sword of Scripture to endure and thrive as Christ's children. Come along! It'll be fun!! The class will begin on Sunday morning, January 4, 2009, at 9:30am in the Fellowship Hall. Please come prepared with your own copy of the book! Any questions, please contact Scott at . To register, please register online via the church website (above) or call or email the church office (703-971-2210, ).
- Hallelujah: The Bible and Handel's Messiah (Lent-Easter):
A Bible study for the Lenten season, this Sunday morning class with Eric Klanderman will explore the Scriptural texts of Handel's Messiah and includes musical commentary. This second unit of the course turns to the Lenten and Easter portions of the Handel's work, including the well-known "Hallelujah" chorus. The class will begin on Sunday morning, March 1, at 9:30am in the Fellowship Hall. Cost of materials is $10 for each participant's book. To register, please register online via the church website (above) or call or email the church office (703-971-2210, ).
Wednesday Mornings, 10:00-11:30 am
- Adult Crossings: God's Journey with Us:
The Bible contains hundreds of stories and thousands of names. How does a person begin to understand and remember it all? Adult Crossings is a unique biblical overview that seeks to bring it all together in what many refer to as the eight core stories - sometimes referred to as "The Primal Narrative" -that lies at the heart of the biblical faith. The DVD series includes eleven 20-minute sessions presented by two top biblical scholars. The first six sessions will be narrated by Dr. Mark Thronveit, professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. The five New Testament segments are presented by Dr. Thomas G. Long, professor of preaching at Chandler School of theology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Pastor Nass will lead the seminar both introducing and moderating discussion to see how these texts affect other biblical texts, how the texts includes us, and thirdly, how does each text impact the world today?
Mid-Week Adult Bible Class for Winter/Spring will meet from 10:00-11:30am in rooms 307-309. To register, please register online via the church website (above) or call or email the church office (703-971-2210, ).
Wednesday Evenings, 7:00-8:00 pm / 7:15-8:45 pm
- Justification and Sanctification:
Since the Reformation, Protestants have generally agreed that the doctrine of justification is "the article on which the church stands or falls." That is, justification is the foundation and cornerstone of the Christian Church and its faith. What Protestants-as well as Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox-have not so often agreed upon is the content of this doctrine. Even the definition of the word itself is disputed. Does God justify by declaring sinners holy or by actually making them holy? Is justification effected by God alone, or must we in some way cooperate with or assent to God's action? Very closely related to such questions, and perhaps even more hotly debated among Lutherans, is the definition of sanctification and the means by which this also takes place. Such questions are especially worth exploring from a Lutheran perspective because, while they are widely recognized to have a strong doctrine of justification, Lutherans are often accused of downplaying- or even ignoring-the doctrine of sanctification. This study aims partially to correct this misunderstanding of Lutheran theology. But in the event that some Lutherans are in fact tempted to downplay the significance of sanctification, it is also hoped that this study will reveal some of the rich biblical and confessional testimonies to its importance. Likewise, our examination of the biblical doctrine of justification will reveal just how true it is that this is indeed "the article on which the church stands or falls." In fact, we will see just how intimately related justification and sanctification are. Pastor Campbell will lead this study.
Justification and Sanctification begins Wednesday, January 7, and ends on Wednesday, February 11, meeting in the Library from 7-8pm. Childcare can be provided upon request. To register, please register online via the church website (above) or call or email the church office (703-971-2210, ).
- Crossways® (Unit 2):
The class continues to meet on Wednesday evenings with the exploration of Unit 2. John Henize will serve as the instructor. Classes meet from 7:15-8:45 pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Ongoing
- Small Groups
- Women's Bible study, occasional Monday evenings at 7:30 pm, coordinated by Liz DeMik.