Northridge Presbyterian Church

Transcription

1 Christian Education for Fall, 2015 Growing in our faith with classes and activities for all ages, nursery-aged children through adults. Sunday morning classes begin Sunday, September 13. All classes begin promptly at 9:35 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m. Northridge Presbyterian Church

2 ONGOING ADULT CLASSES 7:30 a.m. Adult Bible Study Tuesday mornings in Quillin Hall Led by Ben Dorr and Susan Sytsma Bratt CLASS NOTES: Join your pastors for a weekly Bible Study. No previous Bible knowledge required, just a willingness to study the text. We ll have coffee, and should wrap up by 9 a.m. so that you can get to work. Drop in when you can for all or part of the class. CHILDREN S CLASSES Nursery Care: Infants 18 months Room 104 8:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Sunday mornings Our childcare staff provides a warm, secure environment and keeps our nursery organized. Trained volunteers from our congregation are also present in the nursery to greet families and assist our childcare staff. Extended Care: 18 months 5 years 10:35 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Childcare during 11:00 a.m. worship 18 months 3 Year Olds Room Year Olds Room 112 Our childcare staff and adult member volunteers from the congregation care for our children during the 11:00 o clock worship hour. They lead the children in play, art, music, and stories in these two classrooms.

3 CLASS NOTES: Wonders of Worship 8:30 8:50 a.m. & 11:00 11:20 a.m. 4 & 5-year-olds are invited to experience and discover the wonders of worship with their parents for the first twenty minutes of each of our worship services. At the 11:00 o clock service, a volunteer will meet the children at the rear of the sanctuary at 11:20 a.m. and take them to Room 112. At the 8:30 a.m. service, parents may take their children to Room 104 (the nursery). Toddler Class: 18 months through 2 years 9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Room 109 Our caregivers provide a safe, loving, and encouraging environment for our toddlers. A Bible story is presented each week, along with music, movement and free play all reinforcing the message of God s unconditional love for each child. 3 4 Year Old Class 9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Room 112 The beginning of class is devoted to music and movement. New and Old Testament stories are reinforced with activities from our denomination s Grace and Gratitude curriculum. BRIGHT BEGINNINGS Kindergarten - 6th Grade at 9:35 a.m. Room 209 Children in Kindergarten through sixth grade will ALL gather in room 209 at 9:35 each Sunday morning for songs, perhaps a game related to the topic of the day, announcements, stewardship and prayer. Students will be encouraged to take a leadership role in this time of extended community. Students will then be released to their classrooms as follows:

4 Kindergarten and First Grade Room 210 CLASS NOTES: Grace & Gratitude PC(USA) Curriculum Teachers prepare children for participating in worship. Kindergarten and first grade children begin learning about the sacraments of baptism and communion, our parts of worship, the liturgical year and memorizing congregational responses. Second and Third Grades Room 209 Grace & Gratitude PC(USA) Curriculum In addition to our stated curriculum, children in this class will begin to learn the books of the Bible, the names of the Apostles and begin to learn the Apostles Creed and the Sacraments.

5 PWIN Presbyterian Women in Northridge Presbyterian Women in Northridge (PWIN) is about fellowship and community in small groups within the church. It is a great way to get to know the remarkable women of our congregation. All women in the church are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Our monthly meetings include discussion on the missions and outreach of PWIN, the care of our congregation, and a Bible study. The Morning Circle meets at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month from September through May. Meetings are held in the Parlor of the church. Light refreshments are served. This year s study is Come To the Waters by Judy Record Fletcher. The Evening Circle meets at 6:15 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month from September through May (excluding January). Meetings are held in the homes of circle members or occasionally at the church. A light dinner is served at 6:15 p.m. prior to the lesson. Other activities include: PWIN Coordinating Team Meeting First Tuesday of the month, September through May, 10:00 a.m., Room 105. PWIN Service Day - a small group meets to prepare comfort pillows for cancer patients on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May, 10:00 a.m. in Room 105. Fourth Sixth Grades Room 212 Grace & Gratitude* PC(USA) Curriculum These students will explore worship in depth, our order of worship and the theology behind our understanding of worship. These students will plan and lead Children s Sabbath in the fall. They will learn the Beatitudes, begin to place biblical events in a timeline and will use resources such as a concordance. *The Fall 2015 Grace and Gratitude Curriculum will lead our children into an understanding of God s Grace. Through the book of Genesis, we will explore the grace in God s good creation, help children trust that God s grace is passed from generation to generation, that God s grace is at work even when life is unfair, and help children find assurance in God s active presence. Prayer Shawl Ministry a gathering to work on shawls for those in need of comfort. Day: Third Tuesday of each month, September through May, 10:00 a.m. Room 105 (meets along with PWIN Service Day) Evening: First Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m. location TBA

6 Seventh and Eighth Grades Room 204 Preteens are increasingly being exposed to new and different situations and people with different beliefs. We offer a nurturing, creative environment to explore what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Through scripture, movies, music and topical presentations we encourage our preteens to look deeper into their experiences and beliefs, as they begin to wrestle with and understand the relevance of God and Christianity in their lives. Senior High Class: Ninth Twelfth Grades Youth Suite (lower level) Senior High Room F.A.I.T.H. Senior High students are reaching an age of critical thinking. We encourage their questions as they grow toward adulthood and a maturing faith. Using the acronym F.A.I.T.H., our senior highs will learn community through Fellowship, living their beliefs through Application, begin to uncover God s truth through Interpretation, understand our reformed way of being God s people through Theology, and discover how the past informs our actions and beliefs today through our History. NORTHRIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ADULT EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT: The Northridge Adult Education program strives to educate adults of all ages in the Biblical foundations and Christian traditions of our faith and Christian practice. We seek to expand our course offerings by identifying, supporting, and educating new teachers. VISION STATEMENT: A three-year plan for classes supports our church s mission in educating adults in a strong foundation in the Bible, in the Reformed faith, and in Christian practice in the following ways: Cover the books and themes of the Bible, over three years, to encourage Biblical literacy. Teach courses in Reformed theology, upon which our Presbyterian doctrines are based, including creeds and confessions. Explore themes from other religions, philosophies, and cultures. Offer courses in church history from Biblical to modern times, including influential theologians and theology. Introduce courses in Christian practice that would address contemporary issues and topics related to the daily lives of both younger and older adults. Provide a flexible schedule of classes and a variety of class formats to address the needs of our congregation. Support new teachers by providing opportunities to develop their teaching skills through workshops, team teaching, mentoring, and assistance with resources.

7 Adult Classes - Fall III Courses (continued) November 22 December 20 Wired Word Led by a team of teachers: Gary & Kathy Sommerfelt, Lucinda & Tony Cummins, Florence Quillin, & Peter Bratt. Held in Room 105 Wired Word is a weekly Bible study class that ties the latest headlines to Scripture passages. Each week the class will discuss a current event in light of particular biblical verses. The topics and bible verses will change each week and will be posted in the Word as well as on the Northridge web site to give those who wish to attend the class an opportunity for reflection before the class meets. Each class will begin with a time for coffee and fellowship so that group members will have the opportunity to get to know each other better. The moderator will then lead a group dialogue on how the verses covered each week apply to everyday life. The goal is to engage group members with thought-provoking, stimulating discussions on the messages contained in the biblical texts and how they might relate to contemporary culture and events Fellowship Fourth Sixth Grades Cynthia Petty, D.C.F.M. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth graders meet approximately once a month for fun, service and community building. Often activities will be held off-site and most will include a service project. A few events planned for the year include KidQuiver (overnight here at Northridge), KidQuake (a weekend retreat in the spring at Camp Gilmont) and a Golden Picnic. For further information contact Cynthia Petty, cynthiap@northridgepc.org. Youth Fellowship Seventh Twelfth Grades Sunday Evenings 5:00-6:30 p.m. Youth Suite and Quillin Hall Northridge has a year-long youth fellowship program which welcomes all youth from 7th through 12th grades. During the school year, our youth meet on Sunday evenings to enjoy fellowship together, eat dinner, complete mission projects, go on field trips, and explore their spirituality. Throughout the year, the youth also attend various Presbyterian camps and conferences including YouthQuake, SHYC (Senior High Youth Conference), SYNOD Youth Workshop, and Junior High Jubilee at MO-Ranch. The highlight of the summer programming is the annual youth mission trip. In 2015, the youth served in Gore, Oklahoma at the Circle of Care Boys Ranch where they renovated a foster home and formed meaningful relationships with children that live on the ranch. Each youth attending the trip completed the P.A.C.T. (Peers Attending Church Together) which encourages our youth to become an active part of our church community and provides an opportunity for the youth to build relationships with each other, their youth director, and their sponsors before they go out into the world to serve. Melanie Rylander is our Youth Director. Please contact her for an up-todate calendar of youth activities and events. Her office address is melanier@northridgepc.org. Her office # is , ext. 103.

8 ADULT CLASSES, FALL 2015 Adult Classes - Fall I Course September 13 October 11 Classes will meet 9:35 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. We are trying something new and offering one adult class for our Fall I segment. Ben and Susan will be preaching a sermon series which will coincide with this course. Do You Have to Join a Church to Follow Jesus? Led by Ben Dorr & Susan Sytsma Bratt Sept. 13th Class to be held in the Sanctuary. The following four classes will be held in Quillin Hall. As our denomination faces rifts and loss of membership, Northridge continues to slowly grow. What does it mean to be a part of a church in the 21 st Century? We ll look at topics related to stewardship, generational differences, joining vs. belonging, consuming vs. building community, and practicing our faith outside of church in our homes with our children, and at work. This class will address the tensions of being a Presbyterian church member in today s world. Participants should be prepared to reflect and discuss as our format will be interactive. Adult Classes - Fall III Courses November 22 December 20 Hallelujah: The Bible & Handel s Messiah Led by Ann Binford, Eleanor Bissell, & Tim Jernigan Held in Room 101 A study for both the music lover and the biblical seeker, it explores the scriptural texts of Handel's Messiah. This study offers careful examination of the texts from four movements of the Messiah: Comfort, Comfort My People, Who Shall Abide the Day of His Coming?, For Unto Us a Child is Born, & Glory to God in the Highest. Table Talk in Advent Led by Ben Dorr Held in the Parlor This class for parents will focus on the five candles of the Advent season and the gift represented by each candle: hope, peace, joy, love, and Christ. We will explore the meaning and mystery behind each of these gifts, as well as the ways that each of us try to teach and share these gifts with our children.

9 Conversational Theology Led by Alex Ash and Tim Jernigan with occasional guests Held in Room 105 The idea of this class is to have stand-alone sessions for those who might not be able to commit to a thematic series of classes. Drop-ins are welcome. Discussions are informal and wide-ranging as we attempt to discern God's presence in current events or other issues that participants may bring to the table. Usually a smallish group, it's a good way to get to know each other a little better while visiting about things that are currently on our minds. A Newcomers Class Led by Ben Dorr Held in the Library Fall, 2015 Dates are Oct. 18 & 25 and Nov. 1 & 8 We will cover Presbyterian theology, governance, and any other questions you may have about Northridge. If you have been visiting, or are interested in joining our church, or would simply like to learn more about our denomination, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., you are welcome to attend! We will meet in the Library. Adult Classes - Fall II Courses October 18 through November 15 Leviticus - God Calls Taught by guest teacher Sandy Kress - held in the Parlor When both Jews and Christians approach the book of Leviticus, it is often with a sense of dread. What doesn't bore us with the prospect of dreary rules scares the heck out of us with bloody sacrifices. But, underneath the surface, this is one of the most powerful and beautiful texts anywhere. The name of the book in Hebrew means, "God calls." And the deeper meaning of sacrifice is "to draw near." God calls us to come near. Intrigued? This class will go on an exciting journey of what this Divine call meant then and might mean to us now. Don't miss it! Sandy Kress is a Reformed Jew and former Lakewood resident who now resides in Austin. Sandy has taught this class at West Lake Hills PC(USA) in Austin, TX with great success. Mission: More than Check Writing Led by Susan Sytsma Bratt in Room 101 What is mission exactly? Why do we go out into God s world? Where has the Presbyterian Church engaged in mission? This class will look at the history and theology of mission in the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well as Northridge. We will look at shifts in mission that are occurring in our denomination and across denominations given globalization. We will also meet some guests who are engaging in mission in some new and exciting ways.