These are the current Christian Education opportunities for Spring 2023. Have an idea for another class, or have any questions? Please contact Jennifer Vasquez, Director of Christian Education.
Age 3 – Grade 2: Godly Play and More
Our youngest members are invited to worship at the 10:00 service, receive Communion, and then meet the teachers in the Tower Room before going upstairs to the Godly Play classroom (aka, Children’s Chapel). Each week we will tell a new Godly Play story, ask wondering questions, or explore the world God made. We will wrap up around 11:15 so that children can still participate in Coffee Hour with their church family. It’s OK to drop-in as you are able! We are excited to share the stories and language of our faith in a way to is accessible to children.
Grades 3-12: Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints
All youth (grades 3-12) are invited to grab some coffee hour snacks and head to the Skylight Room for discussion on our new curriculum, Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints. We will meet from about 11:15-11:45; we might head down to the Youth Room as well. Come get to know some other youth and learn the stories of some amazing leaders!
Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is an illustrated children’s book about people of diverse faiths working for more love and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat. With original portraits from more than two dozen artists and engaging profiles of people from different faiths and different eras, these are stories that inspire, educate, challenge, and encourage.
Some of the people featured in this book are well known, like the beloved St. Francis of Assisi (a favorite of Hufflepuffs everywhere for his love of animals), who gave up a wealthy inheritance to serve the poor, Rumi, the Sufi poet, and Thich Nhat Hanh, the beloved teacher who developed the concept of engaged Buddhism. Some are well known, but the deep faith motivating their work is lesser known, such as Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, and Mr. Rogers.
Others are less known such as Bayard Rustin, an American Quaker whose role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s is often downplayed because he was a gay man; Maryam Molkara, an Iranian Muslim transgender rights advocate; and Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi to be ordained whose story was almost lost to history.
In particular, Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints emphasizes the stories of women, LGBTQ, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color who are too often written out of religious narratives. These stories move us towards more love and a faith that works for the common good of us all. The book is written for middle-grade age children (and their adults) ages 8 and up. You can read several sample profiles here.
Adult Class: Sojourners
Our Adult Class has begun a new series on the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and particularly how his thought is relevant to critical social issues today.
We continue to use the “flipped classroom” model, where participants are asked to watch a video lecture before class, jot down any notes or thoughts, and bring them to discuss on Sundays at 9AM. Even if you don’t have time to watch the video, you are welcome to come and participate in the conversation and reflection with friends. We will meet in person in the Skylight Room and also on Zoom.
To view the video lectures from “Bonhoeffer: The Future of Faith,” please click here. The password is BonTime.
Can’t attend on Sunday mornings? Feel free to watch the video lectures at home and start a conversation with others about what you’ve learned!
