YOUTH PROGRAM

The Director of Christian Education is Dan Beebe. The Nursery supervisor is Emily Miller.

The Christian Education Committee has prepared an exciting and challenging course of study starting on September 7.

Our staff is fully trained and is certified in Red Cross CRP/First Aid and completed the Episcopal Sexual Abuse/Prevention program.

Nursery

Our nursery is staffed from 9:45 am to 11:15 am for children ages newborn to 4. Our nursery attendant not only interacts with the children but also covers a Bible story with various activity using the Living the Good News material from Morehouse Publishing, http:www/livingthegoodnews.com

Children

Our Primary department is for ages 4 to12. Sunday School for children meets at 10:00 a.m. We use an exciting interactive program called LIVE B.I.G. One Room from Cokesbury, http:www/cokesbury.com. This uses DVD, CD and written material for crafts and songs.

Both our Nursery and Primary departments meet together for the Children's Sermon using lectionary material from  http//www csspub.com. At the parent's request we will bring the children to the church service during the Offertory to celebrate Eucharist with their family.

There are take home worksheets following the same lectionary of the Gospel that is used during the church service. The youth also receive a mid-week bulletin that re-enforces the lectionary of the day that are called Gospel Grams, http://www.csspub.com 

ADULT EDUCATION- 2008-9

“Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication” Beginning September 7, we will be offering a series of DVD presentations and discussions presented by Prof. Bart Ehrman, chair of the Department of Religious Studies of the University of North Carolina. Prof. Ehrman is an authority on the origins of the Bible.

Here is an excerpt from the course guidebook: “In the first centuries after Christ, there was no ‘official’ New Testament. Early Christians read and fervently followed many more Scriptures than we have today.

Relying on these writings, some Christians believed there were two, 12, or as many as 30 Gods. Some thought that a malicious deity created the world. Some maintained that Christ’s resurrection had nothing to do with salvation; others insisted that Christ never died at all.

What did these ‘other’ Scriptures say? Do they exist today? How could such ideas ever be considered Christian? If such beliefs were once common, why do they no longer exist? This course by Professor Eherman addresses these fascinating questions with objectivity and rigor.”

We will follow the same format as last year. One Sunday at 9 we will view a half hour DVD presentation. The week following we will discuss the topic. When possible, we will provide copies of the actual lost books for you to read. This promises to be a most interesting study, which will last the entire teaching year. I am looking forward to this very much. I urge you to attend as many of these sessions as possible. Faithfully, Kitty+

Part 1
1. The diversity of Early Christianity
2. Christians Who Would be Jews
3. Christians Who Refuse to Be Jews
4. Early Gnostic Christianity-Our Sources
5. Early Christian Gnosticism-an Overview
6. The Gnostic Gospel of Truth
7. Gnostics Explain Themselves
8. The Coptic Gospel of Thomas
9. Thomas’ Gnostic Teachings
10. Infancy Gospels
11. The Gospel of Peter
12. The Secret Gospel of Mark

Part 2
13. The Acts of John
14. The Acts of Thomas
15. The Acts of Paul and Thecla
16. Forgeries in the Name of Paul
17. The Epistle of Barnabas
18. The Apocalypse of Peter
19. The Rise of Early Christian Orthodoxy
20. The Beginnings of the Canon
21. Formation of the New Testament Canon
22. Interpretation of Scripture
23. Orthodox Corruption of Scripture
24. Early Christian Creeds