In order to be the best friends of Jesus we can be, we must walk closely with him as his students used to do and show others how to be his disciples too. But have you ever felt poorly equipped to even share your faith with another? What if someone asked you a question about your faith that you couldn't answer—even if the question was asked in a children's Sunday School class?
     A year-long class is being offered in 2010 to make you a prepared Christian. The classes will not give you all the answers but they will prepare you to think so that God's Spirit may provide you with what to say. Sessions will meet each Sunday night from 5:00 to 7:00 and are designed to give you a foundation for your faith, be better educated about it, and prepare you to teach others. Further, by deepening your understanding of God and the life to which he has called you, it will be less likely that you are tossed about on the seas of popular opinion and dubious doctrine.
     Our texts will be the Bible and The Portable Seminary. In the right-hand column you may see what we will be learning in our 26 lessons together (meeting weekly but with some weeks off for vacation and holidays).
     Want to be better prepared? Want to be a better friend of Jesus? Contact me and we'll get you signed up.  —Pastor Mark

PS: You don't have to go to this church!

     Eight friends have joined me around our dining room table each Sunday night this year. They are excited about learning and they're having a great time together doing so. Right now, we are finishing up lesson four, after spending the same number of weeks on that important lesson. Last night, they all shared and critiqued their own creeds, after studying the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds. Bruce and Nancy Shaw from Minnesota joined us.

1. The Doctrine of Scripture (Revelation, The Inspiration of Scripture, The Authority of Scripture, The Canon of Scripture)

2. Biblical Languages (An introduction to Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek)

3. Interpreting Scripture (Hermeneutics & Exegesis)

4. The Doctrine of God the Father (The Biblical Concept of God, The Attributes of God, God’s Work: Creation, God’s Work: Providence, God’s Agents)

5. The Doctrine of God the Son (Jesus of Nazareth, New Testament Christology, Atonement)

6. The Doctrine of God the Holy Spirit (The Spirit in the Old Testament, The Spirit in the New Testament)

7. The Doctrines of Humanity and Sin (What It Means to Be Human, A Biblical View of Sin)

8. The Doctrine of Salvation (The Biblical Idea, The Comprehensiveness of Salvation, Salvation in the New Testament)

9. The Doctrine of the Church (The Church: Definition, Marks, Biblical History & The Church: Nature, Ministry, Mission)

10. The Doctrine of Last Things (Topics of Eschatology, The Millennium: Three Views)

11. Background to the Old Testament (Physical, Cultural and Literary Settings, Literature)

12. A Survey of the Old Testament (The Pentateuch, The Historical Books, The Poetical Books, The Prophets)

13. Between the Testaments (Introduction to the Intertestamental Period, Introduction to the Apocrypha)

14. Background to the New Testament (Historical Survey, Socioeconomic Aspects of Palestinian Judaism, Jewish Religious Practices and Beliefs, Religious and Socioeconomic Aspects of the Hellenistic World)

15. A Survey of the New Testament (Gospels and Acts, Epistles of Paul, General Epistles, Revelation)

16. Apologetics (Clarifying Truth-Claims, Introduction to Apologetics, Arguments for the Existence of God, The Problem of Evil, It’s All Relative— or Is It?)

17. World Religions (Zen Buddhism, Vedanta Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, African Traditional Religions, The New Age Movement, Atheism, New Religious Movements, How Does Christianity Fare at the Religious Roundtable?)

18. The Christian Church: The First 500 Years (Introduction and Overview, Christianity in the Roman Empire)

19. The Church in the Middle Ages (The Rise of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, The Medieval Idea of ‘‘Christian Empire’’, Decline of the Church)

20. Reform and Revival (The Reformation, Puritanism, Great Awakenings)

21. Christianity as a Worldwide Phenomenon, 1750–1950 (Latin America, Asia, The Pacific Basin, Africa)

22. The Church After 1950 (Evangelicalism, The Pentecostal Movement, The Modern Ecumenical Movement)

23. Introduction to Missiology (A Biblical Theology of Mission, A History of Missions, Intercultural Communication, Mission Trends and Strategies

24. Christian Leadership (The Task of Leadership, A Theology of Volunteerism)

25. Christian Ethics (Doctrine and Ethics, A Biblical Foundation, Christian Social Ethics, Christian Ethics and Poverty)

26. Christian Education (Defining Christian Education, Learning Styles, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Christian Formation)