Adult Classes

Spiritual Practices for a Technological Age

Location: Fellowship Hall

In a world where our attention is increasingly commodified, it is all too easy to find ourselves distracted and consumed by the constant pull of our phones and other devices. Fortunately, Christians over time have learned and championed practices of relating to ourselves, others, and God–spiritual practices and disciplines like keeping sabbath, sharing a common table, and attending to beauty–that help us to live fully and well. This fall, we’ll explore 12 such practices, examining their biblical and theological roots, encouraging each other to try them in our everyday lives, and speaking honestly about the opportunities for and challenges to living fully and wholeheartedly in an age of attention-grabbing technologies. This is our latest class in our “30s, 40s, & Friends” group.

Leaders: Warren Kinghorn and Trig Steinbrenner

Augustine’s Confessions

Location: The Choir Room (Room 103)

St. Augustine’s Confessions, considered by many the finest theological work of late antiquity, is a personal account of Augustine’s conversion from paganism to Christianity. It takes the form of a prayer to the triune God as a model for every Christian reader in their daily pursuit of Jesus Christ. Each week we’ll read modest excerpts ahead of time and show up with a question or two ready to contribute to our discussions. We recommend that people purchase the Oxford World Classics edition translated by Henry Chadwick. 

Leaders: Jack Bell and Jillian Marcantonio

Word Alive

Location: Community Room (Room 201)
The Gospels record that Jesus’ followers often “said to one another.…” They listened to Jesus, but also worked out what He meant among themselves. Our class does the same. Each week, we read a chapter of the Bible and come ready to discuss:

• The main theme of the chapter.

• What God was like in that chapter.

• How we can apply that same idea in our culture.

This fall, we listen to God’s voice to us through 2 Samuel.

Leaders: Michael Whisenhunt and John Hamilton

Community Class

Location: Room 402

1500 years ago in the deserts of Egypt, a group of Christians pursued a deeper knowledge of themselves and of life as disciples of Jesus through an intense devotion to life in the presence of God. Their wisdom has informed centuries of Christian monasticism and individual devotion–even to our own day–in the writings of Henri Nouwen and Rowan Williams. We’ll consider how the Bible and the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers help us embrace a life that loves the Lord with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that loves our neighbors as ourselves.

Leaders: Chris Blumhofer and Don Grigg

Young Adult Fellowship

Location: Parlor

The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and widely embraced works emerging from the Protestant Reformation. It is succinct in its explanation of the basics of the faith (the Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments, and Sacraments) and intended to help us derive comfort and assurance from the faith we confess. As we journey this fall through selections of the Heidelberg Catechism, we’ll reflect on essentials of our Christian faith and distinctives of our Presbyterian context.

Leaders: Lydia Harrison and Caleb Rolling

Growing in Grace

Location: Zoom and Room 404

This online class meets on Zoom with current Blacknall members and brothers and sisters from other congregations. Together, we focus on in-depth study of the Bible with handouts, skits, and discussions. With a range of perspectives and experiences, our conversations transform us through a shared ministry of each other and with the Holy Spirit.

Leader: Paul Immanuel