A scribe once came to Jesus asking, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Quoting the Scriptures, Jesus replied: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” These words resonate deeply with the members of Saint Andrew Christian Church where we practice our faith by worshipping with enthusiasm, by caring for one another, by working for justice and peace, and by engaging in study.
As part of an American religious movement now known as The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Saint Andrew Christian Church embodies several of the core values Disciples have always held dear. One of the primary characteristics of the Disciples is that we have always been a thoughtful people, serious about studying the Scriptures, spirituality, theology and ethics. We refuse to “check our brains” at the church door when we enter worship. Our study leads us into the world, better equipped to carry out the ministry and service to which we feel God calling us. To better reflect the Saint Andrew commitment to connecting head and heart and to more fully embody Jesus’s injunction to “love God with all our mind” we are dubbing our adult education ministry as “The Academy for Life and Faith.”
On Sunday mornings you will be able to choose from a variety of classes. A set of “core courses” will be offered on a rotating basis. These classes will cover the foundational aspects of Christian thought and life: “Engaging the Bible,” “Finding a Faith that Makes Sense,” and “Seeking the Good Life: An Introduction to Christian Ethics” are among the courses that will be offered each year. “Elective courses” will also be available addressing contemporary issues in Christian faith. In all offerings, we seek to offer adult education that will help Saint Andrew members and friends to reflect passionately yet critically on the intersections of religious commitment and everyday life.
Adult Bible Study
Rev. Tom Minges, Rev. Brandon Gilvin, Rev. Allison Lanza and others will offer an opportunity for biblical and spiritual study. The group will be studying the sermon scripture for the current week. This class will meet on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Holly’s office.
Sunday Adult Education Series
November 2 Hillcrest Transitional Housing
with Shawn Benson
9:30 am, Friends Hall
Hillcrest is a community ministry that provides transitional housing to homeless families, as well as a structure of support and care, in order to help families move from homelessness to empowered self sufficiency. Hillcrest’s accomplishments are best seen through their 95% success rate and are recognized for “best practices” in transitional housing with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Shawn Benson is the director of the newly established Wyandotte and Johnson county branch of Hillcrest. He will teach us more about Hillcrest and how Saint Andrew, as an apartment sponsor, can best be involved.
November 9 & 16 Volunteers Bridging Spirituality with Social Justice Ministry
with Greg Garrison, John & Diane Bach, Hannah Fenley, Sharon & Darrell Cantrell,
& youth representatives
9:30 am, Friends Hall
We’ve often heard it said that we’re ALL ministers here at Saint Andrew, each of us has a unique call.
Meet some members of Saint Andrew who have found their ministry niche and see what they’re up to, learn about what they give, what they receive from service, and who knows—maybe you’ll find something you’d like to get involved with.
November 23 Advance Directives: Choices for My End-of-Life Care Preventing Crises
with Jody Gyulay & Marge Barnett
9:30 am, Friends Hall
While able to think clearly, you can choose what you want or don’t want to occur when you are at the end of life or unable to make your own decisions. Doing so can prevent chaos, guilt and crises for you and your family. Marge Barnett is a board-certified advancedpractice registered nurse. Jody Gyulay, Ph.D., is a registered nurse and is also a licensed clinical social worker certified in death education and grief counseling.
November 30
World AIDS Sunday
9:30 am, Friends Hall World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice
and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not
gone away.
The World AIDS Campaign for 2008 is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise". This is an appeal to
governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure they meet the targets that have been set. Join us to learn how AIDS continues to have a stranglehold on our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.
Past Academy Guests
May 5 & 6, 2007: Alison Hawthorne Deming, Associate Professor of Creative Writing, University of Arizona, and author of Writing the Sacred into the Real and The Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World.
May 6 & 7, 2006: Wes Jackson, Co-Founder, the Land Institute
April 21, 2006: Bernard Brandon Scott, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University and Perry V. Kea, Ph.D., University of Virginia
November 13, 2005: Dr. Stephanie Paulsell, speaker, author, minister and faculty member at Harvard Divinity School
May 22 & 29, 2005: Rev. Daniel Hickey, Director of Transformational Journeys
May 15, 2005: Professor Scott Russell Sanders, Indiana University
November 7, 2004: Professor Hubert Locke, University of Washington
September 12, 2004: Dr. Bernard Brandon Scott, Phillips Theological Seminary
March 28, 2004: Rev. John Buchanan, Editor/Publisher of The Christian Century
February 22, 2004: Dr. Robert Mesle, Prof. of Religion, Graceland University
with Shawn Benson
with Jody Gyulay & Marge Barnett
9:30 am, Friends Hall