School of Discipleship

At Redeemer, School of Discipleship (our Sunday School) is a key component of our church life as we learn and grow together, building one another up in the faith. We offer classes for all ages, and nursery care is available as well.  The fall semester begins September 8 and continues through December 1.

Nursery Care
From their birth, we recognize that our covenant children are gifts from God to be cherished and enfolded into the life of the church. Led by Nursery Coordinator Lisal McDonald, our nursery is staffed by both agency workers and Redeemer volunteers. We want to provide a safe, clean and nurturing environment for our young ones to know the love of Christ from their earliest days.

Children’s Curriculum
We have adopted the Show me Jesus Bible curriculum from Great Commission Publications as our source for the children’s classes from 2 year olds through 2nd grade. They do a good job of presenting the unfolding story of salvation in scripture with Jesus at the center, while highlighting the sovereignty of God and his grace in the covenant, all from a Reformed perspective.

Once children reach 3rd grade, they are ready for more in-depth study of the faith, so they embark on a study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, using the Digging Deeper materials from Great Commission Publications. This two-year program takes the class through the 107 questions and answers, covering what we believe about God, his law, the means of grace, and the Lord’s Prayer. The students are encouraged to memorize the catechism answers as they study the content.

Classes for Children and Youth
Nursery: staff & volunteers – Lisal McDonald, coordinator
Two year olds: Room 104
Three year olds: Room 105
Four Year Olds – Kindergarten: Room 106
1st & 2nd Grades: Room 201
3rd – 6th Grades: Room 209
7th – 12th Grades: Room 212

If you have any questions about Children’s Ministry at Redeemer please contact Carol Waller: cwaller@redeemerpres.org

Adult School of Discipleship
At Redeemer, our Adult School of Discipleship (SoD) ministries are meant to equip the members and attenders of Redeemer Presbyterian Church with the truth of the gospel so that they know the hope within them and increase their confidence in serving Christ. We meet from 10:15 through 11:00 each Sunday in the fall from September through early December, and in the spring from January through April on the second floor of Calvin Hall.  Additionally, we host a single team-taught class in the summer from June and July.

Last fall we introduced a new structure for our SoD classes.  We offer a core set of eight classes, which rotate on a four-year cycle, and electives offered on a semesterly basis. Our core classes introduce key ideas in Reformed Theology, thematically survey the Bible, explore Presbyterian distinctives, and discuss key issues in the Christian life.  Our elective classes are meant to discuss topics of specific theological interest or relevance to the Christian life.  

Last fall for our elective classes, we offered a course on faith and work. This past spring, 2024, we offered a class on the subject of grief.  This coming fall we will offer a class on Christian counseling aimed at helping Christians in the church counsel one another as well as a course exploring the Law of Israel

Our goal in our School of Discipleship is to provide informative teaching, that both instructs our minds and challenges our hearts to more thoughtfully and practically grow in Christ. You can see this semester’s course description, as well as instructors, below: 

Jesus & the Apostles: A Survey of the New Testament — Rev. Jon Herr
This class will explore the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.  We will discuss his background, sense of vocation, his interactions with his disciples, and his opponents.  Additionally, we will examine the causes of his arrest and the evidence for his resurrection.  Finally, we will discuss the legacy of Jesus Christ through the ministry of his apostles, specifically: Peter, James, Paul, and John.  Join us this fall as we examine the Author and Perfecter of our faith as we seek to grow in our love and knowledge of Him

The Christian Life  — Rev. Dr. Marcus Serven
Have you ever wondered—“Why do I struggle so much in my life as a Christian?” The answer to your difficulties may lie with a misunderstanding of just how the Christian life actually works. In this class we will explore the Bible’s teaching on faith, repentance, justification, adoption, and sanctification. We’ll also discuss how Christians receive and extend forgiveness, how they adopt an attitude of Cross-bearing, how they engage in prayer, and how they mortify the prevailing sins of their life. Several resources will be used from Church History—selections from the writings of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, and the Heidelberg Catechism.

Christian Counseling in the Local Church — Rev. Danny Morgan with SR Mealer – Elective
This course is designed as a Practical Theology course integrating biblical-theological learning with historical and psychological perspectives. This class aims to help Redeemer members better understand the biblical and theological foundations of Christian counseling to assist one another in growing and maturing as the body of Christ together. Themes will include biblical and theological foundations, foundations for empathy and listening, understanding how our past informs our present, the role of suffering in the Christian life, inhabiting one another’s pain through the gift of presence, how divine grace trespasses our wounds, the role of community in counseling, how lay people can counsel one another. 

Jesus and Law of Israel — Andrew Waller – Elective
How does Israel’s law intersect with the renewal of Israel in Christ? What did Jesus mean when he said that he did “not come to abolish but to fulfill” the law? How should Christians relate to Israel’s law as those who have had the law written on their hearts by the Spirit? In this class, we will first discuss the Mosaic law, particularly Leviticus, as described in the Old Testament. Second, we will look at how early Jewish legal practice is woven into the story of the Gospels and Acts, paying particular attention to Jesus’s interactions with the Pharisees and the faithfulness of the apostles to the law post-Pentecost. Third, we will reflect on how Paul relates Israel’s law to the descent of the Spirit and the ongoing restoration of Israel in Christ.

Leadership Training — Rev. Eric Landry
The Leadership Training class is a prerequisite for those men who wish to go on to Officer Training, but it is open to all men and women who are interested in filling different levels of lay leadership in the church. If you would like to serve as a School of Discipleship teacher for adult classes; a small group leader; a teacher of men, women, or youth; or if you’d just like to get a better grasp on Scripture, doctrine, and leadership, this class is for you. Please be forewarned: this class requires significant reading and homework. It is not for the faint of heart! It will, however, help you help our church grow into maturity. 

Please contact Pastor Jon Herr with any questions about the classes for adults: jherr@redeemerpres.org