This fall, adults have a choice among five great options for School of Discipleship! You can explore opportunities for lay or officer leadership with the Leadership Training class, dive into theology, trace Church history, or deepen your understanding of God’s Word. Classes meet from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. every Sunday from September 8 through December 1.
The Apostles’ Creed
Bob Phillips – Room 206
Why study the Apostles’ Creed? Why recite it, week after week, in corporate worship?
In part, because we live in a world where the existence of ANY absolute truth is denied, much less a radical, defiant (albeit remarkably short) statement purportedly summarizing all the essential verities of our religion.
Indeed, the Apostles’ Creed, one of the earliest statements of faith in church history, powerfully and cogently proclaims and reminds us of the truths that distinguish authentic from inauthentic Christianity.
In our thirteen-week study, we will mine the riches of this potent, little ancient paragraph that Christians throughout the ages have so boldly proclaimed, aloud, every Sunday morning. We will learn its historical context, how in the early days of Christendom it was positively dangerous to recite the Apostles’ Creed; and, more importantly, we will unpack (sometimes word-by-theologically-meaningful-word!) the treasury of significant truths it contains — leading us, hopefully, into a deeper conviction of what they mean, and why they matter in our daily lives. The goal of this class, then, is not just to reinforce our doctrinal convictions, and broaden our theological sophistication, but to reward us with a more abiding and genuine assurance of salvation and of the relentless love and faithfulness of God.
American Church History: Part 2
Marcus Serven – Room 208
This class is designed for all who want an introductory look at the history of Christ’s church in America (1812 to the present day). Come and learn about the remarkable providences of God and the rapid growth of the Christian church on the American continent. We will start with the great emotional distress of the War of 1812 and end with the rise of the Evangelicals and the Jesus Movement. Along the way, we’ll discuss the key revivals of the 2nd Great Awakening, the origin of the major Cults, the steady growth of American Presbyterianism, the Prohibition Movement, the sudden appearance of Pentecostalism, the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy, and many other interesting events and organizations. Finally, throughout the entire class we will take note of the significant American men and women who have courageously served Christ through many challenging and turbulent times.
Is David Now Among the Prophets? Reading the Psalms As Prophecy with the Apostles
Andrew Waller – Room 207
Most Christians are well-acquainted with the Psalms, particularly the Psalms of David. However, when we look at books like the Acts of the Apostles, we begin to see that the apostles viewed the Psalms as more than poetry! The early church regarded the Psalms as prophecy about Jesus, the coming messiah, and the work that God would do through him and his followers. In this class we’ll be considering what it means to read the Psalms as prophecy and how we, following in the footsteps of the apostles, can use the Psalms to deepen our understanding of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Questions we’ll be addressing include: What does it mean for the apostles to call David a prophet? How do so-called “messianic Psalms” fit into the story of Jesus? How do the apostles interpret the book of Psalms? How does our union with Christ impact our own use of the Psalms?
Elijah, in His Days and in Our Own Day
Gerson Brisola – Room 203
“I figured to myself Elijah as a thorough prophet, such as we might again require in our own day.” With these words, Felix Mendelssohn describes Elijah and his motivation to write a music piece celebrating the life of this unique prophet. This piece became his famous oratorio, Elijah, which will be performed at Redeemer in December. Elijah, the prophet, is an eminent figure in the Old Testament, and his ministry echoes in the words of other prophets in the Old and New Testament. Even our Lord Jesus makes reference to the Elijah and how his ministry was necessary, to set the stage for the gospel of grace. In this class, we will study the days of Elijah, the ramifications of his prophetic ministry and how God used him as a model to shape the prophetic movement, a vital component of God’s plan to reveal his judgment and redemption. This class will be led by Gerson Brisola, formerly a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in Brazil, and living in Austin since 2017. Gerson works at IBM, on the development of server computers. He sings with the Redeemer choir and will be part of the Elijah performance.
Leadership Training
Eric Landry – Library – Room 204
The Leadership Training class is a prerequisite for those men who wish to go on to Officer Training (a class scheduled for the Spring semester of School of Discipleship), 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. If you are interested in attending, please come to the first class on September 8 the Library. If you would like to get a head-start on the reading, please send me a note at elandry@redeemerpres.org, and I’ll provide you with the book list and reading schedule.