Our Adult Programs
At St. Andrew's we provide a variety of adult educations opportunities.
On Sunday mornings, from 9:00 A.M. to 10:15 A.M. we gather for Bible and Bagels, though some call this group, David and Donuts. This gathering is a free flowing discussion on selected topics. Sometimes we discuss books of the Bible, sometimes we discuss social issues, and sometimes we explore books.
In the fall of 2010, a small group committed to a six-week combination research project and self discovery exercise of Spirituality and Learning. In this unique exercise, the focus is on learning not teaching. The focus is on the learner and not the teacher. Likewise, the focus is on inside-out sharing and not outside-in instructions. In turn, good adult learning builds on descriptive thoughts not prescriptive answers.
In the fall of 2010, on various evenings we host Bible 101. Historically, as levels of education increased, so too increased levels of biblically knowledge. In turn, if a family owned a book, it was the bible. In recent decades, with the knowledge explosion, greater levels of education we realize that people now own or read a vast number of books. In turn, our lives and the world become more complex and complicated. With these factors and others, people tended to become less knowledgeable of the Bible. We do not believe in indoctrination, nor in fixed views. Instead, by asking questions and exploring thoughts we assist adults in becoming more biblically knowledgeable.
On Wednesday mornings, at 11:00 A.M. a group called, Lectionary Scholars meets and explores church history, scriptures and theology. As a foundation, this group uses various DVD’s from the Learning Company.
Over a decade ago St. Andrew’s become the first church in the diocese to use Education for Ministry. This program asks adults to commit to one evening a week for eight months, for four years. Each class requires the minimum of six adults. Typically, many parishes are only able to run one four-year program. At St. Andrews’s we are blessed to have this program still running! As with the other adult education opportunities this indicates the strong desire of our people to learn about faith, their relationship with Jesus and each other.
A wonderful description of how adult education should be approach can be found in Jerold W. Apps, Leadership for the Emerging Age: Transforming Practice in Adult and Continuing Education (San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1994, p. 169). He wrote:
Learners in the emerging age are challenged by the future but not paralyzed by it. They are informed by the past but not tied to it. Learners walk the fine line between the comfort and familiarity of the past and the discomfort and unknowability of the future. Learners are thus often comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time -– one of many paradoxes of the emerging age.
Learners coming into a new learning situation generally know far more than they believe they know. As learners beginning to take charge of their own learning, they relax and often surprise themselves that they already know a great deal about a subject or situation they are trying to learn more about. Thus learning becomes not only adding new knowledge and perspectives but also uncovering and making sense out of what is already there.
The great strength of St. Andrew's is people treat each other with respect and dignity, even when they share diverse opinions. Indeed, people genuinely listen to each other. This creates a positive learning environment.
