Christian Education Course Catalog
2007 - 2008

Spring Courses

Beyond the Frame Series: Katzen Art Center of American University and Dadian Gallery of Wesley Seminary - Coming from the Holy Land

We will begin at the Dadian Gallery with a tour through the Holy Land and Egypt of the 19th century as seen through the eyes of documentary artist David Roberts. Following a light lunch nearby, we come back to contemporary America’s edgy storytelling artistry of Cuban American Carlos Luna, southerners Ben Summerford, Roger Brown and William Christenberry, and New Yorker Elena Sisto. We’ll move into our creative session on site.

Date & Time: Saturday, March 1, mid-morning to mid-afternoon
Facilitators: David Evelyn, Peter Hawley
Cost: $25 plus admission and lunch
Supervisors: Penny Farley, Marilyn Stiles

Beyond the Frame Series: The Textile and Bead Museums – Art To Wear And Use

Clothing, rugs, beads and decorative art from the eastern and western hemispheres have adorned daily life, honored places of worship, and made personal statements through the ages. The Textile Museum’s spacious new 7th St. space brings rare pieces from its collection into the light. The Bead Museum demonstrates how beads have adorned different cultures for both ritual and everyday purposes. Following lunch at a local restaurant, we will retire to St. Mark’s to create a decorative piece.

Date & Time: Saturday, April 5, mid-morning to mid-afternoon
Facilitators: Penny Farley, Martha Connor-Donnelly
Cost: $25 plus admission and lunch
Supervisors: Penny Farley, Marilyn Stiles

Parenting: Where Idealism and Reality Collide

One does not really know what one believes until required to teach it to one’s children. What is our role as parents in developing our child’s moral compass? What kind of tools can we give them? How can we responsibly oversee their ethical development? Does the church have a role? Join us to examine the values and beliefs we want to teach our children and how we go about communicating it to them.

Dates & Time: April 20, 26, May 4, 10:00 AM. - 12:00 PM.
Location: Adams Room
Cost: $30
Leaders: Julie Murphy, Lou Bayard, Beth Mahood; Bobbi Smith, supervisor

Penniman

How do I find a solid core within myself in a challenging world? When challenged by difficult situations and the needs of others we count on? When the needs of a child, parent, or partner squeeze until we feel we have no life of our own? When our work culture insists we work late and we let our family and other life-sustaining connections down? When the demands of my life ask more of me that I feel I have the ability or will to give? What undergirds my strength at such times? This two-week experential course with one weekend retreat will offer an opportunity to look at the elements behind St. Mark’s educational program and the theology of Charles Penniman. If you liked what you found in LCF and want to experience more, this is the course for you.

Dates & Time: May 7 and 14, Wednesdays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM.; Weekend May 9 – 11
Location: Adams Room
Leaders: Jack Harris, Bruce Sherman, Martha Connor-Donnelly; Charlie Rupp, supervisor
Cost: $275 (scholarships available)

Hearing Akinola

In order to dialogue with “the others,” we first need to listen to them. Archbishop Akinola is the leading symbol of the US Episcopal Church’s “other,” but we mostly know him through the Western media and his American allies. This four-part course will explore Archbishop Akinola and the Nigerian Anglican Church through sermons and writings by our Nigerian brothers and sisters, and discuss how they speak to us. Among the topics will be how the Nigerian church sees itself and its positions regarding homosexuality, Islam, and the “North.”

Dates & Time: Sundays, January 13, 27, February 10, 24, 1:30 - 3:30 PM.
Location: Adams Room
Leaders: Steve Dalzell, Marco Caceres, Don Ellison; Randy Marks, supervisor
Cost: $40

The Jesus Seminar

The Jesus Seminar on the Road (JSOR) returns to St. Mark’s for the fourth year and the date has been changed to the fourth month of April. Two Biblical Scholars from Westar Institute will present a seminar on a topic to be announced. Previous seminars have included the Future of Faith, the Parables of Jesus, and The Beginning of Christianity: Diversity, Not Orthodoxy.

Dates & Time: Friday, April 11, 7:30 – 9:00 PM., Saturday, April 12, 9:30 AM. – 5:00 PM.
Location: Parish Hall
Leaders: Two Jesus Seminar Fellows
Coordinator: Raiford Gaffney
Cost: $50 for full event, $10 for Friday lecture only, and $25 each for Saturday morning or afternoon only. Additional discounts for pre-registration, additional family members, and Westar associates. Registration will be through Westar directly or at St. Mark’s. Westar will also have many books available for purchase. The seminar will be open to the public.

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