by John Chase, Adult Christian Education Elder

Church historian and scholar Mark Noll has written that, “The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.” As the Adult Christian Education (ACE) elder, I confess, that’s discouraging news.

My parents attended Sunday School every week. They sat in gray folding chairs in the church library, talked about Noah and the ark, Israel’s wandering, the rant and rave of the prophets, Paul’s letters, Jesus’ parables, and the rapture. As a child, I assumed all grownups went to Sunday School, and that whatever happened there must be important. I was wrong about the first assumption, but right about the second.

I still believe that something important happens when people gather together for fellowship, learning, and the renewing of their minds. They grow to be more faithful disciples of Jesus, and we grow to be a more faithful church. That is the “why” of ACE, and the reason that we are still at it here at Bethany.

Adult Christian education happens at Bethany in small home groups, large groups like Alpha and Dynamis, in Sunday morning classes and special presentations, in our worship services, Briefs articles, on mission trips, in prayer groups, and in acts of service.

In the past, ACE has sponsored learning opportunities for our community such as Read Good Books discussions, Exploring Theology sessions, studies of Scripture and Church History, special presentations dealing with issues like the church calendar, the environment, politics, and cross-cultural ministry. ACE has also partnered with Group Life to offer educational resources for home groups, such as the Bethany Menu. By-request “menu” teachers met with home groups to teach and facilitate discussion around various topics integral to Christian living and discipleship (for example, finances, marriage, vocation).

A new Adult Christian Education Team was recently formed to prayerfully discern where the Holy Spirit is now calling Bethany in the area of Adult CE. That team includes Becky Smiley, Bob Gerstmyer, Emily Mitchell, John Chase, Kimberlee Conway Ireton, Mark Cutshall, and Pastor Todd Holdridge. This wonderful team is examining cultural shifts, educational trends, and the total life of our worshiping community. How might we support the education that is already happening, as well as provide new opportunities for learning and growth?

Meanwhile , consider these exciting ACE events for 2009. Start with our next Read Good Books discussion on February 8 (The Dangerous Act of Worship) and follow it up with a Q&A time with author Mark Labberton on February 15. We are also excited to host a special weekend with Whitworth professor Jerry Sittser in the Fall. In the works is a Stories of Faith series where a cross-section of members from the Bethany community will be invited to share real life testimony of God’s activity in their lives. Other classes are being planned to learn about and discuss issues particular to the Middle East and global Islam. Don’t miss out!