September 17: "Presbyterians, Faith, and Race: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?"
Join Westminster's newest formation group, the Faith and Race Initiative, for a panel discussion moderated by Steve Denne with Melynda Wilcox and lay leaders from three local Presbyterian Churches.
September 24: "The Life and Witness of Harriet Tubman" with Ranger Chaney Dale
Ranger Dale, Acting Park Manager at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, will give an overview of Tubman's life and share how the state park and the national historic site work together to educate visitors about Tubman's courage and legacy.
October 1-29: "How Jesus Became Christ" with Dr. John Barclay Burns
Born and raised in Scotland and an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, Dr. Burns has served parishes in Scotland, Toronto, and Fairfax VA, and is Associate Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at George Mason University. He will lead a month-long series on how Jesus of Nazareth became Jesus the Christ.
November 5: "Hope in Times of Crisis" with Rev. Scott Planting
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
We are confronted everywhere with crises: mass shootings, war in Ukraine and Israel, pandemic, economic displacement, climate change, seemingly unsurmountable political turmoil, and whatever is just around the corner. In times such as these what does hope mean for you? What gives you hope? What is a Christian’s understanding of hope? What are your stories of hope? Is hope optimism, fantasy or action? Ernst Block wrote, “hope requires people to throw themselves actively into what is becoming, to which they themselves belong.” To hope is to give yourself to the future, and that commitment to the future makes the present inhabitable. We will explore Jonathan Lear’s concept of Radical Hope which entails moving into the future relying on our values, commitments, relationships, and creativity.
November 12-26: "Jewish Prayer, and How It Differs from the Protestant Ethos of Prayer" with Rabbi Jack Moline
Rabbi Jack Moline, Former Rabbi of Agudas Achim and past President of the Interfaith Alliance will lead a three week series exploring the Jewish idea and practice of prayer and how it is similar and divergent from Protestant practice. The first session will be about the phenomenon of prayer and what it means in traditional Judaism, the second about the structure of Jewish formal and informal worship, and the third a deeper dive into some representative liturgical texts.
December 3-10: "The Scottish-Presbyterian Migration" with Ellen Hamilton
Ellen Hamilton, local author and owner of Yellow Dot Shop, will lead a two part series analyzing the Scottish Presbyterian migration from Scotland to Alexandria. The first week will focus on the causes of and the events leading up to this great migration, while the second week will discuss the journey itself and what early Scottish migrants experienced upon arriving in Alexandria.
Sunday morning Adult Christian Formation classes will then take a break for the holidays and resume in January.
Subject to change. We will not have class on Palm Sunday, March 24 or Easter Sunday, March 31.
January 7-24: Rev. Dr. Alice Bellis
February 11: Josaiah Young
March 3-17: "Job" with Dr. Paul Cho
April 14-28: "The Difference Between a Mistake and a Sin" with Rev. Dr. Emily Peck
