Covenant Class

Adults are invited to enjoy another amazing fall schedule of lecture-style classes. Come when you can. Prior attendance is never required.

Topics include: The Prophets - What They Have to Say to Us Today with Bruce Miller, Thorny Issues and Biblical Interpretation with the Rev. Dr. Mark Biddle, and, a look at the housing crisis in Richmond with Lawson Wijesooriya from Urban Hope.

Teacher:  Armoni Johnson, Community in Schools Coordinator at HMES

Topic: Challenges Facing the Families of HMES

Description: To speak on evictions, families, food deserts with a lot of resilience and healing.

Teacher: Jacqueline Lapsley

Topic: The Bible and Creation Ethics Through a Presbyterian Lens”

Description: The human-made climate crisis is upon us. What does the Bible have to say about it?  This talk will explore several key biblical texts to see what they say about humanity’s relationship with both the Earth and the other creatures who live on Earth.  The Bible offers important perspectives on human finitude and limits, as well as on human vocation (what are we supposed to be doing while on earth?).  The Bible presents a God who cares not just about us, human beings, but also about how we treat non-human creatures. This biblical vision of the nature and integrity of creation is diametrically opposed to the extractive attitude of the industrialized West, which is a relatively recent development.  How did the Bible's vision become so distorted in the Christian West, and how might we reclaim a biblical vision for the sake of the world that God so loves?  We will explore how a number of Presbyterian and Reformed thought leaders have already laid the groundwork for a more holistic, more biblical understanding of our relation to the rest of creation.

Teacher: Stuart Nixon

Topic: Rethinking the Reformation – Is There a Story Behind the Story?

Description: The origins of the Protestant Reformation and the life of Martin Luther are well-told tales within the larger narrative of Christian history. So it might seem strange to suggest there is still more to be said about such game-changing events. Have any pieces of the story really been overlooked? Here we will examine some obscure historical developments that might actually put the Reformation in a whole new perspective, adding to its extraordinary impact not just on Christian faith but on Western Civilization.

Teacher:  Phyllis Baker and Bekah Gwynn

Topic:  Engaging with your Gilpin Court neighbors through STEP

Description:  Testimonies and call to action from STEP's programs for children and adults