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Christian Education at East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Christian Education (CE) offers classes and events for all ages--from infants to adults. It is is the life-long process of learning and living in relationship to God, our neighbors, and ourselves. All CE classes meet for Church School Hour on Sunday mornings from 9:45 - 10:45 from early September through early June unless otherwise noted. You can also sign up for our weekly E-News to get reminders of upcoming classes, or view our calendar. Find out more about our youth programming: View the May 2013 Youth Calendar.

Our Wednesday evening Club 116 offers an evening of fellowship, study and worship for people of all ages. There will be homework help, open gym, educational workshops, dinner, and Bible Study each week. Read more on the Club 116 page or

• Adults,

• Youth (6th though 12th grade),

• Young children (infant through pre-K) and children (kindergarten through 5th grade),

• Young adults (20’s & 30’s).

We encourage you to try different courses and programs to find the best fit for you in your faith walk. Through the study of scripture and the practice of prayer, we begin to understand our life experiences as they relate to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Come and join us! Your questions, insights, doubts, and concerns are welcome. If you're not sure where to begin, , Associate Pastor of Educational Ministries.

Adult Christian Education

• Contemporaries
• Journey with Scripture
• Parenting Circle
• Seekers
• Soul Food
• Young Adults Church School
• Bible 116 returns for the spring! Wednesday evening Adult 116 Bible Study, May 8 - 29

Contemporaries, second floor parlor

The Contemporaries are an intergenerational fellowship of Christians seeking to live faithfully in the 21st Century. We encourage one another to grow spiritually and carry out ministries of compassion, mission, panel dialogue and justice. Facilitated by Joe Kennedy and Mary Alice Lightle. Meets in the Second Floor Parlor unless otherwise noted.

• May 5: Pittsburgh Marathon weekend, no classes
  Runners participating in The Pittsburgh Marathon are on the road from about 7am to about 2pm, but the street closures begin the night before. View the website for details. The course winds through many of the city neighborhoods and crosses all three rivers. Community celebrations, cheering spectators and music along the course are common. However, due to the street closures across all the neighborhoods, getting to and from the church is impossible for many. On Sunday morning May 5, only the Good Samaritan service will be offered; CE classes are canceled. Our Journey and Sanctuary worship services will be combined--We hope that you will join us the night before, Saturday May 4, for a worship service at 5pm followed by a potluck dinner!
• May 12 (Regular schedule resumes): Conversations of Pittsburgh and Faith, with Patrick Dowd, Pittsburgh City Council Member and ELPC Elder. Patrick has a story to tell regarding what fuels his passions for our beloved city of Pittsburgh and its direction. His insights from the perspective of local government will be extremely helpful for every concerned citizen. A highlight of the presentation will consist of Patrick sharing portions of his faith journey, and how that has impacted his family, including his decision to become an officer within our congregation.
• May 19: The Lord's Guidance Directing My Service, with Pam Kimmel, ELPC Business Administrator. Pam will take us behind the scenes into the world of church management from her perspective. The Lord's guidance has truly directed her path every step of the way and that contributes to the personification of her service. A couple of scriptural passages will chart the course of her testimony. Pam has agreed to include a few aspects of her faith-story before, during and after the commitment of becoming a vital staff participant to enhance the ministries of ELPC.
• May 26: Cultivating Community, with Joe Kennedy. Community requires commitment. It also encourages honesty, humility, courage, courtesy, intentional participation and acceptance. To be in community means giving up our self-centeredness and independence in order to become interdependent. But the benefits of sharing life together far outweigh the costs and the process serves to prepare us for heaven! Congregational life is greatly enhanced through the establishment of spiritual principles that truly amplify the fruitfulness of community.

Journey with Scripture, second floor library

This class follows the three-year Sunday Revised Common Lectionary cycle of scripture readings and provides opportunity for reflection and response. Come practice the basic spiritual discipline of reading both the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures together. God calls its readers, through the Holy Spirit, to be enfolded into the work and body of Christ – a life of grace and a life of service. Jan Lyle Irvin (M.A. in Biblical Studies), facilitates the class. Prior knowledge of the scriptures is not necessary for participation. View the Sunday or daily lectionaries online.

May: Wisdom speaks. She says, “...then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race” (Prov. 8:30-31). May's scripture readings call all people to these things: to be loved; to love, rejoice, create, and delight – towards union with all creation and Christ. Come read and reflect!

• May 5: Pittsburgh Marathon weekend, no class. For those who would like to read on their own, here are this week’s readings: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5; John 14:23-29 & John 5:1-9.
  
• May 12: Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26.
• May 19, Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9 - Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17, (25-27).
• May 26, Trinity Sunday: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15.

Looking ahead: Join us June 2, 2012 for our last class of the season before we break for the summer!

• June 2: Last day for CE classes. 1 Kings 18:20-21, (22-29), 30-39; Psalm 96; Luke 7:1-10; Galatians 1:1-12.
  
• June 9: Summer worship begins.
• September 8, Rally Day: Mark your calendars for our annual fall gathering when our regular worship and CE classes resume.

Parenting Circle, Harambe room (first floor)

Parenting Circle meets the first Sunday of the month in an informal gathering. We are a group for anyone involved in parenting: singles, couples, adoptive parents, step-parents, grandparents, guardians, mentors, etc. In monthly meetings and informal get-togethers, we share experiences, resources, prayer and scripture. We explore how our faith builds and nourishes our family lives and helps nurture our parent/child relationships. We learn from one another ways to foster closer family relationships in the context of creating active faith communities. All are welcome to join us!

Upcoming meeting dates: June 2. If you have any questions or comments . Facilitated by Pam Walaski.

Seekers, room 234

Seekers wish to grow in religious understanding, insight, faith, and practice. ELPC's Seekers classes create a space for spiritual, intellectual, and experiential exploration. Participants have been interested in theological breadth, interfaith understanding, psychological and religious development, and progressive Christian activism. Together we seek a broad, inclusive dialogue, experience, and theology. All viewpoints are welcome and encouraged at our classes. Facilitated by Gwen Puza. Meets in room 234 unless otherwise noted.

May

• May 5: Pittsburgh Marathon weekend, no classes
  Runners participating in The Pittsburgh Marathon are on the road from about 7am to about 2pm, but the street closures begin the night before. View the website for details. The course winds through many of the city neighborhoods and crosses all three rivers. Community celebrations, cheering spectators and music along the course are common. However, due to the street closures across all the neighborhoods, getting to and from the church is impossible for many. On Sunday morning May 5, only the Good Samaritan service will be offered; CE classes are canceled. Our Journey and Sanctuary worship services will be combined--We hope that you will join us the night before, Saturday May 4, for a worship service at 5pm followed by a potluck dinner!
• May 12, May 19, May 26: “Theologians Who Resisted Nazism,” a three-part series with Prof. Ron Stone. Though much of the church failed to resist Hitler, the theologians Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich were notable exceptions. Their lives, actions, writings, and theological thought will be examined by Ron Stone in three periods:
  
  
  • May 12: A discussion of resistance in the years 1931-1932.
  • May 19: A discussion of resistance in the years 1942-1943.
  • May 26: A discussion of resistance in the year 1945.

Looking ahead: Join us June 2, 2012 for our last class of the season before we break for the summer!

• June 2: Last day for CE classes. Seekers topic TBD.
  
• June 9: Summer worship begins.
• September 8, Rally Day: Mark your calendars for our annual fall gathering when our regular worship and CE classes resume.

Soul Food, Pastor’s Conference Room (second floor)

Discover new ways to feed your spirit and live into the fullness that God offers each one of us. Facilitated by Joe Hajdu. Meets in the Pastor’s conference room, second floor.

May

• May 5: Pittsburgh Marathon weekend, no classes
  Runners participating in The Pittsburgh Marathon are on the road from about 7am to about 2pm, but the street closures begin the night before. View the website for details. Due to the street closures across all the neighborhoods, getting to and from the church is impossible for many. On Sunday morning May 5, only the Good Samaritan service will be offered; CE classes are canceled. Our Journey and Sanctuary worship services will be combined--We hope that you will join us the night before, Saturday May 4, for a worship service at 5pm followed by a potluck dinner!
• May 12: The second half of Chapter 7, “Evil's Lie.”
• May 19: The first half of Chapter 8, “The Resented Banquet,” with special guest facilitator Tom Menk.
• May 26: The second half of Chapter 8, “The Resented Banquet.”

Looking ahead: Join us June 2, 2012 for our last class of the season before we break for the summer!

• June 2: General discussion and review of Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality.
  
• June 9: Summer worship begins.
• September 8, Rally Day: Mark your calendars for our annual fall gathering when our regular worship and CE classes resume.

Young Adults, Room 244

The Young Adults Ministry offers those in their 20s and 30s a range of opportunities to come together, share, learn and grow as Christians. All adults in their 20s and 30s--married, single, partnered, with or without children--are welcome to join! Join us for a series of Sunday School classes this spring as we focus on what happens after we die. We begins with celebrated writer Rob Bell’s most recent tome, Love Wins. (View a preview of Love Wins in Google Books)

• May 12: As we conclude our spring-long focus on what happens to us when we die, we will use different mediums as we consider images of Heaven. If you have them, bring your copy of Love Wins, The Great Divorce, and your questions. Contact Wil Forrest with questions. Bring your copy of The Great Divorce and your questions. Café Justo served.Room 244. As for all CE classes, childcare is available for children: Infants through 5th grade  |  6th thru 12th grade

Youth (6th though 12th grade)

• Junior High Youth: Youth in grades 6-8 are invited to join teachers Carolyn Russ and Bill Johnson in room 341 for Biblical study based on the Feasting on the Word curriculum, which focuses lessons on readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.
• Senior High Youth: Youth in grades 8-12 are invited to join teachers Nicole Molinaro-Karaczun, Eddie and Jen Wilson in room 343 for a topical exploration of our faith using We Believe, the PC(USA)’s denominational curriculum for youth..

Children (Kindergarten through 5th grade) and young children (infant through pre-K)

• Young Children’s Ministry: Children from birth through age 3 (who have not started pre-school) gather in the nursery for a simple faith lesson and a time of free play. Our Young Children’s Ministry team, including parents and staff, serve the youngest children at ELPC by creating a loving environment that nurtures each child’s faith through developmentally appropriate activities. Jane Anabe and Candice Zawoiski are our ELPC Childcare Workers. The nursery is open from 8:30-12:30 each Sunday. During Extended Session, 11:30 to 12:00, teachers will include faith-based programming. We are pleased to offer a new curriculum this year, “Wee Believe.”
• Preschool: Preschool age children (age 3-5) join teachers Jan Pressman, Mary Ruth Johnson and Vanessa Johnson in Room 240 for an interactive exploration of Biblical stories with the help of the Gospel Light curriculum. A light snack is served.
• Kindergarten and first graders: Join teachers Valire Carr Copeland, Roberta London, and Judy Menk in Room 336 to explore Biblical stories through the use of the Godly Play curriculum. A light snack is served.
• Second and third graders: Join teachers Carol Hoehn and Joyce Martinelli in room 338 to explore Biblical stories through the use of the Godly Play curriculum. A light snack is served.
• Fourth and fifth graders: Join teachers Linda Benedict and Kay Shissler in room 335 to explore the Biblical stories based on the Revised Common Lectionary through the use of the Seasons of the Spirit curriculum.

Children’s activities during the 11:00 am service:

• All children are invited to the Chancel steps for their special time with a member of our Pastoral staff during the 11 am service each week. Children hear a special lesson and have prayer time together.
• After the children’s time on the steps, those in preschool through first grade are welcome to participate in our Extended Session program, where they are excused from the Sanctuary. The scripture for each week is explored through story and craft activity and a light snack is shared. Classes are led by a group of ELPC parent volunteers and are coordinated by ELPC Educational Ministries Assistant Katie Mohr. Children are asked to bring a green “ticket” (available at the 11:00 service) with them each week to Extended Session so that our volunteers are aware of their names, parent/caregiver, and any special needs. New families are asked to accompany their children to Extended Session for the first time and complete a registration form.
• Children who are younger than preschool age are invited to go to the Nursery following the Children’s message. The nursery is available from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Parents or caregivers are asked to accompany their child to the nursery in person and drop the child off before returning to worship.
• Kids’ Corner: Children in second grade or older (or younger children who choose to stay in worship for the entire service) are invited to visit our “Kid’s Corner” near the East Transept doors. There are activity sheets that will engage older children in the service, as well as Youth Bulletins and Bibles for readers of all ages.

Young adults (20’s & 30’s) View the YAM webpage for upcoming activities

Young adults in their 20’s & 30’s are an important and dynamic part of our church life. Whether you are single or married, living alone or in a group, working, job hunting, in college, or a little bit of everything, we welcome you! This can be a time of great change in your life, and so we offer a range of small and large group activities especially for those in this exciting (and sometimes scary!) time in your lives.

Young adults may choose from any of the adults Sunday School classes. For information on young adult-specific offerings, please click to the young adults page. If you’re a young adult and not sure where to start, , Coordinator of the Young Adults Ministry, for more information or view the Young Adults’ Facebook page.