Classes

First Pres offers many ways for adults to interact and grow in relationship with one another as they grow in their faith. Whether it’s a Sunday morning Christian education class, a midweek Bible study or a meditation class, there’s something for everyone. We hope you will dive right in and get involved.

Scroll down to see class offerings, or check out the bible studies.

Feasting on the Word of God: Reading the Bible with Joy 

Wednesdays, October 2 through 23
7:00 pm / Chapel / Mary Larson

Come on a journey with fellow Christians to enjoy reading the Bible just like you would any other book. Mary Larson is not a Bible scholar. She’s an English teacher who really loves to read and a Christian woman who wants people to enjoy reading the Bible. She has taught a lot of Sunday School to children and youth as well as served as the Bible study leader for her Presbyterian Women’s Circle for many years. This class will have some scholarly elements (can’t be helped) – but more importantly, she will engage you with the lessons and encourage participation. You don’t have to come to every class because each will stand alone, but she’d love to see everyone at all of them. Come with an open heart, an open mind and your beautiful, God-given curiosity!

Week 1: Who’s Afraid of the Big Old Book?
The focus for the first week is conquering the intimidation factor. It’s a very long book.. it’s actually 66 books (or more if you include the Apocrypha) – Perhaps you just learned something, and she hasn’t really begun yet! This will be an opportunity to strategize ways to enjoy reading the Scriptures and even though she’s read through it cover to cover three times, she will not be recommending that. Numbers, anyone? (Hint: It’s not math.)

Week 2: Heroes Who Are Just Like Us
Do you have trouble reading books when you don’t like or can’t even begin to relate to any of the characters? The characters in the Bible lived a long time ago, but the beauty and joy in God’s word is that we can still relate to many of them. Let Mary show you ways to encounter them. Week 3: I Know This Happened Thousands of Years Ago but Could Have Been Yesterday This lesson isn’t conceptually a whole lot different from the previous one except that it’s about plot and action more than characters–though we can’t have plot without characters.

Week 4: Different Versions but Same Story
Maybe you struggle to read the Bible daily (or with greater intention on a regular basis) because you have a challenging version. All the versions have their purposes, but have you ever sat down and really compared them? No one is going to fault you if you use the Living Bible or a children’s version for clarity. We’ll share ways we can use parallel Bibles (or parallel passages) to enhance our reading and understanding of Scripture.

Service Saturday

November 16, 9:00 – 11:00 am

The Mission and Youth Ministries Committees are working together to sponsor a Service Saturday at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in Schaumburg. Every year, millions of children die from preventable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and undernutrition. Hunger is still causing nearly half of the deaths in children under 5 years old. From this data, we estimate at least 6,200 children die each day from causes related to undernutrition. This is heartbreaking.

FMSC believes hope starts with food. As a Christian nonprofit, FMSC is dedicated to seeing every child whole in body and spirit. FMSC works with food distribution partners that stay with communities for the long haul, empowering them to move from relief to development. FMSC meals are developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs and reduce problems with malnutrition.

Nutrition allows children to grow, thrive and develop to their full potential. You can sign-up by scanning the QR code, or go to the Feed My Starving Children website and sign up with code 93VD5B. Contact Rev. Rebekah Anderson for more details.

Old-Time Sunday School

Sunday mornings, beginning September 15
9:00 am / Boardroom / Rev. Laura Sherwood, Rev. Barbara Gorsky & Rev. Craig Howard

We are going to try something different this fall from what we have been doing in the past – we’re going back to old-
time Sunday School. Pastors Laura and Barbara will be training church members with leadership provided by Linda Byus and Mary Larson to lead small group studies based on a curriculum by Kerygma. The goal is to sustain small group leadership for the Fall of 2024. We need some additional leaders to be trained to help us get this off the ground. If you are willing to help, please contact Pastors Laura or Barbara or Lori Chandler at [email protected] or 330-212-9460. Plan to join us on September 15 as we try out this new study opportunity!

Upcoming Engage & Encounter Opportunities

October 2 – 23: Mary Larson will lead a class on the book, Feast on the Word of God: Reading the Bible with Joy.
November 6 – December 11: Don Kaasch will lead a class on the Gospels of the New Testament.

Next Class in the Spring of 2024 / 7:00 pm / Room 102-104

This six-week class covers the most important cornerstones of your job search or career journey, including self-assessment, budgeting, resume building, marketing, networking, interview preparation, and negotiations. Whether you’re on the hunt for a new job or seeking a change in your career path, you don’t have to face these challenges alone.

To register send an email to [email protected] with your full name, email address and phone number. Once we receive your registration email, CTR will reach out with meeting information for our first session. The CTR email can also be used for any questions.

Coffee: Grounds for Discussion and Service

Sundays, September 22 – November 10
Invitation to the Old Testament (A Short-Term Disciple Bible Study) 8-week study

Understand your identity in God’s vision for all things. Explore the Old Testament’s story of God and God’s calling of the people of Israel through the many “voices” of the biblical text. Hear the magnificence of a Creation hymn, discover the law and wisdom teachings, listen to the warning of the prophets and explore the poetry of the Song of Solomon.

Ideal experience for adults who are interested in the practice of prayer and worship and would like to connect prayer practice with Scripture. The study is accessible for adults with little prior Bible experience. Participants gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Old Testament as an integral part of the Christian Bible and a renewed discovery of our identity in God and God’s vision for all things. Questions? Contact Kelly Dean.

Sessions:
• The Making of the Hebrew Bible
• The Creation Story of Israel
• Out of Bondage
• Promise and Problem in the Land
• Israel Has a King
• Division and the Rise of Prophecy
• Exile and Response
• Restoration and Renewal

Monday Morning Men’s Bible Study

Mondays / 8:00 am / Parlor

The Monday Morning Men’s Bible Study Group, which resumed its meetings earlier this year via Zoom, is now meeting both in person and on Zoom. Men of all ages are invited and encouraged to join us. We have a great group of guys who share a wonderful camaraderie and fellowship while studying, learning about, and sharing our views on the word of the Lord.

We meet every Monday morning in the Parlor. The doors are open at 7:30 am, and our meetings start at 8:00 am and run about an hour. For those who choose to meet in person, coffee and breakfast treats are served. And, for those who cannot or choose not to meet in person, we continue to utilize Zoom – and the church’s new Owl camera – which allows all participants to interact with each other, whether online or in person.

If you are interested in joining us, or would like additional information, please reach out to either Bill Dillon at [email protected] or Dave Berkow at [email protected].

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Educational Archives

We’ve held many classes through the years, some of which have been documented on video. Click the button below to look through our past classes and watch at your leisure.