Commissioned Ruling Elder Program

Introduction to the Christian Faith 

This presentation answers questions like what is at the heart of Christianity? What makes it unique?

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

The Bible

This presentation answers questions like what is the Bible about? How did it come to be? What makes it authoritative?

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

Families of Faith

Jesus commanded the Church to be “one.” Christians have failed to follow his command. There are some 35,000 different Christian “denominations” around the world today. These can be grouped into three basic traditions. Though all confess faith in the same essential worldview, they each carry their own distinctives. This presentation will introduce you to those similarities and diferences.

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

The Reformed Tradition 

Reformed theology arose from reflection on Scripture and an emphasis on the five solas, particularly God’s grace revealed in Jesus. This session explores important leaders of the reformed movement, key themes of reformed theology and what reformed theology looks like in practice. 

Rev. Forrest Buckner, Ph.D.

The Evangelical Tradition 

This presentation focuses on the history, achievements and weaknesses of the evangelical renewal movement.

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

Outsider Traditions: American Context 

Smaller religious groups within the history of the Christian movement have had a big impact on the Church, in both good and hard ways. What are ways outsider/minority groups in the Christian story have helped clarify the Christian story? Where has the Church needed to set boundaries and why? This presentation will help answer these questions.

Lauren Taylor

History & Growth of the Church

Christianity began as a renewal movement within Judaism. It was birthed in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. All the first Christians were Jews. The movement emerged in the wake of the resurrection, which led the first disciples to confess that Jesus is Lord. That one confession set a trajectory for the development and growth of the early Christian movement: its view of worship, authority, identity, community, service and so much more. This session will provide an overview of this story.

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

Christianity in America 

Christianity has clearly played a role in the formation, growth, and success of the American experiment. That success, however, has tempted Christians and the church to assert control in a way that has undermined the very influence it has wanted to exercise. This session will explore the unique history of the church in America.

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

The Global Church

God’s redemptive work – accomplished in the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Christ – is intended for all creation. Over the past 2,000 years, through the faithfulness and flaws of God’s people, the gospel has taken root all over the world and the church is now in over 200 nations. This trajectory of the history of the church points to a future in which “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, [will be] standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” This session will explore the growth of Christianity around the world.

Kamesh Sankaran, Ph.D.

Christianity in Culture 

This presentation addresses questions like what are the different ways Christianity has related to culture? What factors play into how Christians choose to engage culture? What is at stake in the Church’s relationship with culture? 

Lauren Taylor

Introduction to Christian Worship

This session focuses on understanding what worship is and why it is important. It explores five lenses (creational/communal, dialogue, trinitarian, inculturated and formational) to help sharpen our focus on engaging with God through worship.

Ben Brody, D.M.A

Theology of the Church 

The Church, in spite of all of its human brokenness, is described in the Bible as (among other metaphors) the body of Christ, the family of God, and the temple of God. The Apostles’ creed calls the Church “one, holy, catholic and apostolic,” and the Reformers identified the Word rightly proclaimed, Sacraments rightly administered and discipline rightly executed as the three marks of the true church. In short, the Church is God’s people on earth, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that lives as a sign of, witness to and foretaste of God’s Kingdom.

Rev. Forrest Buckner, Ph.D.

Reformed Worship 

This session will help viewers understanding the development of worship in the Reformed tradition, with particular focus on sacraments and music in worship.

Ben Brody, D.M.A

Introduction to Preaching Part 1 & 2

These sessions cover a theology of preaching and provide practical tools to help preachers structure sermons and build a rhythm for sermon preparation.

Rev. Mindy Smith, D.Min..

Reformed Sacraments  

This presentation will explore sacraments as understood by the reformed tradition. “Sacraments are visible, holy signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them he might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and seal that promise. And this is God’s gospel promise: to grant us forgiveness of sins and eternal life by grace because of Christ’s one sacrifice accomplished on the cross” (The Heidelberg Catechism 4.066).

Rev. Eric Peterson, D.Min.

The Church Year 

This presentation examines the rhythms of the church year. “Through two thousand years of Christian worship, the Church has developed ways of keeping time – many of them adapted from the feasts and fasts of Israel that Jesus kept. This pattern of the Christian year keeps us centered in Christ as we seek to proclaim the story of our faith, grow as Jesus’ disciples, and serve Christ’s mission” (Book of Common Worship).

Rev. Eric Peterson, D.Min.

Polity

In this video, we will walk through the second half of the Constitution of the PC(USA) called the Book of Order. You will learn how to use it as a resource for church polity – the governing and equipping of God’s church. You will also learn the four sections of the Book of Order, how and when to use them, and why polity holds us accountable to scripture, order and each other.

Rev. Jamie Fiorino, D.Min.

Helping by Doing 

Pastoral Care is a core ministry of the Christian community. The minister or pastor bears a primary responsibility for caring for the people of the church. But what makes such care “pastoral”? This video introduces the two essential elements of pastoral care and describes them. We will explore what happens when people feel well cared for by their minister, and how it grows faith in person involved along the way.

Rev. Betsy Wynne

Helping by Being 

This video will introduce another set of essential tools to equip the pastoral caregiver to offer effective ministry that can flourish in the long term. We will be focusing on the person of the pastoral caregiver as a primary gift of this ministry: who we are is just as important as what we do. We’ll look at ways we can grow in wisdom and love by exploring healthy relationships, personal maturity, and good boundaries, among other things.

Rev. Betsy Wynne

Caring Across Difference

In this video we explore the nature of pastoral presence to those who are different from oneself, in age and stage of life, in racial/ethnic/sex/socio-economic location, and other categories of difference. If one desires to be of service to a wide variety of people, growing awareness of difference can open our eyes to new ways of being a caregiver. Assuming the basic posture of a “learner” with others can help to overcome differences and unite us in faith and hope as we seek Jesus’ healing and salvation.

Rev. Betsy Wynne

Responding to Grief & Loss Part 1 

All people suffer losses, even from the moment they are born. It is simply part of the human experience. Such losses include, for example, big transitions, such as moves, graduations and retirement, as well as the natural process of aging. But “catastrophic” or “irreversible” losses are different, less expected and more disruptive. Children losing a parent is a natural loss, assuming that the parent lived to an old age; parents losing a child is not. This presentation focuses on these unnatural losses, which most people have to face some time in life.

Jerry Sittser, Ph.D.

Responding to Grief & Loss Part 2 

This video follows up part one of Grief & Loss with further reflections on ministering to those who must walk through these core human experiences. We will explore some core elements of pastoral ministry that will equip the pastoral caregiver to be a helpful presence.

Rev. Betsy Wynne

Handling Conflict With Care 

Conflict is an inevitable part of our relationships. The quality of our relationships depends not on whether we have conflict but on how we respond during times of conflict. While it can be difficult to manage at times, conflict offers us the opportunity to work with others toward deeper understanding and for peace. In this video we will apply both scripture and research to identify the sources of conflict, the factors that affect how a conflict plays out, and a practical approach to managing conflict with others.

Joy York, Ph.D.

Introduction to Christian Formation 

What is Christian Formation? And why do we use this particular word – “formation”? Because we are being formed in countless ways (by our environment, culture, habits, relationships...you name it!). It’s essential, therefore, for Christians to think intentionally about how we are being formed and how we present ourselves to God for God to form us. As church leaders, its our jobs to cultivate cultures of Christian formation in our churches.

Rev. Lauren Hunter

Relationships & Evangelism 

Jesus left clear marching orders for the Church in the Great Commission: make disciples. That simple command includes both evangelism and discipleship. How is your church fulfilling that mission? Do you have a simple, memorable and doable discipleship path? Are you able to equip your people to do the work of evangelism and discipleship? We will discuss both the why and how of disciple-making.

Joe Wittwer

Disciple Making 

What is a “disciple,” and how do we translate this term into our modern-day? A disciple is much like an apprentice – learning alongside the master in close relationship through daily practice and imitation. In this video, we’ll explore the elements that make up an apprentice and how we as the church might work with God to form folks into these elements of apprenticeship.

Rev. Lauren Hunter

Vocation

Vocation refers to God’s call on our lives as his people. This session examines vocation from three different angles. First, our central Vocation is to follow Jesus and thus love God and love neighbor. This is God’s central calling for every single Christian. From that One Calling, we live into our various and diverse callings – ways that we love God and others in the world. Second we examined calling as “Common grace for the common good.” This entails understanding the world around us, knowing God’s heart for things to be right, and seeking the flourishing of all as witnesses to and foretastes of God’s Kingdom reign. Third, we considered the cultural mandate, how God made us as his image-bearers and sub-co-creators to “make things of the world,” which transforms work as a form of worship and image-bearing.

Rev. Forrest Buckner, Ph.D.

Prayer & Spiritual Practices 

The term Christian means “little Christ.” Spiritual practices then, are practices that not only open us to the love and presence of God but are practices that, over time, shape us to be unique manifestations of Christ in the world. Called practices because it is not perfection we are seeking but practicing our faith.

Elizabeth Peterson

Justice & the Social Order 

Justice can be a difficult word to discuss because of certain ways it’s used in our cultural moment. It is, however, an important word in the Christian life. This session will consider how justice is part of the Christian life.

Lauren Taylor

Leadership & Leadership Development 

Churches and ministries rise and fall on leadership. Lead well and they thrive. What makes leadership uniquely Christian? What qualities of leadership cause churches to grow and thrive? What can I as a leader do to grow and improve my leadership? We’ll take a look at the spirit, soul and skills of Christian leadership.

Joe Wittwer

Introduction and Overview of Scripture

What is the significance of that fact that the Bible, as whole, tells an overarching story? Why does Irenaeus use the metaphor of a mosaic to explain the Bible? What is his point?

Derek Taylor, Th.D.

How to Read the Bible 

The sacred task of biblical interpretation is a function of the nature of Scripture, and the nature of Scripture is, in turn, a function of God’s appointment of it as the unique, creaturely, textual means by which the risen Lord Jesus Christ summons us into reconciliation with himself (see John Webster, The Domain of the Word). This session covers different aspects of biblical interpretation and contexts for reading Scripture.

Josh Leim, Th.D.

Overview of the Old Testament 

The Old Testament story sets a trajectory for the truths revealed in the New Testament, which tells the story of Jesus and the early church. I briefly describe the narrative movement of the Old Testament. Why does God love Israel? How does God’s love for Israel relate to God’s love for all people and all of creation?

Derek Taylor, Th.D.

Overview of the New Testament 

For all its diversity, behind all the books of the New Testament is the extraordinary claim that God has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, whose life, death and resurrection have defeated the power of sin and death and inaugurated the kingdom of God. This presentation reflects on why and how it is that the New Testament came to be, what it’s all about, and how understanding the New Testament’s first-century context can help us better hear it as the word of God for us today.

Jonathan Moo, Ph.D.

Genesis

Genesis is a foundational book for understanding the story of Scripture. In it, we are introduced to the major themes of “creation” and “covenant.” If God has no lack or deficiency, why does God create? Why does God make covenants? What does it tell us about God that God creates humans with a unique vocation and that he desires to partner with humans?

Derek Taylor, Th.D.

Pentateuch

The word Pentateuch means “five scrolls.” It refers to the five books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. The video lecture suggests that the word “save” can help us understand the basic structure and theme of the Pentateuch. How so?

Derek Taylor, Th.D.

Tribe, Nation & Prophets 

In the book of Joshua, God leads the people into the land he had promised Abraham many years earlier. Israel faces the challenge of inhabiting a land that was already occupied by Canaanite people groups. These groups present a challenge to Israel, both physically and spiritually. How do they deal with this challenge? Are they successful? How does their time in the land of Canaan come to an end?

Derek Taylor, Th.D.

Wisdom Literature 

Wisdom Literature is a genre in Scripture made up of several different books of the Bible all connected by a common set of questions. This session will explore those questions.

Lauren Taylor

The Gospels 

The Gospels are “theological, historical and aretological (virtue-forming) biographical narratives that retell the story and proclaim the significance of Jesus Christ, who through the power of the Spirit is the Restorer of God’s reign” (see Jonathan Pennington, Reading the Gospels Wisely). This session will explore the unique witness of each gospel and provide some helpful frameworks through which you can read the gospels.

Josh Leim, Th.D.

Acts & the Story of the Church

The Acts of the Apostles is better considered as the “Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus” or the “Acts of the Holy Spirit,” because in Acts Luke narrates how the risen Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, empowers the Church unto faithful witness in the midst of an often-hostile world. That communal witness takes shape around core, shared convictions and an embodied life together that reflects those convictions.

Josh Leim, Th.D.

Letters of the New Testament

The earliest Christian documents we have are letters, which are both similar to other letters of the first century but also radically different – above all in the message about Jesus that they communicate. This lecture surveys the background of the New Testament letters and their general themes, with a particular focus on life of the Apostle Paul, who through his letters did more to shape Christian faith than anyone other than Jesus himself.

Jonathan Moo, Ph.D.

The End & the Beginning

The book of Revelation unveils reality from the perspective of God’s heavenly throne. John’s vision exposes the horror and violence of a world given over to beastly powers opposed to Christ and his kingdom but also reveals the beauty and goodness that God intends for the world over which he still reigns and which he will make new. At the center of John’s vision from first to last is the person of Jesus Christ, who as the slain Lamb has conquered Satan, death, and evil. Readers are challenged and invited to join in the worship that is offered ceaselessly before the throne of God and the Lamb and to bear faithful witness to Christ no matter what.

Jonathan Moo, Ph.D.