"Being Presbyterian"
Introduction: Welcome to the "Being Presbyterian" class at First Presbyterian Church of Aiken where we invite you to join us in "writing a new chapter in an old story." This course is designed to be a self-study, online course for those interested in learning about what it means to "Be Presbyterian." We are an old church by South Carolina standards having been founded in 1853 by a small group of Aiken Presbyterians. However, we are also brand new - constantly in the process of recreating ourselves and allowing the Spirit of God to work among us for renewal and transformation. Your decision to become a member of our congregation signifies your willingness to participate in our growth and ongoing renewal and we welcome your presence, time, effort and commitment. Becoming a member of this congregation requires no more than the simple affirmation to the proposition that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior; that you trust Him, intend to be his disciple and obey his Word and demonstrate his love to all. Likewise becoming a member of this fellowship implies a commitment to becoming a faithful member of the congregation, giving of yourself in every way, and seeking the fellowship of the church wherever you may be. The Book of Order, which serves as the guidebook for Christian faith and practice for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. explains church membership in this fashion: "In Jesus Christ, God calls people to faith and to membership in the Church, the body of Christ. Baptism is the visible sign of that call and claim on a human life and of entrance into the membership of the church. The baptism of children witnesses to the truth that God’s love claims people before they are able to respond in faith. The baptism of those who enter the covenant of membership upon their own profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior witnesses to the truth that God’s gift of grace calls forth a response of faithfulness" (Book of Order, G-1-304). An important part of calling forth "a response of faithfulness" is preparation for participation in the life and ministry of the church. This process of preparation is ongoing and we would like to invite you to begin that journey by offering you this online "Being Presbyterian" class. Navigating the Online Being Presbyterian Class You can enroll in this course by emailing etwimber@hotmail.com or by texting Dr. Wimberley at 239.405.4164. This class is for both new and established members of the congregation. It is provided to to deepen your experience in the faith and in this congregation and for your edification, inspiration and spiritual growth. You can complete this class at your own pace and on your own schedule. There are six study sessions for this class exploring what it means to be "Presbyterian"(Presbyterian 101), what it's like to be Presbyterian at First Presbyterian Church of Aiken (Presbyterian in Aiken), what constitutes the foundations of our faith (Foundations of Faith), the basics of how the Bible is organized and what it offers (Bible 101), what forms of missions and ministries are available for you to participate in both withing First Presbyterian Church but also within the larger Aiken, SC community (Aiken Missions & Ministries) and finally what membership at First Presbyterian Church means to you (What Membership Means). Each class can be accessed from the course schedule which can be accessed by simply clicking your mouse button on this link: "Schedule." The course schedule can also be reached from any web page in the course by clicking on the icon for First Presbyterian Church of Aiken found at the top of each page. On the schedule page you will see a list of the five class sessions and each session's topic. Each session has a dedicated web page that can be accessed by simply clicking on the underscored and bold session link. Once you enter each of the lesson web pages you will see three headings: "Resources" - which involve readings pertinent to the theme of each session, "Video Resources" which provide you links to useful videos that also build upon your knowledge of the lesson topic and finally "Study Questions" which are a brief set of questions that we invite you to consider and complete not for course credit or a "grade" but simply for your own edification and spiritual growth. Keeping in Touch and Starting a Dialogue Periodically the church's Parish Associate Rev. Dr. Terry Wimberley - the convener of this online course - will contact you and other members like you and invite you to engage in a dialogue to discuss each of these class sessions. The intent of these consultations is to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the faith and to create comradery and community among members of the church. Each class session poses a series of questions at the end. If you would like to engage in a conversation about those questions complete them and send them to me at twimber@hotmail.com. I will respond to your answers or engage in a conversation with you about each session by telephone or via Facetime or Skype. Just email me at twimber@hotmail.com to request a meeting time an I will be happy to schedule it for us to discuss the class session by phone, via Facetime or on Skype. We may also convene group meetings of the class using the Zoom application on our computers. If you are unfamiliar with how to use Zoom, this online tutorial link should be useful: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting . You can enroll in this course by emailing etwimber@hotmail.com or by texting Dr. Wimberley at 239.405.4164. If you have additional questions about this online course or any of its content or would like to discuss church membership and participation feel free to contact Rev. Wimberley at 239.405.4164 or by email at etwimber@yahoo.com. Our hope is that by participating in this class your familiarity with Christian thought and experience will deepen and that you will be empowered and enabled to more fully participate and benefit from the Christian fellowship of First Presbyterian of Aiken. |