Our Path Forward: Discipleship
Discipleship: Education & Formation at Third
Dear Third Church family,At Third we believe in something we call Intentional Discipleship. At the heart of Intentional Discipleship is the idea that we are all growing as Christ-followers. And just like all things that grow, maturing as a disciple requires cultivation. This is a purposeful, communal work that engages our hearts, hands and our minds. It moves beyond merely exchanging information, and seeks the whole life transformation of the whole person. Over time and by God’s grace, this is how the Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Jesus.
One thing that sets us apart from many other churches in Richmond, is that we still believe in the power of Adult Sunday School Classes as a tool for discipleship. This is one of the gifts of our rich Presbyterian history, and a reason why Adult Education will always be one of the primary pillars of Discipleship at Third Church. Building on this foundation, we have worked hard in recent years to refocus and strengthen Adult Discipleship on Sunday Mornings. Here is what you can expect to experience in every Adult Sunday School class at Third Church:
The Way of Jesus – All discipleship is about learning how to trust and follow Jesus. So every class should deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ or your understanding of His Kingdom.
Learning Communities – We are all growing as Christ-followers. And disciples need other disciples in order to grow. So every class is a space where anyone can show up and learn how to trust and follow Jesus in the company of friends.
Deep Faith – We believe that the Bible tells the true story of the triune God, the world, and ourselves, and we endeavor to live humbly and responsively within that story. So no question is off limits, and every class should help you grow in love for God’s word.
Deeply Faithful – We live in a complex world with complex challenges to our faith. Each class encourages faithful living in every dimension of life by applying Scripture to the whole person (our beliefs, identity, attitudes and behaviors).
There are three reasons why we are so excited about the launch of Adult Discipleship Classes this Fall.
First, for the first time in many years, we have a dedicated Adult Sunday School hour from 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. So, when classes kick off on September 19th they will not be in conflict with one of our Sunday Worship Services. We hope this will free up the time or bandwidth for many of us to consider checking out a class that interests them. And we are working hard to have as many classes as possible be Zoom-accessible at launch.
Second, we have a great slate of offerings for Block 1 classes (Sept 19 - Oct 24). They cover timely Scriptures (1 Peter, and the Minor Prophets) as well as timely topics (Emotional Health and Whole-Brained Christianity) and will be taught by an incredible team of teachers.
Of particular note, we are pioneering the first ever Adult Education Track, called Following Jesus. A track is just a series of classes that all explore the same topic or idea. The Following Jesus Track was created with those new and renewed in the Christian Faith in mind, but anyone interested in diving deeper into the life of Jesus is welcome. The first class in that track is called The Gospel Centered Life. Following that, the track will explore topics such as the Walking in the Way of Jesus (Spring 2022), Identity Transformed (Fall 2022), and Kingdom Living (Spring 2023).
Third, we are also expanding our offerings outside of Sunday mornings into something we are calling Learning Communities. Learning Communities meet at different times and the frequency varies based on the group. They are more informal, and will be highly interactive places to explore aspects of discipleship in community. We have two learning communities starting soon. One is called Theological Conversations, and the other is a film group that meets monthly starting in October called Faith, Film and Culture. You can find out details about our learning communities as they develop on our Adult Discipleship page.
Our invitation for you this fall is simply this: try something Presbyterians have been doing since the 1800s — commit to a Sunday school class and experience a time of accelerated discipleship as you learn to trust and follow Jesus alongside some friends.
We will be sure to save a seat for you.
Derek Mondeau, Pastor of Discipleship and Parish Ministry
Our Sunday Adult Discipleship Classes are spread over both buildings (600 and 500 Forest Ave) so be sure to review locations at the link above.