The mission of the Adult Christian Education Committee is to develop and provide educational opportunities for members of the congregation that will help them grow spiritually, that will respond to needs within the congregation and the wider world, and that will foster growth-seeking questions and a better understanding of our faith.

During the 2018-2019 Christian education year, fifteen classes were offered in the fall and eighteen were offered in the spring, some meeting over the entire year and others meeting on a single Sunday morning, a series of Sunday mornings, or a weekday evening. The committee extends its deepest thanks those who lead or organized an adult Christian education class during the year; their efforts contributed significantly to the spiritual development of members of our congregation: Abe Hostetter, Adrienne Kim Bird, Barbara Deaver, Barry Parks, Beth Hochstetler, Betsy Donohoe, Cheryl Oliver, Chip Sanders, David Garth, David Strider, Derry Wade, Dick Riley, Earle Hilgert, Elizabeth Schlipper, Gail Wiley, Gene Locke, Hal Collums, Jack Townsend, Jim Cauthen, Jim Hassmer, Kathy Redding, Ken Henry, Kobby Hoffman, Leanna Whitmore, Lynn Moore, Lynne Clements, Molly Peck, Peter Gates, Rebecca McGregor, Ron Wiley, Sarah Bedford, Winston Barham and Zanne McDonald.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Chip Sanders, who worked closely with us and contributed greatly to adult Christian education offerings at Westminster through his faithful leadership of the Contemporary Theology class.

The committee is finalizing the fall schedule of classes and welcomes any comments and suggestions about adult Christian education at Westminster.
Submitted by the Adult Christian Education Committee (Betsy Donohoe, Hal Collums. Jack Townsend, Jana Surdi, Jim Cauthen and Laura Young)

On Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lynn Moore, PhD, will facilitate a workshop on Sage-ing. This spiritual practice involves harvesting the wisdom of our lives and finding ways to transmit that wisdom as a legacy to future generations. The workshop is limited to 12 participants, so register soon. There’s a $25 fee for materials. To r.s.v.p., contact Lynn, or 828.280.6075.

Sage-ing is a spiritual practice that involves harvesting the wisdom of our lives and finding ways to transmit that wisdom as a legacy to future generations.In developing an elder spiritual practice we pursue the path proposed by Rabbi Zalman Schacter in his seminal book From Age-ing to Sage-ing  which involves, through introspection, the following:

• Examining  our attitudes and fears about aging and our culture’s stereotypes and claiming our rights to promoting and practicing a new paradigm
• Connecting to our inner wisdom through growth techniques of psychology and spirituality including meditation, contemplation, journaling and spiritual intimacy (sharing)
• Learning to nourish ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and spiritually
• Drawing on the wisdom of what we know now, examining  our past through  a ‘life review’ process and ‘life repair’ exercises
• Gaining  an understanding that forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, we  learn to forgive those who have offended us, ask forgiveness of those we have offended and practice self-forgiveness above all else
• We face our own mortality with courage and serenity