Teaching and Learning at Wisdom’s Table is woven into the fabric of our community’s life as we seek to follow Jesus, our Wisdom and our Way.
Discipleship in the Way of Jesus is learned—through being steeped in worship, involved in service, and taught, in both formal and informal settings. Sharing in the activities of our community, we learn by watching and emulating other disciples. We learn by being taught from the accumulated wisdom of the Church –learning and exploring the meaning of scripture, the various ways of interpreting it, and hashing out, in community, what it means for our daily living.
We learn by paying attention to the lives of the saints of the church (ancient and contemporary), whose excellence in living provides a testament that helps us shape lives of faith, hope and love.
We bring resources from the Church’s traditions to bear on issues that must be addressed in order to make our lives and the life of the world better: exploring what it means to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, challenge the oppressive “isms” of our society (eg., racism, sexism, heterosexism), care for the earth, and stand up for justice and peace.
There are many educational opportunities for adults in the church.
Simply being involved in some of the ministries of the church is a learning opportunity, as we experience and discuss and are stretched by our work in the world on behalf of Jesus.
Pastors and other church leaders offer classes where the community has the opportunity to explore, question, discuss, and deepen understanding of various topics. Recent classes have addressed the following:
- What is Biblical Wisdom?
- How do we read the Bible?
- What does it mean to be mortal?
- What is the Eucharist all about?
- What does it mean to be a Church member?
Sunday morning adult education invites adults to gather before church to study the lectionary text that will be preached in the sermon.
On Wednesday mornings those interested in exploring contemporary books that widen and deepen faith (like Marcus Borg, Diana Butler-Bass, Nadia Bolz-Weber) are read and discussed over coffee and treats at the local Panera Bread Café.
Children are welcomed into the life of the community. For babies, the visceral welcome they receive through being loving accepted in church forms the foundation of faith in a loving God. An inviting Nursery with caring staff offers a safe, nurturing environment in which babies and young children can engage in the delight of play that helps them explore and appreciate the wonder-full world God created for us and all God’s creatures.
As children get older, on Sunday mornings they are introduced to “Godly Play” where they engage the stories of faith through hands-on play with wooden story figures, art activities, a snack, all in a setting of reverent questioning and exploration.
In addition to their Godly Play time, children are encouraged to be fully engaged in the life of our community, participating in worship, service and fellowship with the whole congregation.
It is the unique gift of the church to the world to be an intergenerational community where we see ourselves mirrored in the face of the loving other–learning from one another as each also teaches by sharing his or her unique giftedness and life experience with others. The diversity of the congregation at Wisdom’s Table is itself a powerful teacher for persons of all ages. We invite you to come experience the joy of learning with us!