2011 SHPC Life Long Learning Committee
Andy Pool (Chair), Karen States, Travis Jacobs, Emma Reed, Roger Shoemaker
Heidi Prenosil, Caron Ostgaard, Carol Ann Anderson - Exofficio Members

To nurture its people, the session provides for education in Christian discipleship by means appropriate to the age, interests, and circumstances of the members of the congregation.  All members and their children are encouraged to participate in these educational programs to grow spiritually and be equipped for ministry.

In the service of Baptism the congregation, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, and on behalf of the universal Church, pledges responsibility for Christian nurture.  The session and the elders are responsible for providing for

· the development and supervision of the educational program of the church,

· for instructing church officers, and

        · for developing discipleship among members.

During the Sacrament of Baptism parents also declare their intention to provide for the Christian nurture of their child.

The church provides this nurture for its members through all of life and life’s transitions, building them up to assume their responsibility in the world, by assisting them

a.     to prepare for Baptism,

b.     to claim their identity as believers in Jesus Christ,

c.     to live as commissioned disciples in the world through

i.   self-discovery and world awareness,

ii.  self-discipline and discipleship,

iii. developing commitment to moral and ethical values,

iv. making informed choices about education and occupations, and

v.  making wise commitments in personal relationships and marriage.

Some in the community of faith whose special gifts and training have prepared them for a ministry of education are called to the task of leadership in nurture. Teachers, advisers, and others appointed by the session guide, instruct, and equip those for whose education and nurture they are responsible. Parents or those exercising parental responsibility share the faith of the church with children.

The role of the Life-Long Learning Committee is the enculturation of people of all ages into the Kingdom of God.  In 2011, their goals include

•  Introducing all ages to the Kingdom of God.

•  Defining for all ages the difference between the Kingdom of God and the secular world.

•  Enabling all ages to adopt the values of the Kingdom of God.

•  Encouraging all ages to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God rather than of the world.

•  Witnessing to God’s love to the world.