A listing of current offerings is provided in a document called "St. Matthew's University" (SMU) available each Fall. Click the SMU button at left for the 2009-10 schedule.

A new schedule for the 2010-11 year will be available in the fall.

Photos of recent Adult Forum presentations [here]

Adult Forum schedule
These hour-long sessions, 9:45-10:45 a.m. each Sunday morning, are set aside as time for the adults of our faith community to gather, learn and grow together. The Adult Forum will resume in the fall.

 

Photos: March 28 Adult Forum
The second of two Adult forums: "Has God Forsaken Us? The Problem of Pain & Suffering" was presented March 28. Facilitators were Dan Bice & Britt Peterson. A few photos of the Forum are below. (Click image to enlarge.)

 

Photos: March 21 Adult Forum
The first of two Adult forums: "Has God Forsaken Us? The Problem of Pain & Suffering" was presented March 21. Facilitators were Dan Bice & Britt Peterson. A few photos of the Forum are below. (Click image to enlarge.)

 

Photos: March 7 - Christianity and Pop Culture - Part 2: “Lights, Camera, Action!”
On Sunday, March 7, all of Hollywood gathered for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Ten movies were nominated for best picture this year. Some of these pictures have been part of a growing conversation in Christian circles. How are these films seen from the Christian perspective? Was your faith challenged or awakened as you viewed these movies? On Sunday, March 7 the Adult Forum was a lively conversation on Christian Faith and Film.
Guest Facilitator:  Pastor Jack Murtaugh. A few photos of the Forum are below.
(Click image to enlarge.)

 

More about our Feb. 28 Forum - Christianity and Pop Culture -
Part 1: The Shack by William Paul Young
The fictional account of a broken man's encounter with God spent more than a year on the New York Times best seller list, obviously striking a cord with many readers. This session examined the book's theological premises and universal themes in an attempt to explain its popular appeal. Facilitators were Carl and Petey Lund.

The Lunds strongly recommended viewing some videos with author William Paul Young for those interested in this controversial and interesting book and author. They may be viewed online with the links below. (Note: These are external links -- not on the St. Matt's website -- that will open a new window.)

The presentations were made October 5 & 6, 2009, at Capital Christian Center, Sacramento, CA: Presentation 1 [here]      Presentation 2 [here]      Presentation 3 [here]

 

Feb. 14 - Book of Faith: Four Methods of Reading the Bible-Part 2
Due to popular demand, the Book of Faith "Introduction to Four Methods of Reading the Bible" (presented Jan. 17), continued with deeper exploration into how Scripture is to be read and interpreted using each of the four methods: Devotional (Doug Kreckling), Historical (Jason Roberts), Literary (Pastor Gary) and Lutheran Theological (Pastor Margaret). This session was a great starting point for anyone who has never picked a Bible and informative for the experienced reader as well. Come with your questions. The session was moderated by Dan Bice.

Handouts for the session are combined into one document to view, download or print [here].

A video of the Forum is [here].

There is also an audio recording [here].

Photos of the Adult Forum on the Book of Faith Feb. 14 are in the online photo album [here].

 

Feb. 7 - Social Ministry Focus: Affordable Dental Care
For the month of February, our Social Ministry Focus is on the issue of the lack of access to dental care of the low income and people living in poverty. During our education hour, Feb. 7, we showed a video from the Wisconsin Dental Association’s Mission of Mercy event last summer in LaCrosse, where they provided free dental care for a weekend and saw over 1500 adults and children. After the video we had a panel discussion about this issue. We discussed how we are going to help Cross Lutheran and Reformation with dental supplies and education.

Our special guest was Gene Shoemaker, president-elect of the Wisconsin Dental Association. Information about the WDA Mission of Mercy event last summer and upcoming events is on the WDA website [here].

A few photos of the Adult Forum Feb. 7 are in the online photo album [here].

 

Jan. 17 - Book of Faith: Four Methods of Reading the Bible-Part 1
This lively panel discussion on four ways to approach reading the Bible was moderated by Dan Bice. Each approach has its strengths and will be beneficial to all readers of the Bible.
The four methods explored were: Devotional (Doug Kreckling), Historical (Jason Roberts), Literary (Pastor Gary) and Lutheran Theological (Pastor Margaret). The handout for the session includes the scripture reading and outlines of the four approaches to Bible reading.

Handouts for the session are combined into one document to view, download or print [here].

A video of the Forum is [here].

There is also an audio recording [here].

Photos of the Adult Forum on the Book of Faith Jan. 17 are in the online photo album [here].

 

Photos all-congregation special learning event Jan. 3
Hunger Task Force led us through their Food For Today simulation on Sunday, Jan. 3. This unique and interactive simulation helped people understand what it’s like for food insecure families using food stamps in the Milwaukee area to put food on the table. During Food for Today, participants took on roles of Wisconsin residents in a fictional community. Information about the Hunger Task Force presentation and their work in Milwaukee is [here].

Photos of the event are in the online photo album [here].

 

El Salvador Global Mission Forum Dec. 6
A combined adult and youth forum was held Dec. 6 when we welcomed Dan Beirne, who has spent the past two years interpreting for partnership delegations visiting El Salvador. Dan was placed in El Salvador for a two-year term as part of the ELCA’s Global Mission Program. While there, Dan worked closely with the pastor in charge of the partnership program for the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. Dan had a wealth of stories to share as well as a unique perspective on global service.

Photos from the Youth and Adult Forum Dec. 6 are in the online photo album [here].

 

The St. John’s Bible visited St. Matts Nov. 22
A full sized copy of the Gospels and Acts from the St. John’s Bible was at St. Matt's Nov. 22 for viewing and reflection. It was also used during Sunday Worship. The St. John’s Bible is the first hand written Bible since the Guttenberg press was invented. St. Matthew’s was fortunate to have this work of art available for worship and viewing on this Christ the King Sunday. Parallel to viewing of the Bible the inspiring DVD, “Making of the St. John’s Bible,” was shown during the Adult Forum. Below is an article with more information on the St. John's Bible.

More information about the St. John's Bible at St. Matt's and photos of the event are [here].

 

Photos of November 1 Adult Forum with Dan Bice and
Serenity Inns Presentation with Pastor Rick Deines
On November 1 there were two Adult Forum presenatations. Photos of both are in the photo archive [here].

 

 

Ongoing opportunities

The Adult Education Committee works at providing a host of educational opportunities during the Education hour. Generally there is ongoing Bible study, small groups and forums scheduled on a regular basis throughout the year.

More information about these Sunday and weekday opportunities is [here].

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