Renewal Christian Education

After reading over the course descriptions, click here to REGISTER FOR CLASSES.

Renewal Christian Education is the educational arm of the church, seeking to equip our congregation with the Biblical, theological, and practical resources necessary to grow in fellowship with God, community with one another, and service to our city and world. We offer classes and seminars that present a gospel-centered worldview, emphasize the transformation of the entire person and apply the gospel to all of life.

As part of our vision to renew lives in Christ to transform our city and the world, we seek to equip each person with a well-rounded Christian education for a lifetime of holiness and ministry. We highly recommend going through our “core” curriculum of seven classes. This may be accomplished at the quickest in a two-year span, as shown below. Whether you are committed long-term here at Renewal, preparing for the mission field, or with us just for a season, it is our prayer that through us you will be prepared to do the good work to which God is calling you.

“CORE” CURRICULUM (2-year intensive track)

	Fall Weekend Intensive Series	Fall Sunday Series	Spring Weekend Intensive Series	Spring Sunday Series
Year 1	Gospel Foundations Class	Unlocking the Old Testament Story: Christ the Key	(Gospel Foundations Class)	The Kingdom Come: The New Testament Fulfillment in Christ
Year 2	Gospel Transformation I: How People Change	Renewal as a Way of Life: Spirituality of Soul, Work, and Leisure	Gospel Transformation II: Helping Others Change	Evangelism and Apologetics: Good News Worth Sharing, Tough Questions Worth Answering

FAQ's

Can I take a Weekend Intensive and Sunday Series class in the same semester?
Yes.

Do I have to take the classes in a certain order?
No, there is no mandatory order or prerequisites for any class. However, we do recommend going through the “core” classes in the order above, beginning with Gospel Foundations. For example, you do not need to have taken Gospel Transformation I: How People Change in the fall to take Gospel Trans. II: Helping Others Change in the spring; however, we highly recommend this order as one class naturally flows into the next. We also highly encourage taking the Old Testament class before the New Testament one.

How often will the “core” classes be offered?
As long as there are enough students to fill a class, we will offer the “core” classes every semester according to the schedule listed above. The Gospel Foundations class will be the only one offered both in the fall and the spring.

What can I expect in terms of workload?
We do not want these classes to add an unnecessary burden on your already busy schedule. Yet, we believe effective learning involves putting the biblical content to use in our lives. Therefore, every class will include helpful, brief readings and “workshop” assignments that are gone over in the class sessions. (There will be no extra work not covered in class.) These assignments are meant to maximize and enhance our very limited class times.
     For our Bible & Theology classes (i.e. Gospel Foundations, OT, and NT), there will be a brief exam during the last class. This is not meant for a formal record or to be a burden to you. Rather, we feel a brief exam allows you to review and grasp the class material, which otherwise you might simply forget. These straightforward exams will be designed to help you summarize and digest the material for lasting benefit.

Can I still take a class if I cannot make every meeting?
Yes, for a Sunday Series class, if you have to miss just a session or two at most. If you are officially registered in the class and have to miss a session, you can obtain notes. We don’t want to dissuade people from registering, but if you might have frequent conflicts, we would recommend taking the class next time around.
     To register for a Weekend Intensive class, we will require you to be in attendance for both 5-hour sessions because of the amount of material covered.

Will there be classes offered in the future beyond the “core” curriculum?
Yes. Going forward, as people complete the “core” classes, we plan on offering elective classes each semester, going more in-depth in various topics.

What about the summer months?
The “core” classes will not be offered during the summer months due to vacations, short-term mission trips, and staff sabbaticals. However, there will be elective classes and special seminars offered by Christian Education in the summer.

Why do I have to pay a $15 fee for each class?
This minimal fee is meant to cover costs of food, a class binder, and any required text. This will help us offer multiple classes each semester.

REGISTRATION

Please register for classes via online registration here at our website. (Please do not e-mail us directly.) You will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions for picking up class materials and any assignments prior to the first class. (There is a minimal fee for each class to cover class materials, and will be collected at the first session of the class.)

SUNDAY SERIES CLASSES

(Each class meets for the following 8 one-hour sessions)

DATES: 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/2, 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20
TIME: 12:00pm–1:00pm or 2:00pm–3:00pm (session repeated)

Registration Deadline: February 1 (Friday)

The Kingdom Come: The New Testament Fulfillment in Christ
We all have our favorite New Testament verses and passages, but how do we read the New Testament as more than a collection of memorable quotes? How do we understand each verse and passage in light of its context, and as an astonishing fulfillment of the entire Bible’s story of redemption? How do we understand God’s commands and calling over our lives in a way that is joyous “good news” (gospel) to us, and not dreadful religion?

This class will focus on reading the two main genres of the New Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles, in the way that God has intended. Half the class (four weeks) will be devoted to each genre, interpreting and applying the Word to our lives in Christ through exercises and examples.

Instructors: P. Charles Han, Rev. Dwight Yoo

Evangelism and Apologetics:
Good News Worth Sharing, Tough Questions Worth Answering
Have you ever had a clear and natural opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, and you didn't? Among the myriad reasons, one important reason why we don't speak is that we simply don't know what to say. How can we communicate the truth of the gospel in a way that's clear, natural, and meaningful to people who don't share our basic convictions about the world? This class aims to help us with this very question. The goals are twofold: 1) to equip us with the basic skills of sharing the gospel with others in a clear, simple, and natural way, 2) to train us to understand a non-Christian worldview so that we can make a meaningful response. We will also seek to answer some basic objections raised against Christianity in today’s postmodern society. Both prayer and practice in different contexts will be regular parts of the class.

Instructors: P. Won Ho Kim, P. Charles Han

WEEKEND INTENSIVE CLASSES

(Each class meets for the following three sessions)

SESSION ONE: Sun. 2/3, 12:00pm–2:00pm (after 10:00 service only)
SESSION TWO: Sat. 2/9, 10:00am–2:00pm
SESSION THREE: Sat. 2/16, 10:00am–2:00pm

Registration Deadline: January 25 (Friday)