CCS Live Seminars

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

 

Any topics that equip ministers and volunteers to serve and lead congregations effectively

 

• Teaching Bible Classes

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Sessions are focused on the importance and aims of teaching, as well

as practical steps and resources for teaching Bible classes, in order to

build competence and confidence in your congregation’s teachers.

 

• Ministers/Elders Workshops

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Sessions are focused on encouragement in the task of leadership and

on team building and trust building within the congregation’s leadership. 

These are conducted in a retreat setting.

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• Leading through Cultural Change

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Sessions are focused on discerning the signs of the times and the

church’s place in the wider culture, as well as specific social and

moral challenges facing Christians.

 

BIBLICAL LITERACY

 

Providing surveys or deep study of any individual books or sections of the Bible

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Preparing Bible class teachers to teach a specific book

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• Understanding the Bible

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Sessions examine the steps of biblical interpretation, characteristics of genre, various contexts, language and grammar, and application.

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• Scripture, Creed, and Christian Unity

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Sessions explore the relationship between Scripture and church tradition biblically and historically, how certain types of biblical interpretation have sparked divisions, and how a balanced view of biblical authority and interpretation can lead to greater unity.

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• How to Read the Bible: Then and Now

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Sessions compare and contrast premodern and modern ways of interpreting the Bible, with recommendations for taking the best from both approaches.

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• Reading the Apocrypha

 

Sessions survey the intertestamental period, why it’s important for biblical understanding and Christian theology, and then dig into some specific books and passages.

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• How We Got the Bible

 

These sessions explore the history and human means behind the formation of the Christian Bible—including the writing, copying, collecting, canonizing, preserving, and translating of Scripture.

 

THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING

 

Any topics in doctrine and Christian history (from the early church to today)

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• Theology for the Pew

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These sessions provide an overview of the story of God as revealed in

Scripture.

 

• Philosophy for the Pew

 

Various sessions focus on the compatibility of faith and reason, including

topics such as the existence and attributes of God and his relationship to

creation.

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• Understanding Your Christian Neighbors

 

Sessions explore the origin and most important distinctive teachings of major

Christian denominations.

 

• Distinctives in Churches of Christ

 

Sessions examine the distinctive traditional beliefs and practices in Churches

of Christ, their biblical basis, their early and medieval historical development, and the role of these continuing distinctives in the wider Christian world.

 

• Persecution and Martyrdom in the Early Church and Today

 

Sessions explore the nature of persecution and theology of suffering in the early church, the biblical roots and historical setting, and how these thoughts ought to shape Christian living today.

 

• Turning Points in Church History

 

These sessions survey the most important events in church history, setting each event in its context, and discussing its antecedents and consequences, for a better understanding of who we are today.

 

• The Importance of Studying Church History

 

Why study church history?  These sessions consider how knowing church history can benefit our own Christian faith and practice.

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• Early Christian History

 

The first three centuries of church history were a formative period of Christian experimentation and development.  These sessions examine the most important people, documents, events, and ideas of the ante-Nicene church, and discuss whether and what should be retrieved for the church today.

 

• Reformation and Post-Reformation History

 

The Reformations of the sixteenth century, and their aftermath, changed the course of Christian and world history.  These sessions explore the most important reformers and their ideas, as well as the consequent conflicts and divisions and various reactions to them, and how it all shapes who we are today.

 

• Restoration Movement

 

These sessions reflect on the rationale, background, and central figures and ideas of the American (Stone-Campbell) Restoration Movement.

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• Assurance of Salvation

 

These sessions focus on the doctrine of assurance of salvation, surveying various options throughout church history, studying relevant biblical passages, and recommending a balanced view of true Christian assurance.

 

• New Calvinism and Arminian Alternatives

 

These sessions consider historic Reformed theology and some of its more recent Calvinist forms and their implications, as well as Arminian alternatives and their implications, and then they recommend a balanced Arminian approach to contested questions of predestination, free will, grace, and assurance of salvation.

 

• Holy Spirit

 

These sessions examine what Scripture has to teach about the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, New Testament, and in the church today.

 

THOUGHTFUL WORSHIP

 

Any topics that help Christians understand and practice the central action of

the church: worship

 

• Theology and Practice of Worship

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These sessions focus on the Lord’s Day assembly of worship—what it is,

its purpose and goals, its foundation, and the importance of

understanding who God is and who we are in his presence.

 

• Baptism

 

Various sessions examining the biblical, historical, and theological

evidence regarding the mode, subjects, and meaning of Christian

baptism.

 

• Why We Sing What We Sing

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These sessions dig into some songs that are important in worship assemblies, songs that should sustain our lives of faith and be passed on to the next generations.  We reflect on their words and meaning—their biblical message and theological depth—and enjoy singing them.

 

• Words for Worship

 

These sessions focus on important words that the congregation can say together in the worship assembly—what they mean, why they are important, what they tell us about worship, and why they are worth implementing and preserving.

 

MORAL AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION

 

Any topics that equip Christians to understand and pursue the good in a post-Christian world

 

• Sexual Ethics

 

These sessions examine the Christian teaching on sexuality and equip Christians to speak intelligibly about it.  They focus on the biblical evidence, on various challenges to this sexual ethic in contemporary society, and on practical wisdom for showing real love that exhibits truth and compassion.

 

• Christians and Politics

 

These sessions consider various approaches that Christians have historically taken with regard to involvement in politics and civil government, their strengths and weaknesses, and then argue for a balanced approach that includes political involvement but without confusing the kingdoms of God and of the world or diluting one’s allegiance to the former.

 

• Ethical and Social Issues

 

Various sessions, beginning with moral truth over moral relativism, and then hitting important social ethics topics, as desired.

 

• The Evaluation and Use of Technology

 

Technology is a moral issue, and these sessions offer perspectives on how to evaluate technology in a society that is decidedly technophiliac.  Focus is on the use of digital technology in the home and church.

 

• Stories of Courage

 

These sessions survey virtue ethics, focusing on the virtue of courage, and then they look at stories of Christians throughout church history who exemplified courage and who are models for us.

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• Christian Spiritual Formation

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These sessions provide an introduction to the meaning, methods, and practices of Christian spiritual formation: What is it? How does it differ from other understandings of "spirituality"? How does it lead to a life more closely aligned to Jesus' way? These questions and more will be explored in lectures, workshops, and breakout sessions. The goal of the seminar is to help Christians better understand and practice their Christian walk.

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• Christian Grieving

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This seminar provides a discussion of grief in the Christian life. We discuss 5 "anchors" of faith for times of grief, followed by a practical session on dos and don'ts of ministering to the grieving.