Adults

The mission of adult ministries is to water the seeds of faith in God, to build up the Body of Christ through the study of God’s word and through Christian fellowship, to promote Biblical literacy, and to enable us to be ambassadors for Christ, loving and serving others in this world to the glory of God.

First Presbyterian Church, Tulsa has many opportunities for Adult Christian Education (CE) each Sunday and throughout the year. We invite you to participate in any of the classes offered.

Sunday Classes

We have twelve active classes on Sunday mornings, ten at 9:30 and two at 11:00. Include both worship and class participation in your Sunday mornings with us. Visitors are welcomed and encouraged in each of the following gatherings:

Adult Sunday Morning Classes at 9:30 am

Christian Fellowship Miller Library Presidents: Fred and Virginia Fulkerson, 628-0210
We are senior adults, and each Sunday morning we begin class by singing hymns and sharing stories of God’s grace in our lives. We invite people to teach us, usually from The Present Word curriculum, as we seek to deepen our faith in Christ. We emphasize responsibility and service to First Church, and we also gather socially outside of class.

Covenanters Room 204 Bernsen Contacts: Dustin Fravel, 743-3878
We are a class focused on enriching our covenant relationship with God, our families, and our community through directed Bible study and interactive discussions about how to live our faith. We are mostly in our 30s-40s with kids, and are a fun and welcoming group. We have numerous social events throughout the year. Visitors and new members are warmly welcomed.

Forum Room 318, Bernsen Presidents: Jan Everett, 742-3506 & Katy Bergner, 245-6857
Our class consists of couples and singles of various ages. We are mainly a self-taught class, but we also use First Church teachers and occasionally have outside speakers. We enjoy socials outside of class (especially pot-luck dinners!) to promote fun and fellowship with one another. We also devote time to mission projects throughout the year.

Foundations Room 219, Bernsen President: Amy and Clark Tingleaf, 376-9899
We are young couples (20s-40s), and some of us are beginning families! We are primarily self-taught, although occasionally we are taught by other church members. Class members gather together for Drillers games, the theater, group dinners, and church ministries.

Harbingers Reception Area (Room 111), Bernsen Contact: Kert Surface, 951-1135
We are a class of singles and couples in our 30s and 40s with children. Many of us have deep roots in the church, and the class has a good mix of worship, study, service, and fun. We often have social gatherings, small group dinners, and mission projects.

Mariners Room 116 Presidents: Bill and Patty Ball, 493-2986
Our class consists of married couples and singles, who are mostly retirees. In addition to Sunday morning class, we are active in church ministries (e.g., Helping Hand, Meals-On-Wheels) and in service organizations in the Tulsa community. We invite teachers to help us deepen our faith in Christ through use of the Present Word and other curriculum, and we gather for social events outside of class.

Shepherds Room 206 President: Cam Campbell, 496-0791
Faith asking questions. If this describes you, perhaps Shepherds is the class for you! Lively discussion is the keystone of our class, based on Bible study, Christian books, and other materials. We are a class of couples and singles of varying ages, and we take seriously Christ’s command to “feed my sheep” by serving others through mission outreach (e.g., the Tulsa Food Bank).

Sojourners Room 320, Bernsen President: Emma Smith, 274-8570
We are couples and singles (mostly 40 and older), and some of us have grown children. We enjoy studying the Bible together in order to draw us closer to Christ, and many of our classes are led by class members. We also have many social events that draw us closer to each other.

Westminster L.C.S. (Larger Circle Society) Tower Room
President: Janetta Williamson, 742-5087
We added L.C.S. (Larger Circle Society) to our name so that everyone feels welcome: young and old, fast and slow, tall and short, married and single. What do we have in common? Love for the Lord and a desire to study the Bible in order to deepen our Christian faith. We enjoy challenging class discussions, and we also enjoy time together socially and service in the church and community.

Bible Walk Room 221, Bernsen Contact: Dr. John Campbell, 749-7821
The focus of this class for adults is on the Bible: its content, its interpretation, and especially its application to our lives and faith. It is open to EVERYONE, regardless of age or stage of faith

Adult Sunday Morning Classes 11:00 a.m.

Reflections Room 318, Bernsen President: Dana Grogan, 252-2077
We are couples and singles of various ages who are seeking to nurture our Christian faith and grow together spiritually through in-depth study, fellowship, and mission outreach. Class members will have the opportunity to participate as class discussion leaders or facilitators.

11:00 a.m. Bible Study Kirkland Resource Center, Bernsen
The focus of this class is to equip the men and women of God for every good work through the study of God’s Word. Adults of all ages and stages of faith are welcome!

Academy for Faith and Life Sunday Mornings

When was the last time you were really intentional about your faith? Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights downtown at 7th & Boston, you’ll have the opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and develop a broader understanding of our shared faith through three areas of study:

The Bible—unique, authoritative & speaking directly to us
Christian History & Theology—whose shoulders are we standing on anyway?
Christian Discipleship—where the rubber meets our faith journey

Other Bible Classes

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Sunday Afternoon Bible Study
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Miller Library
Bible Study Leader: Wambugu Gachungi
How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will (Hebrews 2:3,4).

Moms on Mondays Bible Study
Mondays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Miller Library
Begins August 25
Ten Spiritual Gifts to Leave Your Children by Todd Wagner
Motherhood is the hardest job you will ever do. It comes with no salary, no training and no time-off. It is also the most fulfilling and rewarding time of your life. No one understands the job of mothering like another mother. That’s where we come in. Moms on Mondays Bible Study exists to support and encourage mothers and to deepen their understanding of Christ’s presence in their lives. If you are looking for a great way to start your week, consider joining us. (Childcare is available by reservation.)

Marys and Marthas
Wednesdays, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Tower RoomBegins September 3
All women are invited to a Bible study that will help you start your day with intentionality— immersed in God’s word. Join us every Wednesday morning for fellowship, prayer, and provocative Bible study led by Monte Prater. This year we will study the books of Judges, Ruth and First Samuel.

Men’s Early Bible Study
Wednesdays, 6:45-7:45 a.m. Wiseman Hall
Begin your day in Christian fellowship with a faithful group of men who pray together and study God’s Word every Wednesday morning all year long! Our current study is in the Book of Isaiah.

Hearts for the Lord
Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Reception Area (Room 111) Bernsen
This Bible study is for Christian women of all ages and denominations. This year’s study will be Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. Bring your Christian friends and join leader, Janet Bull, for this exciting study. (Childcare is available by reservation.)

Questions: Call Sally Henning at 584.4701

Academy for Faith and Life -- Wednesday Night Downtown

Make this fall the time to reinvigorate your purpose in life! Whether it’s intense Bible learning, charting the course of how we got to where we are today as a community of believers, arts (and theology) or crafts (can a scrapbook express belief?), practical parenting, money management from the standpoint that winner doesn’t take all, or simply how to get along (forgiveness, relationships), there is something for everyone. Bring a friend! Be a new friend of First Church—non-members are welcome!

Registration   Academy courses are free of charge but they do require registration. Please register for the course of your choice by calling Sally Henning at 584.4701 ext. 243. You also may send your registration by email to: shenning@firstchurchtulsa.org.

Wednesday Night Dinner reservations   A catered dinner is served before classes begin from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. $5 per person, and kids under 13-years-old eat FREE when accompanied by a parent (or grandparent). Reservations are required no later than the preceding Monday at noon; call Sally Henning at 584.4701. Come join the fellowship!

Childcare   It’s available for infants and preschoolers by reservation only. Bring them along; they’ll have fun too. Call Susan Hammond at 584.4701 for reservations.

Wednesday Night Downtown Classes:

Marks of Christian Maturity: Steps Along the Way
Dr. Jim Miller
(with Rev. Ryan Moore, Rev. Michael Homan, & Rev. Warren Muller)

Each week Dr. Miller will share his reflections on the Biblical roots of how we grow into the full maturity in Christ that God envisions for us. Following his presentation we will gather in small groups to further explore God’s invitation to grow in our faith together.

This eleven week experience is intended to do at least these four things: Ponder God’s Word for us, Invite reflection on life and faith, Deepen Christian friendships, and Cultivate a yearning to be fruitful for Christ’s sake.

Schedule:
5:30 – 6:15p    Dinner together in Wiseman Hall
6:15 – 6:45p    Dr. Miller’s Presentation
6:45 – 7:45p    Small Groups

Small Group Leaders: Jeff & Tai Allen, Cam & Beth Campbell, Skip & Nancy Chandler, Bill & Glenna Hailey, Edward Jednacz, Greg & Lisa Kelly, Royce & Julie Kelly, Danny & Stephanie Kern, Bruce & Jean Lemmon, Clark & Amy Tingleaf, Clay & Lindley Welch, and Laurie Winslow.

Programs for Children and Youth will be offered along with infant/preschool childcare.

A note from Rev. Ryan Moore:
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness...” Genesis 1:26

God lives and exists as a small group. It is central to his character and his mission in the world. This is the historic proclamation of the church throughout the ages that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This truth is drawn from the very first pages of the Bible.

As Genesis reminds us, we are created in God’s image. And core to God’s image, essence, and identity is a community. If we truly are made in God’s image, then we can not be fully human or fully who God intends us to be on our own and by ourselves. In short, if God needs to exist in community, then quite possibly we do as well.

Here at First Church our prayer is that this community would continue to be shaped and patterned by the community that originated, sustains, and redeems all of creation: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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