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Beginning September 6, 2023 we are focusing our attention on the Life, Ministry, and Message of Jesus Christ. Matthew's Gospel will be our text. We will explore the Sermon on the Mount, the Kingdom of Heaven, Peter's confession, Jesus use of parables, the Olivet Discourse and many, many other unique features in Matthew's narrative.


Price

General Admission: $99 per person +fee

includes

  1. Admission to all 25 weeks of live discussion

  2. Unlimited access to the video recordings of each session

  3. Handouts and other materials

  4. Access to the private Facebook group


When

Beginning Wednesday, September 6, 2023
12-1:30p PDT

How often

Same time every Wednesday, for 25 weeks.


About the Class

Like our previous discussions of Hebrews and the Apocalypse, this event will be a unique experience offering a panel of six to nine highly qualified biblical scholars and theologians contributing insights and perspectives .

We invite you to join our panel each week as we journey into Matthew's account and we open our hearts to what the Spirit is saying to us each week from Matthew's Gospel.

As usual, registrants will have unlimited access to stream the video recordings of the 25 week series. Each session will be available 48 hours after the live webinar. These recordings are free to all registrants but can only be obtained if you register by Sept 20. Otherwise, you will have to wait until April 2024 until they are available for purchase. We will also have audio-only files of the class which you will be able to download to your device.

A private Facebook page will be created where the class can continue the conversation. Panelists will also visit the page from time to time contributing to the discussion.

*** An opportunity for graduate studies credit ***

Dr. Bradley Jersak will personally supervise qualified students who would like to earn three credit hours through St. Stephen's University's (SSU.ca) Master of Ministries program. The accredited cohort will be capped at 25 students, so if you are interested, please contact Brad before April 1 at bjersak@ssu.ca.


the panel

Fr John Behr, Julie Canlis, Chris Green, Brad Jersak, John MacMurray, Cherith Nordling, Kenneth Tanner, Paul Young, and Brian Zahnd. Hover over the images below to read a short bio.

Fr John Behr
Fr. John Behr is the Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen, previously having been at St Vladimir’s Seminary, New York, where he also served as Dean. His publications include an edition and translation of Origen’s On First Principles and a study of the Gospel of John.

Cherith Nordling
Cherith is a theologian, writer, and mentor in Christian formation with a Ph. D. from the University of St. Andrews. Most recently she served as Associate Professor of Theology at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. She also taught for five years at Calvin College and Seminary while serving as Co-Director of Christian Formation with her husband, Robert. She has taught as adjunct professor at numerous other institutions and continues as a seasonal lecturer for Regent College, Vancouver, BC and for the YWAM Masters Program in Christian Formation.

Kenneth Tanner
Kenneth is pastor of Church of the Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and seven children. His writing has appeared in “Books & Culture”, “Huffington Post”, “Sojourners”, “National Review”, “Christianity Today”, “Behemoth”, and “Real Clear Religion.”

Dr. Brad Jersak
Brad is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, Canada. He is editor-in-chief of “Christianity Without the Religion” magazine and teaches at Westminster Theological Centre. He is also the author of over a dozen books, including “Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God Who Speaks” and “A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful Gospel.”

Chris E.W. Green

Chris is Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL), Director of St Anthony Institute for Theology and Philosophy, and Teaching Pastor at Sanctuary Church (Tulsa, OK). He and his wife Julie live in Tulsa with their kids, Zoë, Clive, and Emery. Chris has written extensively, his most recent book being the revised edition of Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, Scripture. 

John MacMurray
John is the founder and director of the Northwest School of Theology and the Open Table Conferences. Formerly an adjunct professor in Bible Literature, he now speaks internationally, and writes. His books include “A Spiritual Evolution” and “Father Fiction” (co-written with Donald Miller). He is also a landscape nature photographer, published in National Geographic, Sierra Club, and Audubon.

Brian Zahnd

Brian is the lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, which he and his wife Peri founded in 1981. He is the author of several books including “Water to Wine”, “Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God”, and “Postcards from Babylon.” His favorite activity is spending time with their three sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and seven grandchildren.

Wm. Paul Young
Paul is the author of “The Shack”, “Eve”, “Cross Roads”, and “The Shack Reflections. He was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of what was Netherlands New Guinea (now West Papua). He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the “wastefulness of grace” with his family in the Pacific Northwest.

Julie Canlis

Julie is married to Matt, stays at home with their four children, and teaches Sunday School for 11-13 year olds. She likes her food slow, and her church slower. Along with Matt, she has been instrumental in the writing of the small group curriculum for Godspeed to help churches translate the Scottish documentary onto their own soil. In addition to the above, Julie teaches at Whitworth University, published her PhD as Calvin’s Ladder: A Spiritual Theology of Ascent and Ascension (Templeton Prize; Christianity Today Award of Merit), and most recently, A Theology of the Ordinary.


SCHEDULE

Classes are held Wednesdays, from 12 - 1:30p PDT.

September, 2023

6th - Introduction

13th - Introduction

20th -

27th -

October

4th -

11th -

18th -

25th -

November

1st -

8th -

15th -

22rd -

29th -

December

6th –

13th –

20th – BREAK

27th – BREAK

January, 2024

3rd -

10th -

17th -

24th -

February

7th -

14th -

21st -

28th -

March

6th -

13th -


Online Class

We are using Zoom

Zoom video conference software has quickly become one of the number one ways to connect people, either for personal or business use, during this world-wide crisis. We will be using Zoom to bring the class to you live, and we will be recording every class so you can watch it all again later.

Zoom is free to use. Click the link below to learn more.


FAQs

When does registration for the class close?

September 20 at midnight Pacific time.

Do I have to be online for the entire webinar?

No, every session will be recorded. We encourage you to tune in to as many live sessions as possible.

How do I access the video recordings?

Within a couple of days after class begins, those registered will receive a link and password to access the recordings.

Is the fee per household?

No. The $99 registration fee is per device (computer, tablet, or phone).

Do you have a schedule?

We will post the schedule in the near future.

When will I receive the link to the webinar?

You will receive instructions and the link to the Zoom webinar within 24 hours of the event. You will also receive reminders of the event.

Can we ask questions during the sessions?

Yes, this is interactive. Participants will be able to submit questions through Zoom’s Q&A function during each discussion session. The chat button will also be activated for the questions and comments the final 30 minutes.