Our Classes

Hello friends, we are getting used to our new life here in Durham. Things are busier than we expected, with things going on much of the time. I thought I'd post our schedule for you to get a glimpse of our daily activities.

8 am to Noon: Classes

First half: Church Planting

This course focuses on giving us the information and tools we need to be able to plant a tribal church. This week we began with the big picture of how God is working and has been working throughout history. It has been so interesting to think about how He desires to have a relationship with His creation and all of history outlines how He communicates with us. Our job is to reflect His glory. Today we started our study of animism, which is the cultural and religious worldview that many tribal people have.

Prayer Time for Missionaries

Nearly every day we have a half hour period where we grab a couple of missionary newsletters, read them and pray for the misssionaries and their needs.

Second half: Foundations for Living

This class brings all that we believe and do into the right perspective. Nothing is worth doing unless it is founded on right principles, and our relationship with God is the only thing that will keep us "on the field". The teacher for this course keeps bringing our focus back to God and His Word. One of the quotes that we've reflected upon quite a bit is, "We need a clear picture of Who God is and what He is like because what we think about God affects every area of our lives." The first week of this course was spent looking at Who God is and studying some of His attributes in depth.

Practical Training Course (PTC)

Each afternoon Dennis has practical training until 4:30pm. This is a required course for all men and for the women who do not have children. While it may at first appear to be just a time to do work and get stuff done, those who are involved will tell you that the emphasis is not on the job getting done, but on the relationships and teamwork that is involved in the process. Dennis has enjoyed mowing (using the riding lawn mower is fun!), roofing, patching a roof, cleaning out insulation from a building they are tearing down, and pouring a cement pad.

That is enough for you to chew on for now. :) There is much more to our new life here, including men's/women's socials, Tues. night meetings, soccer and tennis, getting together with friends, discipleship once a week with a staff couple, etc. I'll try to fill you in on some of these things as time goes on.