10/31/2005
Good Morning Padres!

Yesterday marked a new beginning for Good Shepherd
Indianapolis.  Church school and inquirers classes
were launched for the first time in many years.

I had the pleasure of leading a confirmation/inquirers
class specifically for adults ages 20-30.  The class,
for the most part, is composed of persons who had
never visited Good Shepherd nor had been members of
ECUSA.  Most came to us as a result of our Website and
email correspondence over a period of several months. 
We have mostly Presbyterians,  a couple of Baptists
and 2 from independent churches.

These young people are well educated and are
interested, of all things, in theology.  Six of these
young people may or may not decide to join our
mission, but they have come with honest questions and
are apparently willing to put their minds to work.

Needless to say, I am very pleased, for until very
recently, we had few members under retirement age, and
none under 50.  To have young marrieds with children
in a Church school was a real treat.

My main mission in this first session was to make
acquaintances and find out what questions these
searchers had and what they expected to gain from the
time spent.

Here are 5 of their questions. 

1. Do we (the APA/REC) understand a unity of covenant,
of Testaments?
2.  What is the nature of sacraments?
3.  Is it possible for a baptized infant to be
unregenerate?
4. May children take Holy Communion?
5.  Do we pray for Saints who have "gone on before
us?"
 
The interest in covenant theology, creeds, confessions
and sacraments came as a pleasant surprise.  Thirty
years ago I found few people at any age who showed
much interest in these things.

Observations, experiences and comments welcomed. 

Charles+