Techniques for Christian Centering*

An adult education study for the
Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale
March 4 – April 8, 2009, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Location

This six-evening series focusses on the importance of centering in the spiritual development of Christian people.

Each session begins with background information and proceeds with a guided discussion of the topic. The series also provides the opportunity for participants to try various techniques for centering.

The course topics do not build upon each other, and this means that you can drop in or out of this series at any time you need without loss of continuity.

There are no preparatory readings; however, there are reference resources for those wishing to dig deeper into any of the topics.

The instructor/series leader is Dr. Terry Shoup, a Professor at Santa Clara University and a graduate of SCU’s Pastoral Ministries Program. His theological specialization is spirituality and he has taught this class at other churches in the community. The topics are

1. Spirituality and Personality Type – Understanding the relationship between our spirituality and our personality. March 4, 2009. All sessions are 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
2. Prayer and Spirituality – Understanding the fundamental elements of prayer and the scriptural foundations of our Christian spirituality. March 11, 2009 .
3. Centering prayer – Exploring the role of centering prayer in modern Christianity. March 18, 2009 .
4. Lectio Divina – Adapting the ancient practice of “praying the scriptures” to the needs and situations of modern Christianity. March 25, 2009 .
5. Theological Reflection – Understanding the possibilities and techniques helpful in the search for meaning. April 1, 2009 .
6. Opening Boundaries – Utilizing centering practices of diverse traditions to augment our own centering. April 8, 2009 .

Congregational Community Church, UCC
1112 S. Bernardo Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94087
408-739-3285

conglchurch@earthlink.net