Church History

One of the most important supports to the faith of the Christian outside of the Scriptures, is found in the history of the covenant people of God. The Old and New Testament give us the majority of their story. But between the writing of the book of Revelation and our current day is a large gap of time. In those roughly 2,000 years, a lot has transpired that gives great evidence to the providence and sovereignty of God amidst the events of the world, and especially within His Church. As Protestants, we rightly hold fast to the truth that God’s Word is the source of all truth. In our effort to elevate this principle, we have unfortunately dismissed the importance of the history and tradition of the church. When viewed in its appropriate context, this history can help the Christian grow in their knowledge of God, His people, and orthodox faith. Over the course of this short class, we will look at a high level overview of the summary eras of church history. This will serve as a springboard for anyone who wants to look into the topic more deeply on their own.

Dates and Time: This seminar will occur over 7 weeks on Sunday evenings on 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, and 6/18 from 6:30 to 8:30pm While we recognize that unexpected emergencies arise, we ask that you do your best to commit to attending all class meetings during this course.

Deadline to Sign Up: Due to the amount of reading to be completed prior to the first class, signups will be closed on 4/9/2023. Registration for this class is now closed.

Cost: There is no cost for this class, but you will need to purchase your own books. The required books for this class can be found in the Amazon marketplace with these links:

Shelley, Bruce L., and Marshall Shelley. Church History in Plain Language. 5th ed., Zondervan Academic, 2021. 

Shelley, Bruce, and Stacey Lingle, and Marshall Shelley. Church History in Plain Language Workbook. Zondervan Academic, 2022.

Who Can Attend: This class is open to anyone. We generally recommend that Sunday Seminars are most productive for anyone over the age of 14.

Instructor: Hans Rasmussen (Elder and Lead Pastor)

Approximate amount of homework to be covered each week: This is admittedly a very academically intensive class. That is not meant as a deterrent to anyone, merely advice that this class will take commitment. We have an early cutoff so students can get ahead in the reading. Part 1 and 2 of both the book and workbook will need to be completed prior to the first class. Further work can be done to get ahead. If all reading is saved until the class start date, it would require roughly 75-100 pages per week. Each week will also include answering questions on the corresponding workbook pages.

Additional Materials Needed: Please bring a Bible, and items for taking notes.

Special Note: Childcare will not be provided for this class but we highly encourage possible participants to engage their community group or other close connections within the church to help with childcare during these classes.