Center for Christian Studies - 1995

The Center for Christian Studies celebrates its ninth year during
2004 - 2005 supported in its work through the dynamic nature of laypersons
and clergy working together to serve the church and the world.

1995 - 1996 Planting Seeds. . . THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE . . . . Colossians l:28, 2:7, Matthew 13:31-32 The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on October 15, 1995	Click here to view the sermon in print.
Encouraged to plant a seed of faith, members of the Fifth Avenue congregation turned out in record numbers for classes in the Bible and literature. And the enthusiasm grew . . . .

1996 - 1997 A Tree Grows . . . ROOTS, SHOOTS AND FRUIT! John 15:1-11; Ephesians 3:14-21 The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on June 9, 1996	Click here to view the sermon in print.
The Center for Christian Studies opened its doors in September 1996 with an offering of 52 courses in Bible, theology, church history, practical theology, and art, literature, music and drama. On June 9, 1996, over 700 people registered for the Center for Christian Studies inaugural terms in Fall 1996. At the completion of the first year of classes, over 1,000 attendees had embarked on a journey of faith.

1997 - 1998 On Either Side of the River Stood a Tree of Life Revelation 22:1-2 PERFECT CHILDREN Matthew 5:48 The Rev. Dr. Gregory S. Cootsona Associate Pastor A sermon preached on April 26, 1998	Click here to view the sermon in print.
By the second year, the Center had developed a distinquished faculty; its classes grew in size and number; www.christianstudies.org was launched; and we began reaching out to the city. Faculty, volunteers, staff and students celebrated the Center's growth at manse parties where experiences were shared and the Center's development was captured on film.

1998 - 1999 The Leaves of the Tree are for the Healing of the Nations A TALE OF TWO CITIES Revelation 18:1-24, Revelation 21:1-22:5 (selected verses) The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on September 20, 1998	Click here to view the sermon in print.
Church in the City For the third year of course offerings, the Center developed a series of classes around the "Church in the City" theme to support the launch of Fifth Avenue's outreach to the city of New York. Volunteers and faculty literally took to the streets at the Center's New York Book Fair booth on Fifth Avenue and 55th Streets. Our beloved Minister Emeritus, Dr. Bryant Kirkland, became the first scholar in residence.

1999 - 2000 Bringing About the New Jerusalem THE TICKERTAPE GOSPEL Matthew 21: 1-11 The Reverend Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church A sermon preached on Palm Sunday, April 5, 1998	Click here to view the sermon in print.
During the fourth year, a grant from the Louisville Institute enabled the Center to begin to prepare for an ecumenical conference designed to help churches develop programs similar to the Center in their own churches. As part of this work, the Center for Christian Studies team travelled to First Presbyterian Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois, and had the joy of participating in the launch of "First Forum."

2000 - 2001 Awakening America's Soul and Bearing Fruit THE STRUGGLE FOR AMERICA'S HEART AND SOUL Ephesians 2:1-22; Galatians 3:27-28 The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on February 14, 1999	Click here to view the sermon in print.
For the fifth year of course offerings, the Center developed a series of classes around the "Awakening America's Soul" theme. One of the most distinctive aspects of the Protestant adventure is the belief that the Word of God is central to our life of worship and service. When American Christians heard the Word of God and responded to it in action, their souls were awakened and their lives transformed. Acorns symbolized the Center for Christian Studies' beginnings. Now in the Center's fifth year, as seeds of faith were planted, students enrolled and classes multiplied. A beautiful new website emerged. Soon the acorns were becoming oak trees - symbolized by the tree of life described in Revelation 22. And, as the work of planting seeds continued, the oak trees began to grow stronger and branched out . . . In January 2001, teams of clergy and lay leaders from twenty-two churches across America came to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church to learn how to create programs similar to the Center for Christian Studies in their own congregations. The theme of the conference was "Listening to What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches," based on Jesus' message to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 1-3. In July 2001, the Center for Christian Studies formed a partnership with Drew University, The Theological School and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association for a week of study and worship at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, focusing on the theme "Revivalism in the New Millenium." The Center for Christian Studies planned four evenings of dramatic revival preaching that included:"Jonathan Edwards, The Flaming Spider" performed by Austin Flint; "Ira D. Sankey and Dwight L. Moody, The Lost Sheep" performed by Al Carmines; "Sojourner Truth, When I Met Jesus" performed by Diane Lacey Winley; and "An Evening of Worship with Reverend John Wesley, Almost a Christian" performed by Thomas K. Tewell.

2001 - 2002 Awakening America's Soul FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS . . . Esther 4:1-17 The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on May 19, 2002	Click here to view the sermon in print.
For the sixth year of course offerings, the Center continued a series of classes around the "Awakening America's Soul" theme. Other special themes were also included that year: "Church in the City," Church and the World," and "The Seventeenth Century." During the week of July 7-13, 2002, the Center for Christian Studies, for the second year in a row, joined with Drew University, The Theological School, and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association for a time of worship, study, relaxation and spiritual renewal by the beach in historic Ocean Grove, New Jersey. The theme for the week was "Listening to What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches— Jesus' Message to the Seven Churches." The Center again produced four evenings of experiential learning with dramatic presentations of apostles and leaders of the early church.

2002 - 2003 The Great Commandment PAYING ATTENTION Mark 12:28-31; Matthew 6:22-23 The Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, Senior Pastor A sermon preached on September 22, 2002	Click here to view the sermon in print.
The theme for this significant seventh year was the Great Commandment: "One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, Hear O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is One; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:28-30) The faculty welcomed the challenge to recommit themselves to the work of the Center and specifically to build their course work around the Great Commandment.

2003 - 2004 A New Thing "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" *Isaiah 43:19* As we renovated and remodeled our buildings, the theme for this year in the church and the Center was “A New Thing.” We celebrated the new thing God was doing in our midst, and we engaged in study and learning that deepened our awareness of God’s creative activity in our world.

2004 - 2005 Turning an Upside Down World Rightside Up Luke's gospel calls us to go deeper in our faith than ever before. It calls us to get out of the shallow water of faith and follow Jesus into the deep water. See *Luke 5:1-11* The theme for the year – “Turning an Upside Down World Rightside Up” – reflects the world-upending ministry of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke. In the coming year we will seek to grow deeper in our faith and also to discern how God is calling each of us to participate in “righting” a world gone awry.