Adult Learning

Every Sunday @ 10am in Rooms 1/2

Join us in welcoming our new Adult Learning Instructor, Tony Amoury Alkhoury. Tony is a theologian-in-training, educator, and clinical pharmacist with a deeply ecumenical Christian identity. Born and raised in Homs, Syria, Tony grew up in the Syrian Orthodox tradition and explored Catholic and evangelical communities before embracing a faith rooted in multiple Christian traditions.

Tony’s professional background spans over a decade in pharmacy and higher education, having served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Pharmacy and a youth leader in his local church. In 2016, he moved to the United States to pursue theological studies, earning an MDiv from Harvard University, where he delivered the commencement speech and was twice honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award. He later completed a ThM in Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary and is currently a PhD candidate at Union Theological Seminary, focusing on practical theology and the role of discernment within the Syrian church during times of war and trauma.

Rooted and Re-imagined: Exploring the Creeds Anew

Beginning April 27, 2025

This seven-week series invites participants to engage the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds with fresh eyes. We will explore how these ancient affirmations of faith continue to shape, challenge, and inspire Christian belief and practice today. Together, we will hold tradition and transformation in tension: rooted in the past, while open to renewal in the present.

  • We begin with the historical background of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. When and why were they written? How do they differ? This session introduces the series and invites participants to consider how these ancient affirmations continue to shape Christian faith today and how they can be challenged by it.

  • What does it mean to call God “Father”? We will explore the theological richness and limits of this language, asking how we can speak about God in ways that are faithful, inclusive, and not bound by patriarchy. We will reflect on God as Parent — both Father and Mother — and how that shapes our understanding of divine care and power.

  • This week centers on Jesus: Who is he? How do the creeds help us articulate who Jesus is and what he means for the world? We will explore the titles given to Christ, his humanity and divinity, and what it means to follow him today. A renewed Christology invites us to see Jesus not as an exclusive claim but as a radical model for love, liberation, and solidarity.

  • Who is the Holy Spirit, and how do we recognize her presence and work? We will discuss the Spirit’s role in creation, in the church, in justice and renewal, and in our personal lives of discernment and growth. Why it matters: Emphasizing the Spirit encourages openness to mystery, transformation, and movements for justice within and beyond the church.

  • What is the church, and what does it mean to belong to the “communion of saints”? This session considers the visible and invisible church, the local and the global, and how the creeds invite us to be part of something larger than ourselves. Reclaiming the idea of church as a diverse, global communion helps us resist isolation and cultivate a community that is both rooted in tradition and attentive to the needs of our world.

  • This week explores the resurrection of the body and our hope for new life. How does this affirmation shape Christian views on death, justice, embodiment, and future restoration? What does it mean to live in the present in light of this hope? Why it matters: Affirming resurrection invites us to value bodies, resist despair, and live with hopeful commitment to healing and wholeness in the here and now and in the life to come.

  • In our final session, we engage in a synthesis of the entire series. Participants will be invited to create a personal or group annotation of the creed—rewriting or commenting on each line in light of what they have learned and wrestled with over the course.