What’s it all about?
Ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls—Jeremiah 6:16
The Christian faith is the good way, a journey with God that unfolds over the course of a lifetime. Evening School is a place for you to deepen your understanding of God, and God’s work in the world. It’s a learning journey for your faith, an accessible offering of evening classes grounded in the Bible, the Christian tradition, and pastoral wisdom. In this, it follows the ancient paths of the Church: learning to follow and serve Christ with others for the good of the world.
The learning journey
Evening School is designed to be an accessible and flexible learning journey. It’s a bit like Te Araroa trail: you can jump in at any point, opting for just one or two sections, or you can complete the full journey. The full journey is made up of three learning paths, each of which has three classes. A class consists of three consecutive Wednesday evenings. Completing the full journey will mean taking all nine classes over three years.
The School runs in Auckland in Autumn (May), Winter (August) and Spring (October) of each year, in runs of three consecutive Wednesday evenings. Each season features three classes—one from each learning path.
You can start your learning journey at any point in the year—Autumn, Winter, or Spring. You can also start on any learning path—Bible, Doctrine, and Christian Living. Choose a path, sign up to a class, and you’re on your way.
These evenings are a warm, hospitable time together: they include combined worship, teaching, exercises and reflections, and space for conversation and kai.
Who’s it for?
Evening School is for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of God, Scripture, and Christian Living. The classes don’t presume prior learning: they aim to stretch, grow and encourage you. Whether you are new to the Christian faith or have been following Christ for a long time, Venn Evening School will strengthen you for the journey.
Evening School is also a great option for church small groups: we’ve designed these classes with them in mind as well. If you’re in a small group, consider making this part of your year together.