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Adult Education Opportunities

The adult education programs of Fourth Church provide short-term and ongoing education for our members, friends of the church, and the wider community, through both in-person and Zoom options.

Video Archive of Past Adult Education Classes
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CURRENT CLASS OFFERINGS

Ethics in the City of Chicago 
April 26, 2026

Bill Conlon, Recently Retired Chair of Board of Ethics for Chicago, Retired Partner of Sidley Austin  
Deborah Witzburg, Inspector General, City of Chicago 

“As long as human beings are involved, there will be ethical issues.” From misuse of funds and bribery to unreported lobbying, allegations of misconduct, and conflicts of interest, Chicago’s city government regularly confronts complex ethical challenges. Charges are initiated either by the Inspector General or the Board of Ethics, and after fact-finding, final judgments are made by the Board. Examples of this work and general conclusions will be shared from the speakers’ many years of involvement with these issues. The impact on the city’s citizens its finances, and its reputation will be discussed. 

Register Here

Adult Education Programs for Spring 2026 

Sundays at 11:00 AM CT  (All sessions will be live-streamed and available for replay on YouTube)

Fundamentals of Evangelicalism 
May 3, 10 and 17, 2026 

Justin Myers, Journalist and Fourth Church member 
Joelle Kidd, Award-winning journalist and author of the book “Jesusland” 

This class dives into the core beliefs and spiritual machine of Evangelical Christianity and explores how it differs from Mainline Protestantism in order to foster deeper discussions among Mainliners when speaking on Evangelical topics and supporting ex-Evangelical members. Attendees are encouraged to read the book “Jesusland” by Joelle Kidd as a primer for the class, though this is not required.

Registration

Session I, Path to Salvation 
May 3, 2026 
Justin Myers 

Evangelicalism 
Session II, The Media Landscape 
May 10, 2026 
Joelle Kidd 

Evangelicalism 
Session III, Reading the Bible 
May 17, 2026 
Justin Myers

May 24 - No Class; Memorial Day Weekend

Words that Framed our Nation’s Founding 
May 31, June 7 and 14, 2026 

Jeff Doane and Joe Morrow discuss Danielle Allen’s book “Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality” 

As we celebrate the sesquicentennial of our nation, this class will explore the words that framed our founding through Danielle Allen’s book, “Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality.”  According to author Cornell West, “This wise and rich book is what we need in these troubled times.” We will also consider the only active clergy person to sign the declaration, Presbyterian pastor John Witherspoon. 

Register

If you want to tap into the rich resources of previous classes, simply click on this link to find all the adult education classes that were recorded.

Videos of Tom Are’s Bible Study on Philippians

During the pandemic, Tom Are wrote a short book, Joy Even on Your Worst Days, which he calls “a preacher’s read of Philippians.”

Using the book as a guide, in autumn 2024 Tom led us in exploring the letter of Philippians, the most joyful writing in the Bible even though it was written while Paul was in prison.

You can view the four presentations from the Bible study here:

Video of Session 1
Video of Session 2
Video of Session 3
Video of Session 4

Give Us Your Input

To make an inquiry for information or to send evaluative comments, or to suggest a future course offering, email the Adult Education office.

Recommendation Form for a class or speaker
Proposal Form to submit a class of your own for consideration

Staff/Contact Information

Matt Helms
Associate Pastor
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