Foundations Judson Communities (FJC)
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Congregational Nurture & Special Services
This course will discuss how the church can best meet the unique needs of its members as they adjust to life in America. The challenges confronting congregations will be considered along with ways to address these matters. In addition, special services like weddings, baptisms and communion will be covered so students will know how and why these services are conducted as they are.
Youth Ministry and Generational Issues
When people move from a country like Burma and come to the US, usually the older generation works to create a church like they had or wanted to have in their homeland while the younger generation becomes more at home in the American culture and language. This course will look at some of the characteristics of American youth culture and then look at ways the church with roots in Burma can best work with their youth in America.
FJC Program to Date:
So far, Karen churches have shown the most interest in having FJC classes and the program has been endorsed by the Karen Baptist Churches in the USA (KBC-USA). The first FJC program was held in Ft. Wayne, IN beginning in Sept. 2012 with classes taught in the Karen language. Since then, FJC Programs in the Karen language have been completed in Utica, NY; New Bern, NC; Nashville, TN; and St. Paul, MN. All together, 211 Karen church leaders have completed the FJC Programs and have received Certificates from Central Seminary. These students have come from 16 States and 36 cities/communities. We look forward to the first Burmese language classes getting started and additional courses and languages being added in the near future.
Revised April 17, 2015
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