Session 1: September 7—October 19, 2025
Lord jesus christ—Part 1: From heaven to earth
Dan treier
Each week will focus on a key passage about the biblical story of Christ, beginning from his eternal communion with God the Father in the Holy Spirit and leading into his earthly incarnation. Based on Lord Jesus Christ (Zondervan, 2023).
Dan Treier is Knoedler Professor of Theology at Wheaton College. With wife, Amy, and daughter, Anna, he’s been part of IPC since 2010.
Living the Great Commission
Pastor Joe Nasvytis
In Matthew 28:19-20, at the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus commands every one of his followers to make disciples of all nations. But how do we go about doing that, and what does that look like in our everyday lives? Pastor Joe is facilitating a discussion partly based on Robert Coleman’s book The Master Plan of Evangelism, along with other resources. This will help us learn some practical strategies for how we can love our spiritually lost neighbors, help them come to know and follow Jesus, and train them to make disciples of others, emphasizing Jesus’ own strategy and how it can fit into the daily rhythms of our lives.
Joe Nasvytis served in campus ministry with Cru for ten years before earning his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary and then transitioning into pastoral ministry. Joe has served three churches in associate and senior pastor roles and loves sharing the gospel with people, helping believers grow in their faith, and equipping God’s people to reach and disciple others.
Session 2: November 9—December 21, 2025
A QUICK HISTORY OF PRESBYTERIANS (FROM JOHN KNOX TO THE EPC)
MARK NOLL
This class traces the highlights (and some of the low lights) of Presbyterian history over the last four and a half centuries. The focus will be on the U.S., but with some attention also to Scotland, Britain, Canada, Korean, and other places where presbyterians have been active.
Mark Noll is retired as a historian who taught at Wheaton College and the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Maggie, have been privileged to be part of this congregation for a long, long time.
SCIENT AND FAITH IN HARMONY
LARRY FUNCK, DEAN ARNOLD, HOWARD WHITAKER, STAN ANDERSON
Are science and faith compatible? Christians engaged in science would respond with an emphatic “yes”. This class will explore several ways that modern science reveals the grandeur of our God’s creation. Following a foundational discussion of the doctrine of creation, topics will range from how language and culture affect our view of nature, science, and the Bible to the beauty experienced in the sound of music, with a discussion of origins (of the universe and of life) and the fine tuning of creation for life’s existence in between. Training in science will not be required to understand the significance of the topics discussed.
Larry Funck taught Chemistry at Wheaton College for over four decades. He is coauthor with four colleagues of the textbook Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins published by IVP. He has been a part of Immanuel since 2017.
Dean E. Arnold taught anthropology and its relation to faith and science at Wheaton College for 39 years. He has published extensively about indigenous knowledge and technology in Mexico, Guatemala and Peru, and their relation to Western science. He has been a member of Immanuel for more than 40 years.
Howard Whitaker, unable to escape the shackles of Wheaton College, still teaches one class in Music Composition after more than 50 years of teaching Theory, Composition, and various other music courses. His most recent artistic triumph was the May performance of a new work written for the Wheaton North High School Orchestra, which included three granddaughters. He has been a member of Immanuel for more than 40 years.
Stan Anderson has taught chemistry and earth science for 39 years, most recently at Westmont College where he retired after 31 years. He was also on the chemistry faculties at four universities in the Middle East intermittently for eight years during this career. He has been a part of Immanuel since 2019.
Session 3: January 11—February 8, 2025
belonging in the body
image ministries
Join our Image Ministry team as we further last winter’s look at challenges and disabilities (both visible and invisible) through a biblical lens and consider how we as a church community can continue to grow in love and mutual flourishing. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
Immanuel’s Image Ministry seeks to welcome, include, and serve alongside families and children who need extra supports. We hope to continue enriching our congregation and community through the active presence and participation of children of all ages and abilities.
comedy and christianity
ron netzel
This class will take a light-hearted look at comedy and Christianity. We will explore questions around the biblical basis for comedy and laughter, through scripture, readings, and other stuff. We will also be interested in seeing what makes different people in our church laugh and how that laughter helps them in their Christian lives.
Ron Netzel has been a member at IPC for roughly 20 years. His wife, Dee, and daughter, Sophie, also attend Immanuel. Ron works in the financial industry, which really doesn’t qualify him to teach a class on comedy, let alone laughter, but he’ll do it anyway.
Session 4: February 15—March 29, 2025
The epic of eden
lauren mathues
We’ll survey Sandra Richter's book Epic of Eden to gain a better idea of key Old Testament motifs. Together we will “deepen [our] love for God’s Word by uncovering the beauty and unity of His story from Eden to the New Jerusalem.”
Lauren Mathues and her family have worshipped at IPC for the last five years. During that time, she has served in various ministries including teaching a Bible study on Tuesday mornings. Lauren senses God's call on her life to preach and is a candidate under care in the EPC in pursuit of becoming an ordained minister.
Session 5: April 12—May 24, 2025
the mary we forgot (april 12, april 19)
Jennifer mcnutt
Many Christians across traditions struggle to know what to think of Mary Magdalene's story and the significance of her role in Christ’s ministry due to the confusion that widely prevails and distorts her remembrance in the church and beyond. Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt will offer two sessions based upon her book, The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today (Brazos, 2024), that explore the history of Mary Magdalene's interpretation as well as her biblical and theological importance according to the Gospels.
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt is the Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of Theology and History of Christianity at Wheaton College, Litfin Divinity School. Dr. McNutt will be speaking on one of her recent books, The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today (Brazos, 2024), which was named an ECPA 2025 Book Awards Finalist in Christian Publishing. Dr. McNutt is an ordained Presbyterian Teaching Elder and co-founder of McNuttshell Ministries with her husband, the Rev. Dr. David McNutt. Their family has been attending Immanuel since August 2024, and they live in Winfield with their three children: Priscilla, Geneva, and Finnegan.
pastor joe’s testimony (april 26)
joe nasvytis, with Dean Arnold
Joe served in campus ministry with Cru for ten years before earning his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary and then transitioning into pastoral ministry. Joe has served three churches in associate and senior pastor roles over a period of nine years and loves sharing the gospel with people, helping new believers grow in their faith, and equipping God's people to reach and disciple others.
Dean E. Arnold taught anthropology and its relation to faith and science at Wheaton College for 39 years. He has published extensively about indigenous knowledge and technology in Mexico, Guatemala and Peru, and their relation to Western science. He has been a member of Immanuel for more than 40 years.
meditating on the beatitudes
annie rose (May 3, may 10, may 17, may 24)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 announce that his kingdom is very different from the world we know. Who are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful? Jesus promises that they will receive a reward—what does that teach us about his kingdom? In this class, we will meditate on the Beatitudes with the help of music and art that will steep us in the reality of the kingdom that has no end.
Annie Rose is a follower of Jesus. An EPC pastor, Annie serves as the Stated Clerk of Rivers & Lakes Presbytery and as the National Director of Ministerial Health for the EPC. Her passion is to help leaders tend their own souls so that ministry flows out of a thriving relationship with Christ. Annie, Joel, and their daughters, Malena and Eliza, live in Naperville and are blessed to be part of the Immanuel family.
signs of the kingdom, compassion of the king: the miracles of jesus (april 12-may 24)
Jim Wilhoit, andy le Peau
This class builds on Jim’s earlier course on the Life of Christ and focuses on the miracles that were such a vital part of His ministry. We’ll explore several of Jesus’ typical miracles to help us grow in our love for him and deepen our amazement at his power and compassion.
Jim Wilhoit taught spiritual formation at Wheaton College for 38 years and is an ordained teaching elder in the EPC. In retirement, he enjoys time for prayer, writing, friends, family, playing with his grandchildren, spending time outdoors, and volunteering at the Morton Arboretum. He occasionally misses Sundays at Immanuel to assist churches within our presbytery. He has written or edited several books; his most recent, The Crossway Handbook on the Bible (Crossway, 2026), was a collaborative project. Jim and Carol have been part of Immanuel since 2008.
Andy Le Peau, leading the last session, is a founding elder of Immanuel and the author of Mark Through Old Testament Eyes (Kregel).
Adult Education Zoom Recordings
Audio recordings of some Adult Education classes are available on the Members page, found on the top menu.