I’ve often written about life-long learning, a favorite subject of mine. I’ve written that where I worked continuous learning was encouraged, and we would hear “School is never out at State Farm”. But what about continuing to pursue learning after retirement? Don’t we already know everything we need to learn?

About a year ago, one of my pastors shared a postcard he had received from Birmingham Theological Seminary. The purpose of the postcard was to communicate about a new “Presbyterian Learning Certificate” program (now called the Certificate of Presbyterian Leadership).

The program consists of four seminary level classes:

• Westminster Confession of Faith (and Standards)
• Presbyterian Church Polity
• Introduction to Covenant Theology
• Conflict Resolution in the Church or Presbyterian Church History

Now, I get that the titles of these classes may not want you to  jump up and sign up and register for them. But as an elder (officer) in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the “Clerk” of the Session (capture meeting minutes for our leadership meetings) and involved at the presbytery level – oh my, so many terms you might not be familiar with! – I could see that these courses, especially the one on Presbyterian Church Polity – could really help me do the Session Clerk assignment better.

But did I really want to “go back to school again”? After all, I had graduated from Illinois State University some forty-five years ago, and Covenant Theological Seminary ten years ago. I didn’t need to work on another degree. I had sung along with Alice Cooper “School’s out forever”.  But I was interested in learning more, especially about presbyterian polity. There’s another of those words. In this case, polity can mean simply church government.

So, I reached a compromise, I would “audit” the course, as a few other members of my class did as well. I didn’t have to do all of the reading for the class (though I could), or write any of the papers, or take the final exam. Instead, I just got online for two hours each Tuesday evening this fall and learned about the PCA’s Book of Church Order (there I go again). I had a wonderful instructor, someone with not only the head knowledge, but also extensive experience to share with us. As a result, I’m much better prepared to understand and do the work of a churchman in my particular denomination.

I share this not that you take any of the above classes – though if appropriate to your situation, I would recommend them – but just to give you an example of lifelong learning in retirement.

I encourage you to pursue lifelong learning in retirement. And please share some examples of how you are continuing to learn.