When three newly ordained deacons set out from New York City, in 1841, to establish a mission and a school “on the western frontier” to serve its settlers and Native American inhabitants, little could they expect what the frontier would look like 179 years later. No one could anticipate what new frontiers would eventually need to be considered.
In the era of COVID-19, some are becoming weary of creating protocols, workarounds, and new strategies for teaching “Zoom” classes. In the midst of it all, Nashotah House has celebrated a summer of unprecedented enrollment via online and in-person courses (all socially distanced, masked, and regularly sanitized) and an especially exciting free course offering, with a reach to hundreds of people interested in considering The Bible & Theology in Color.
How it works: while a capped number of students take this course in person—taught by the Rev. Esau McCaulley, Ph.D., assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College—on the Nashotah House campus, several more are auditing or taking the course for credit online, thanks to the technology established in March when schools across the state were required to “go remote.”
Meanwhile, as the course topic is more urgent than ever for individuals and churches to consider, Nashotah House is also offering The Bible & Theology in Color as a not-for-credit option. Within the first 24 hours of availability, 650 people registered. The current registration total is approximately 1,700 and growing. Available for free to anyone interested (www.nashotah. edu/incolor), the course materials for registered guests include access to edited class lectures, study notes, suggested reading lists, and discussion guides. These resources are available for group or individual study on an issue that is highly relevant to schools, churches, and communities.
As is often said about Nashotah House, the frontier is ever-changing—and often challenging—but the mission remains the same: to equip people for the work God has called them to do. At Nashotah House, this is their sacred call.