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More than 1,200 people in 18 countries have registered for “The Big Class: How to be a Crazy Christian with Bishop Michael Curry”, a free course being offered online by Church Next TV.  The 45-minute class will be available beginning on January 26 at 9 a. m. and registration remains open.

“I am thrilled by this terrific response,” said the Rev. Chris Yaw, founder of Church Next, which offers a robust array of online courses to congregational subscribers and interested individuals.  “We have wonderful teachers in every corner of our church, and online, video-based presentations are an excellent way of making the richness of their offerings available to all.”

Yaw, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, Michigan, has also prepared a guide to using The Big Class in congregations.

To enhance the experience of those who take the course online, moderators, including Bishop Curry, who leads the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, and others, will be online to interact with participants on weekday evenings January 26-31. Participants in the class can type questions to which the moderators will respond online.

“I am looking forward to interacting with people, answering their questions and exploring the ways they want to grow deeper in their faith,” said the Rev. Roger Ferlo, president of the Bexley Seabury Theological Seminary Federation, who will moderate the discussion on Tuesday evening. “I believe that there will be lively give and take in our virtual classroom.”

Bexley Seabury is one of Church Next’s four partners in The Big Class. The others are Church Publishing Incorporated, the Diocese of North Carolina and Forward Movement.

The moderating schedule is Bishop Curry, Monday 6-9 p. m.; the Rev. Ferlo, Tuesday, 7-9 p. m.; Bishop Curry, Wednesday 7-9 p. m.; the Rev. Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement, Thursday, 7-9 p. m. and Sharon Ely Pearson, Christian formation specialist with Church Publishing Incorporated, Friday, 7-9 p. m.  All times are Eastern Standard.

The class in based on Bishop Curry’s book Crazy Christians, which is published by Church Publishing.

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