Spring 2025 Course Offerings

Courses include a rich variety of activities and skills, as well as academic subjects, and all are taught by experts volunteering their time. Members may take as many as they choose for one membership fee of $45 and organization membership fee of $100.

Busy schedule? Most Zoom classes are recorded on YouTube for later viewing by members.

2025 Session Dates:

Winter: January 21 - March 13

Spring: April 8 - May 29

Fall: September 16 - November 6

Click on the brochure cover to view the brochure centerfold schedule of classes.

ONSITE COURSES

ONLINE COURSES

Process to Sign Up & Register:

(1) Beginning March 11 click Membership in the menu.

(2) Click Sign Up Now to join the Spring Session electronically. You may choose as many onsite courses as you like. You will be contacted if a course is full.

If you prefer not to register online, click Mail-In Form and send it and your check to the office: 2600 Ashland Road, Columbia, SC 29210.

(3) By March 27 members will receive confirmation and password access to the Member Dashboard on our website and can begin registering with Zoom for as many courses as desired. On the Dashboard you can click on links to register for any and all courses you would like to take through Zoom. It will be helpful to teachers and hosts if you register by April 2. Call the Center office if you need help with Zoom.

To see updates, remember to clear your browsing-history cache before going to our website: shepherdscenterofstandrews.org

Key Dates

March 11 Sign-Up for Spring Session opens
March 25 Soft deadline for sign-up (people can continue to sign up after this as long as there is space)
March 27 Members receive email with access to Member Dashboard for Zoom registration links
April 2 Soft deadline for registration on Zoom for Zoom courses
April 8 Spring Session begins

Two older women are playing a guitar and singing.

A group of people sitting in chairs doing different exercises.

Onsite Courses

TUESDAYS: ONSITE AT ASHLAND UMC

Inclement Weather Policy: Whenever Lexington-Richland School District 5 makes any change to their schedule for inclement weather, the Center will be closed. Info will be on WIS-TV, our Facebook page, and our website. Online courses will not be affected.

AI Unlocked: Understanding and Using Artificial Intelligence HYBRID

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer science fiction—it’s part of our daily lives, from voice assistants to smart recommendations. In this interactive series, Mike Ward, Cybersecurity Advocate, Turtle Creek Concepts, will explore what AI is, how it works, and how it impacts everything from healthcare to entertainment. Join us to demystify AI, see live examples in action, and discover how this powerful technology can enhance your everyday life! Class begins at 9:30.

Animal Cognition: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? HYBRID

The study of how animals, think, learn, communicate, and behave has become a burgeoning science only in the past 50 years. Join Dr. Carol McGinnis Kay as she looks at some amazing discoveries about the rich intellectual and emotional lives of our close relatives, such as chimps, to more distant kin, such as birds and octopuses. Class begins at 10:30.

CSI: Columbia

Professional crime-scene investigators from SLED and other local agencies will share their scientific methods of analyzing a crime scene. We'll learn about such things as blood spatter, DNA, etc., as well as hear accounts of real crimes in our area. Coordinated by Ken Corbett. Class begins at 10:30.

Hellraisers and Trailblazers: Women of the Wild West

It wasn’t just men who tamed the Wild West. Women also made a name for themselves shooting guns and riding horses as well or better than men. They broke barriers and made a living honestly and sometimes dishonestly using their horses, their guns, and their wits. Sandy Olson shares the amazing stories of these women; some trailblazers, some hellraisers, but all of them brave and bold. Class begins at 11:30.

Men's Corner

Here is an invitation to men from Larry Brown and friends to join in a shared dialogue about being an older man in today’s world. We will be using Sam Keen’s book, Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man to jumpstart our weekly conversations. Reading Keen’s book is encouraged but not required. We will be discussing weighty topics such as aging, mortality, and who might fly a drone for us out behind the church. We look forward to being with you. Class begins at 11:30.

Three Levels of Ukulele, offered by Deb McMurphy

Ukulele 1: Newbies. Designed for the beginners who were enrolled in Fall 2024. Class size limit 6. Class begins at 11:30.

Ukulele 2: Good Foundations. For those who feel they need more basic work on forming chords, strumming, and learning the C scale before moving to Good Vibrations course. Class size limit 8. Class begins at 10:30.

Ukulele 3: Good Vibrations. For experienced players who want to expand their repertoire and chord skills. Class size limit 12. Class begins at 9:30.

Art: Perfecting Your Skills in Watercolor

This all-morning workshop allows students to work on their own projects at their own pace. They must supply their own materials, including water containers and paper towels. Experienced artist Dee Hansen joins at 10:00 to offer advice on techniques and materials. Open to students of all levels. Class size limit 15. Class begins at 9:30 and continues through 12:15.

Chair Yoga

Cindy Smith, certified YogaFit instructor, leads this gentle form of yoga practiced sitting or standing using a chair for support. She teaches basic movements for total body stretching along with an emphasis on balance and core strength. Class begins at 10:30.

Beginning Spanish

Do you want to get started in conversational Spanish or reconnect after not using what you learned long ago? Let Diane Kuhn, retired language teacher, help you learn conversational vocabulary and gradually learn basic grammar. We will use an excellent and engaging program that allows us to hear native speakers. Class size limit 12. Class begins at 9:30.

Continuing Spanish

¡Hola amigos! ¡Si hablas un poco de español, esta clase es para ti! Using a textbook and an interactive online program, we will learn grammar and vocabulary, practice our conversational skills, and divertirnos mucho (have a great time)! The teacher is Dr. Peggy Hill, former university professor of Spanish. All students should have studied basic Spanish. Class size limit 12. Class begins at 11:30.

Creative Quilting

With the guidance of award-winning quilter Judie Travis, the class will work on a " mystery quilt" with a new clue/section given every week (some at-home construction may be required). The Cut and Fold technique will be taught, so that we can make a jelly roll rug. Participants are always welcome to bring their own projects and work independently. Participants must have a machine in good working condition and provide their own materials, fabrics, and tools. Class size limit 20. Class begins at 1:30.

Bell Ensemble

Secular, classical, and sacred music will be performed at a level and speed determined by the players. Focus will be on development of artistic expression. Taught by experienced music teacher Joan Marco. Minimum class size 6; maximum 10. Class begins at 11:30.

Line Dancing

Practice favorite line dances taught by Lynda Mixon. Come for good exercise and good company. Beginners are welcome. Class begins at 9:30.

Let's Play Bridge

Enjoy friendly competitive hands of Bridge with friends. Coordinated by Resel Bourne. Group size limit 12. Class begins at 1:30.

Games with Friends

Join fellow members for an afternoon of laughter over popular board games. Coordinated by Dr. Carol McGinnis Kay. Class begins at 1:30.

Let's Play Mah Jongg

Enjoy playing this ancient and fun tile game with friends. Cathie McCarley, coordinator. Class size limit 16. Class begins at 9:30 and continues through 12:15.

A group of people are sitting in front of a screen.

Online Courses

COURSES OFFERED VIA ZOOM

MOST COURSES ARE ON THURSDAY. EXCEPTIONS ARE TWO HYBRIDS (THAT IS, ONSITE AND ONLINE) ON TUESDAY AND INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED SPANISH ON WEDNESDAY.

Getting Ready to Zoom: Zoom is an online technology ideal for distance education. To get started, type the word Zoom into the web browser on your desktop or laptop computer. At the Zoom website, sign up for the free basic service and download the app as directed.

Busy schedule? Most Zoom classes are recorded on YouTube for later viewing by members through the Member Dashboard.

TUESDAYS HYBRID:

AI Unlocked: Understanding and Using Artificial Intelligence

Animal Cognition: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

WEDNESDAYS VIA ZOOM ONLY:

Intermediate-Advanced Spanish

Dr. David P. Hill, Professor of Spanish Emeritus, USC, guides us in conversation practice, cultural readings, and grammar review. Class is conducted entirely in Spanish. Class limit 12 devices. Class begins at 11:00.

THURSDAYS:

The Mysterious Murder of JFK Mistress Mary Pinchot Meyer

An artist and well-connected DC socialite, Mary Pinchot Meyer was shot and killed on Monday, October 12, 1964, during her daily walk along the C&O Canal in Georgetown, Washington, DC. Was her murder the tragic result of an attempted sexual assault? Or was it more complicated, perhaps linked to her ex-husband, a high-ranking CIA official, or to her two-year affair with President John F. Kennedy? Tom Brawner will address the people, places, and intrigue associated with this unsolved murder--as only he can. Class begins at 10:00.

Creative Writing Group

Members share prose and verse, memoirs and fiction. Indulge your creativity, engage in a journey of self-discovery, or just enjoy listening as others share their efforts. Newcomers are warmly welcomed. Dr. Miriam Johnson, Professor of Social Work Emerita, USC, provides optional writing prompts. Members unable to join online may participate through exchanges of documents and other offline contacts. Zoom participants limit 15. Class begins at 10:00.

The Readers' Circle

If you enjoy reading and talking about what you're reading, this is the place for you. Circle members love chatting about our carefully selected books, whether serious or light, fiction or non-fiction, and we welcome friends who just want to find new books to read. This series begins with Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, an Irish tale of one man’s courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family. It is now a motion picture starring Cillian Murphy. We follow up with Erik Larson's latest, The Demon of Unrest; Katherine Heiny's Standard Deviation; Ariel Lawhon's The Frozen River, and Samantha Harvey's Orbital. Teresa Brown, retired librarian, coordinates the circle. Class begins at 11:30.