With today's hectic busy families, traditional adult education classes running for months generally draw few members.

So, First Presbyterian Church of Newhall created Life Academy, one hour courses taking three meetings or less.

Jack Irwin, elder and head of the adult education committee, emphatically stated, "These are short burst classes. People will not have to commit to long term meetings. Everyone can commit to one hour at a time. That is all you have to do."

The classes will be held on the church's facilities at 24317 Newhall Ave., Newhall. For more information, call the First Presbyterian Church at 661-259-0555, or check the church's Web site at www.presby-newhall.org.

The fall 2008 Life Academy includes different types of courses, and they are scheduled as follows:

1. Colin Mitchell, certified public accountant and member of First Presbyterian, will discuss budgeting techniques, not taught in high school or college, on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

2. On Oct. 12, Sunday, at noon, in the Fellowship Hall, Pastor Bill Barnes will give an overview of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA and what happened at the 2008 GA gathering, the 218th. He will talk about the major issues on sexuality, ordination and the mission of the denomination.

3. Irwin will lead an exploration class into the protestant heritage, including founding principles and history. The history will cover John Calvin, John Knox, and the church in the British colonies in America. The discussion will end with the founding of the Presbyterian denominations in the United States and cover up to the present date. The class will meet at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in the Evans Room.

4. Jo Anne Pulley, who is entering Fuller Seminary in the fall, will talk about the "persecuted church." She will highlight what is happening in Darfur, Iraq, and China, and she will discuss how Christians are being persecuted for their faith. Her discussions will take place at 7 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 12 and 19, in the Market Street House.

5. Sonja Tweedie, elder and co-chair of the Worship Committee, will talk about prayer and how it draws people closer to God. Personal, public, silent and spoken prayers will be covered at 7 p.m. on three Wednesdays, Oct. 8, 15, and 22 in the Evans Room.

6. In two Sundays, Oct. 19 and 16, Irwin, a graduate of Fuller Seminary, will take class members on a walk through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and he will sketch out the themes and stories found in the Bible. The class will be held at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

9. Three lionesses of faith, Jackie Skelley, Harriet Duval and Alyssa Adlard, will share their lives and faith journeys. Roland Wrinkle, adult education committee member, will moderate the discussion at noon Sunday, Oct. 19, in the Fellowship Hall.

10. Caring for an elderly or disabled person, especially if it is a parent, are a challenge and a blessing, according to Sandy McIntosh, medical social worker and member of First Presbyterian. On two Sundays, Oct. 19 and 26, at 7 p.m., she will review and identify: barriers to effective care giving, available resources, how to identify needs, and cover how to maintain the balance between the care giving and personal life. Her class will be held in the Evans Room.

11. The pitfalls and highs of parenting teens and tweens will be covered by Jacquie Moore, MFT, and Vickie Edwards, Ph.D., from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and Nov. 12 in the Evans Room. The meetings run concurrent with Wednesday Night Live Children's program at the church. These two women will explore the physical, emotional, and social development occurring in youths between 10 and 16 years of age.

12. Art Moore, who is going on the October Ecuador medical mission trip, a mission trip sponsored by Centro de Amor Cristiano and the City of Santa Clarita, will share his experiences November 2, Sunday, at 7:00 pm in the Evans Room.

13. Which Bible should I read? After the discussion on Sunday, Nov. 2, you will answer this question for yourself. The leaders of the group -Art Moore, Wrinkleand Irwin, all adult education committee members, will discuss the differences of all of today's English translations of the Bible, at noon in the Fellowship Hall.

14. Michele Mann, attorney and church member, will untangle the confusing puzzle of estate planning that will secure you and your family's future. Her class will be held at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, in the Fellowship Hall.

15. Homelessness: a National and Local Problem and the Christian Response-A discussion about the problem are scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9, 10:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. In this one hour class, Tim Davis, executive director of the Santa Clarita Homeless Shelter, will explore the causes and remedies for the homeless epidemic.