“Most … were raised to question everything. We play devil’s advocate and ask tough questions,” explained class member Jason Wilkinson.

Seekers previously was called Young Adult 2. The new name was chosen by class vote.

“The name of our class is apt,” said Jill Nowell, who co-directs the class with Daniel Dunsworth. “No matter where we are, we are all seeking God’s will in our lives, and we do a good job of helping others who are seeking their way.”

A majority of the class members are young professionals in their mid-twenties to late thirties with young families, and they are socially involved with each other and active in the church as a whole, Nowell said.

The class typically averages about 25 each Sunday. “The class is large enough for interaction but small enough for everyone’s voice to be heard,” Wilkinson said.

“Members tend to show up even when their spouses are not with them,” Nowell noted. “I appreciate that. Many wives are volunteering elsewhere on Sunday mornings,” and others may sometimes work on weekends.

The class uses the Smith & Helwys curriculum, and six class members rotate as teachers. On the last Sunday of the month, the class invites a member of the ministerial staff to talk about his or her ministerial passion.

Wilkinson and his wife, Robyn, joined the class after receiving a recommendation. “We knew a lot of the people and felt comfortable,” he said. “Some members were raised in church and some were not, but all are seeking scriptural truth and deeper relationships with each other and God.”

Members Patty and Hector Acevedo have a special story about how they found Wilshire and the Seekers Class. Fairly new to Dallas, they visited several churches. A complication was that they had not attended church since their marriage—she was raised Baptist; he was raised Catholic.

Then the couple tried Wilshire because they lived nearby. After attending the 8:30 service, Jerilynn Armstrong invited them to the Seekers Class. “I don’t know if we would have come back otherwise.” Patty said. “”It’s important for members to leave their comfort zone to greet visitors.”

Hector’s family was open to the couple attending a Baptist church. “They were just happy that we were having a relationship with God and attending church,” Patty said.

They immediately felt comfortable and enjoyed meeting other young couples in similar circumstances, and “it improved our marriage to have other married friends,” she said.

They like the fact that there are so many people from religious backgrounds all across the spectrum and that the teachers are in their own age group. “Members are so committed to seeing the class succeed and members grow spiritually,” she observed.

“This class is setting the foundation for each of us to become more involved with the church as we age and to set the foundation for our children to become Christians,” Nowell summarized.