2007 Adult Education Offerings at Claggett

Are you ready to discover more about your faith? Are you ready to discover more about yourself?

St James Parish invites you to join us for:
Confirmation 07 - 08

Every other Sunday from 4 - 6 pm In Macdonald Hall And the fields of St. James

• You are interested in finding out more about the Episcopal Church
• You want to find a way to deepen your faith while enjoying the company of friends…
• You were baptized as an infant, and would like to explore your faith in a deeper way
• You want to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church

Food, games, sports, study, prayer, and time with friends. What better way to spend a Sunday Afternoon?

Interested? Contact or fill in the Registration Sheet.
2007 - 2008 Confirmation Schedule

REGIONAL CONFIRMATION: TUESDAY, APRIL 8th
7:00 pm Liturgy, 6:00 pm Confirmands meet with Bishop Creighton

Reception follows in Macdonald Hall. Please call Nancy Dewlin if you can help with the Reception.

This year we have 15 young persons being confirmed and 4 to 6 adults being confirmed or received. Joining us will be seven confirmands from Sherwood Episcopal Church, Cockeysville.

Please come to the liturgy, in support of these new members. Let them know how important they are to St. James.
 

The introduction to the class was held in the Parish Library with Father Barton on January 13th, 2008. If you're interested, you can still join us by starting with the second class on January 20th, 2008. Child care is available!

Get the long view by looking into the common life of a faithful church community. If we want to learn to climb mountains we would seek guides who would show us the way. We would learn about ropes, crevasses, the nature of ice and the value of crampons.

If we want to scale the heights of faith and see the light from that summit we will also need guides, a specialized vocabulary and some tools. Christian Formation always involves prayer, study, stewardship and action. Like mountaineering one does not start with a mountaintop experience. So we'll start at a base camp then climb from there together.

We will learn to use the tools for our faith journey through daily practice in the safety, support and company of others. The Saint James Inquirers' Class is an opportunity to form community, ask questions and make spiritual discoveries while exploring the faith and practice of the Episcopal Church.

Our class is the way we prepare people for adult Baptism, Confirmation, or Reception into the Episcopal Church from other denominations. It is also a way for those who have attended church for years to become more intentional and to deepen their understanding. But our primary objective is to find and be found by God- everything else is just a means to that end. Enter with an inquiring heart and an open mind and you will discover the richness of the Anglican tradition. Come make the climb and seek the light with us!

2008 Inquirers' Class General structure

Each class will meet for an hour and fifteen minutes beginning at 11:45 and will include:

• Introduction and use of assigned prayer form - five to fifteen minutes.
• No more than 40 minutes of presentation - should include openings for questions and comments.
• Include references for those who want to study more
• Twenty minutes at the end of presentation for conversation and any administrative details (filling out forms, etc.)

2008 Inquirers' Class Schedule
Norms

Are you eager to learn more about church history, the Old and New Testament, and to take time for theological reflection?

Education for Ministry (EfM) is the four-year program of theological education-at-a-distance of the School of Theology of the University of the South. It covers the basics of a theological education in the Old and New Testaments, church history, liturgy, theology, and contemporary issues facing the church, supplemented by personal explorations of spiritual growth, theological reflection, and opportunities for ministry. The program grants a certificate at the completion of the four years and 18 Continuing Education Units for each year's work.

Students sign up one year at a time for this four-year program, meeting on Friday mornings from September through May under the guidance of specially-trained mentors.

What Can You Expect from EfM? You will find that EfM teaches you how to think theologically, deepens your faith and your understanding of our Christian heritage, and provides you with a new confidence to be Christ's minister.

For more information about the program, click on www.sewanee.edu/EFM

If you would like to embark on this odyssey of a lifetime in the ultimate book group, contact Suzanne Zantop at or through the Parish Office at 410-771-4466.

The women's Bible Study focuses on prayer, theological reflection, and fellowship in a relaxed setting in the Parish Library. Each year the group explores diverse subjects of the Christian faith, from Dietrich Bonhoffer's writings, to the story of Jacob in the Old Testament. Here one finds an opportunity to interact with other women of faith as one deepens one's own spiritual walk with God. Led by Leslie Heitz, the Women's Bible Study offers an oasis of refreshment in an otherwise busy week.

Read More... 2007-2008 Schedule and Books

You may join the class at any time. Class format is an informal discussion of the current book. We also drink a lot of tea, and periodically treat ourselves to an English High Tea complete with scones and clotted cream. For information, contact .

The Alpha Course: A practical introduction to the Christian faith. What is the point of life? What happens when we die? Is forgiveness possible? What relevance does Jesus have for our lives today?

The Alpha course is an opportunity for anyone to explore spirituality from a Christian perspective. Relaxed, non-threatening, low-key, and fun, Alpha is a place to ask anything---no question is considered too simple or too hostile.

Read More...

• Recommended Reading for the Inquirer's Class
• Suggested Reading List - Fall 2007