Thursday, July 23, 2009

Education for Ministry: An incredible adventure


Today Lori and I are at the University of the South, Sewanee, getting our certification up to speed so that we can lead an Education for Ministry (EfM) group in the fall.

Please let me tell you a little about EfM.

 The program is a four-year small group experience that explores the Bible, church history and theology -- and much, much more. As the name implies, EfM is about equipping each of us for the ministry God has called us to do in our work, in our homes and in the world. EfM groups are intense and require a commitment to study, prayer, sharing, listening, trusting and being together. Also required are open hearts and open minds.

We've been involved in EfM since the early 1990s. This will be our fifth EfM group; we've experienced many joys, a few tragedies, and much inspiration in our groups. My first group was led by two living saints: Grant Carey and Winnie Gaines. Lori's first group was led by a seminarian we had at our church: Katharine Jefferts Schori. Lori and her friend Jean took over leadership of the group when Katharine graduated.

If you are at St. Paul's, we hope you might consider joining our new EfM group. We will meet on Monday evenings at 7 pm, and we will usually meet for 2 1/2 hours, and there is a fee for registering in the group. Yes, it is a big commitment, but as EfM graduates will tell you, EfM is one of the most rewarding experiences of their life. Please contact me if you are interested.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's funny, there is a bishop with the same name as your church's seminarian.

Must be a small church - world!

;)