Christian formation is the lifelong process of growing in our relationship with God, self, others, and all creation. Every experience in our lives can provide us with the opportunity to express our faith; the challenge we face is recognizing these opportunities and learning ways to live a sometimes countercultural life in a secular world. At St. Mary’s, these opportunities come through worship (e.g. the readings, the sermons, the liturgy itself) and the sacraments, as well as dedicated classes for adults focused on Christian education.
Christian education for all ages is a vital part of the life of the church. We who believe that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and was resurrected for our salvation, need to study and to reflect on what our beliefs mean and how we are to live in response to such an outpouring of love and grace.
Since his arrival in August of 2017, Father Rick has sought to offer several educational opportunities, including:
discussion series during Advent on the book Every Valley: Advent With the Scriptures of Handel’s Messiah
sermons focused on the Book of Common Prayer during the winter Saturday evening services
enquirer's class during Lent covering church history and material culture
In addition, one of our Outreach ministries has been to provide resources for community classes in English as a Second Language (ESL). Please contact Father Rick if you have ideas for future educational opportunities or volunteer if you have expertise in a particular area which may be meaningful to members of our community.