Adult Formation
We recognize the necessity of spiritual inquisitiveness to strengthen and enliven our faith, therefore we provide programs to welcome doubting Thomases, and we invite questioning Christians to voice their questions. Former Bishop Michael Creighton posed the question, “What kind of society would we have if we stopped educating our young people in math, science and English after seventh grade the way some churches stop Christian formation after confirmation?” At Saint Andrew’s we draw on the expertise and interests of congregants to continue our Christian formation at 9 a.m. on Sundays in the library. Lay leaders offer lectures and discussion on topics from George Herbert to global warming; from Anglicanism around the world to the impact of feasting and fasting on stewardship.
Spiritual Life
Spirituality is our connection to that which is beyond our understanding, greater than any individual and greater than any group; spirituality is our individual connection to God. Within vibrant Christians or within a vibrant community, spiritual life continues to grow and deepen, enriching the individual as well as the larger community. Attention to the inner life is at the core of this aliveness. Regular contemplative events such quiet mornings, praying the Anglican rosary, Lenten programs and Lectio Divina of poetry provide a venue for Saint Andrew’s congregants to recognize God’s presence through deepening and growing their personal practice.
Study Groups
Saint Andrew’s has a Monday evening Bible Study and a Friday morning Study Group. These opportunities are offered to facilitate the deepening of faith in community in a more intimate setting. Short-term (usually four to six weeks) study opportunities are also made available at various times each year, sometimes following a national church curriculum, other times following a course of study created in-house. As religion commentator Diana Butler Bass puts it, “Heart and head, spirit and intellect, tradition and questioning — all of a piece.” Examining these pieces in community can be the foundation of spiritual growth; integrating the pieces is the essence of healing.
Education for Ministry
Education for Ministry is a program of theological distance-learning education of the School of Theology of the University of the South. Students sign up one year at a time for this four-year program, which covers the basics of a theological education in the Old and New Testaments, church history, liturgy and theology. Students meet regularly, usually once a week, in seminars under the guidance of trained mentors. The program grants a certificate at the completion of the four years and 18 continuing education units for each year’s work. Every baptized person is called to ministry, and the EfM program provides the education to carry out that ministry. It gives participants an opportunity to discover how to respond to the call to Christian service. Learn more at www.sewanee.edu/efm.
Daughters of the King
Saint Andrew’s is home to the Julian of Norwich chapter of Daughters of the King, an international order of women from the Episcopal, Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches who take a vow to pray daily, serve the rector of their parish and live their lives in a manner consistent with Christ’s teachings. Our Daughters chapter is currently leading a weekly Bible study examining the Gospel of John. In past years, we have led quiet mornings, rosary construction workshops, the recitation of the Anglican rosary, prayer workshops and have organized book discussions. We meet the second and fourth Mondays of the month after the Evening Prayer service; Bible studies replace regular meetings during the time that the study is offered. Please contact Michele Marini (michelemarini@comcast.net) or join us on a Monday evening at 7:30 in room 130.