Thinking Christianly

Growing in Faith

St. Benedict, called the founder of the monastic movement in Western Christianity, says that monastic communities are “schools for the Lord’s service.” While congregations of Christians aren’t monasteries, they share a common goal, to assist each member to become more fully the person God created you to be to better serve God, one another and the world God loves. Christian education then is not primarily about gaining intellectual knowledge but about spiritual growth, renewal and transformation. In that sense Christian Education at St. John’s is about forming disciples in a school for the Lord’s service.

Most every Sunday morning, we gather for Christian Education at 11:30 am. Most of our classes explore in depth a book of the Bible, or questions about the Christian moral life or theology. Christians should always be lifelong learners in the school of the Lord’s service. Often we will have exceptional scholars from around the county join us digitally to challenge and enrich our conversation. For current offerings or to search past classes, click here.
‍
Once a year we offer our foundational course, Basic Christian Formation. Sessions begin with belief in a personal God, through the story of the Bible—creation, human wandering, God’s call to the people of Israel, along with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and what that means for our lives. We then discuss making a personal commitment to be a disciple of Jesus and the practices of Christian life that help to form us as disciples. This course is the basic preparation required for adult baptism, confirmation, and reception into the Episcopal Church. It’s also where parents can prepare to have their children baptized.