St George’s offers a wide variety of spiritual growth opportunities to all adults.
Adult forum is offered at 9:15 am on every Sunday morning in the Parish Hall. Topics range from bible studies to information on outreach opportunities.
Education for Ministry (EfM)
Every baptized person is called to ministry. The Education for Ministry (EfM) program provides people from all walks of life with the education “to be” Christians and to carry out their ministry. All Christians need a Christian education which supports their faith and which prepares them to express that faith in day-to-day events.
EfM is a worldwide program developed by the School of Theology of The University of the South. It holds before us that the foundation for bringing Christ to the world lies in a church empowered by an active, theologically articulate laity.
Thousands of person have completed this four-year program. Students enroll one year at a time, can transfer almost anywhere in the USA and in many foreign countries, and can obtain 18 Continuing Education Units per year by participating. Contact Gina Maves for more information.
Prayer Groups
Prayer has held a central place at St. George’s all through the parish’s history. The congregation holds vigils for major events and initiatives, is active with the Diocesan Prayer Fellowship and the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, and encourages members to attend retreats and conferences on prayer and the spiritual life.
The Wednesday morning prayer group is one of our most enduring witnesses to the importance of prayer at St. George’s. Carrying on a tradition of more than 30 years, these faithful pray-ers meet each week after the Wednesday morning Eucharist, review and update the parish’s intercessory prayer list, and maintain the prayer tree, by which urgent prayer requests go out to participating parishioners. More information: Ann Dunn, 235-6154 (hundun@telecominstitute.com).
The Order of St Luke the Physician
This group is just one facet of St George’s healing ministry. The group offers a healing prayer station at the main Eucharist that is available for anyone that wants to pray for their own healing or to offer intercessory prayers for another. Prayer teams are also available (through the priest’s referral) to pray with people in homes, or in the hospital. Through God’s grace, the group is witness to many real instances of healing of body, mind and spirit, right within the congregation. Periodically, the group also sponsor formal training for those interested in healing ministry in general, or feel called to participate in healing prayer. Members continue learning about healing prayer through monthly continuing education opportunities.
The local group is affiliated with The International Order of St Luke the Physician, which is an ecumenical organization dedicated to the Christian healing ministry with members throughout North America and the world. Contact: Gail Heiting, 394 1852, tomgail@sbcglobal.net
Cursillo
The worldwide Cursillo movement has been a powerful means of spiritual formation and growth since the 1940s, beginning in the Roman Catholic Church in Spain and spreading around the globe, including to the Episcopal Church in the United States in the 1970s. “Cursillo” is Spanish for “short course,” and the three-day Cursillo weekend is in fact a short course in Christian faith and practice. It is also a unique opportunity to live in Christian community, a time of deep fellowship, great singing and some unrestrained hilarity.
Graduates, also known as “Cursillistas,” can take part in continuing programs, including periodic regional gatherings and weekly “reunion groups,” which provide a time for reflection about one’s spiritual life and planning for the coming week. St. George’s is part of the Diocese of Springfield Cursillo community; well over 100 of our parishioners are Cursillistas. More information: Vicki Hall, 566-4310 (vhall5@aol.com).
Lenten Studies
The Lenten season is “spring training” for Christians. At St. George’s, Lent means weekly soup suppers, with proceeds going to worthy causes (Heifer Project International, Honduran housing relief, and the national church’s Relief and Development Fund are recent examples). An educational program follows. In some years, we conduct these programs jointly with St. Mark Lutheran Church. Watch the Lance after the Christmas holidays for more information.
Inquirers and Confirmation Classes
Each year, the rector conducts a Sunday morning class for adults interested in joining St. George’s. Frequently it also includes parishioners who just want to brush up on the basics of the faith and the church. This class begins in January and concludes with the annual bishop’s visitation and confirmation late in the spring.
Also preparing for confirmation, the junior high Sunday school class provides confirmation instruction for seventh- and eighth-graders in alternating years. For more information see the rector.
Renewal Events
Like our bodies, our spirits need exercise. Much of that exercise comes from daily devotions and weekly worship, but the occasional marathon or two-week ramble is a helpful addition to our exercise regime. The Spiritual Enrichment Commission, collaborating with other parish organizations, plans annual renewal programs to help us get in trim. They include conferences, workshops, dramatic presentations and more. Frequently outside speakers or groups lead these events. Watch the Lance for more information.
