Adult Christian Education and Formation in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM)
Restore Your Heart and Mind
thru Spring, 2012
Welcome
Welcome to the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew Adult Education Program for the program year 2011 to 2012. The theme for the coming year is Restoration of the Heart. All the programs described in this brochure focus in some way on the restoration and transformation our hearts and lives to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world today.
To live such a life is often difficult and painful and the Church is often too consumed with budgets and programs. This year as we journey together toward transformation it is my hope and invitation that we at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew can be a place of prayer and support for all who are on the journey to be disciples of Jesus in the world today.
The coming year will offer our Sunday program between the 8:00 and 10:30 Worship services as well as opportunities to gather through the week to study, pray, and reflect upon the activity of God in our daily life and work.
Sunday Mornings, 9:15 a.m.
Visit once or every Sunday!
Living The Questions
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
January to Mid-February 2012
The Sunday Adult study will resume our watching the Living the Questions Curriculum that we began in 2011. The focus of these seven weeks will be A Call to Covenant.
Sunday, February 5th and 12th, 2012: DVD and discussion of Tim Wise: On White Privilege, Racism, White Denial and the Cost of Inequality.
Sunday, February 19, 2012: Dr. Daud Malik Watts, professor of African Studies, will present on the topic: The Roots of Black Mass Movement in the US.
Sunday, February 26, 2012: Dr. Watts will be with us for a second presentation. This week he will focus on the topic: Africa and the Civil Rights Movement.
How do I prepare for the end of my life?
Sundays, 9:15 a.m. in Lent
Details are still being worked out for this difficult but important topic that each one of us has or will face as we get older and as a parent gets older. Each Sunday in Lent will cover topics such as: How do I pre-plan my funeral, Grief Counseling, the Importance of Tears, Planned Giving, and Estate Planning. Each week Fr. Andrews, parishioners and guests will lead the discussion about each of these and other topics. There will be more information soon after the New Year begins.
Sharing Our Faith Stories
April and May 2012
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
A time to reflect and share our faith stories. This will occur on Sunday morning between our two worship services. As we journey this coming program year and learn about the restoration of our hearts and attempt to live this transformation through our practice and daily life we will have an opportunity to share and listen to those who wish to share about their joys, struggles and hopes about living a life dedicated to being a disciple of Jesus. Volunteers will be invited to consider sharing their stories.
Week-Night Studies
Spiritual Reading Group
Wednesday Evenings
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Many at SsAM love to read but so often we do so without the chance to reflect with others the impact a book has on our lives. Throughout the year we will meet on Wednesday to reflect on a book we have read the previous month. If you can only join us for one month or two please come and be with others. Below is the listing of what will be read:
- February 15: The Naked Now by the Rev. Richard Rohr
- March 21: Take this Bread by Sara Miles
- April 18: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
- These books can be purchased at a local book store or online. Please let
Fr. David know if you wish to participate.
Spiritual Practice
Thursday evenings in the fall and winter
6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at the church.
The early followers of Jesus gathered on a weekly basis to pray, study, and share a meal together. The telling of and the listening to the story of God's covenant and the story of Jesus encouraged those early followers to model their lives after Jesus. This past Lent a small group met weekly to read, reflect, and practice a spiritual discipline. This fall and continuing into the beginning of 2012, Fr. David will offer a monthly quiet evening that will cover one of these practices. These quiet evenings will be on Thursday evenings in the Church from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Each time we meet will offer some time for quiet and reflection. We will meet in the Church. The schedule is:
- February 16: Spiritual Growth
Dinner Groups through the Year
If you wish to be part of a dinner group that would meet in each other's homes to share a meal and fellowship, please call the office at 302 656-6628. We will form a number of groups and then each group will decide when they will meet and organize their time together. This is an excellent way to form community within the larger parish and to have some fun too.