Saturday September 15, 2012

BRATTLEBORO -- "Education for Ministry (EfM)" will begin again this fall at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at Bradley Avenue and Putney Road. In all aspects of people’s lives, there are bewildering choices to be made and none more than in the area of spirituality. A practical tool for growth is the EfM program that starts at the end of September. The program is open to people of all faiths, whether or not they are participating in a church.

EfM, developed and overseen by the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., uses a multi-faceted approach to help participants engage deeply in their spiritual journey. Sewanee provides study materials and trained leadership. The program continues for four years, but participants enroll for one year at a time and some participants take a break between years.

The first year covers Hebrew Scriptures, the second focuses on the New Testament and the third and fourth cover church history to the 21st century.

Each EfM meeting is a mixture of time for each participant to discuss discoveries in the week’s lesson, time for fellowship and refreshments and time for theological reflection -- a process for integrating what is learned into day-to-day living.

Theological reflection is the heart of EfM study -- a way of turning a problem or situation over in the group’s collective mind, delving deeper and deeper into the matter. It provides an

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opportunity for the group to struggle with the "so what" question or "so what difference does our faith make when we go into the world?" As one EfM participant said recently, "being in an EfM group gives a place where you can discuss things of a religious nature in a friendly and caring environment. Your thoughts can be openly discussed without having to worry about judgment."

EfM is non-denominational and invites all to engage in these discussions. Anyone with questions about EfM or becoming a participant should contact Joel Hill at 802-254-6048 or jhill@jshph.edu.