Faith formation
Opportunities for adult education and spiritual renewal
We take the formation of adult faith seriously! If you don’t see what you are looking for, just ask. New programs can certainly be offered. Contact the Rector, Elaine Breckenridge, for more information or to share your ideas. See information below about:
Adult education - Sundays and weekdays
Travis library
Contemplation & conversation for women
Cursillo
Spiritual direction
Education for Ministry and EfM5
Travis library
Located on the lower level of our parish hall, the Travis library was established in memory of the Rev. Ronald James Travis, a 27-year member of St. David's. Ron was ordained a deacon in 1981, and died in 1998. He was an avid reader and many of his religion books were donated to the library.
The library has a unique color-coded classification system that makes it easy to find what you're looking for. It is maintained by volunteer members of the Library Committee, on a 3-month rotation. Being a church library, it contains both fiction and non-fiction resources primarily on religious and spiritual topics. Books and other resources are donated by parish members, who then feel
a part of the library and check out more books themselves - a win-win situation!
Current selections are displayed atop the shelving units by the windows, and on a display shelf in the hallway outside the library. The check-out book is on the counter, ready for your entry.
Contemplation & conversation for women
Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
This is an on-going group that meets twice a month for quiet prayer and conversation. The group is open to women in the congregation who are interested in developing their prayer and spiritual lives. Meetings are facilitated by Elaine Breckenridge and Pat Kowal. The “Liturgy of the Meeting” consists of a presentation, followed by fifteen minutes of quiet prayer, followed by conversational faith sharing.
All are welcome; sign-up is not necessary. For more information, please contact Elaine Breckenridge.
Cursillo: growing Christ-centered leaders
Cursillo (cur-SEE-yo) is
a movement of the church, under authority of the diocesan bishop. It helps Christians understand their individual callings to be Christian leaders in their environments -- at home, at work, at church.
A Cursillo weekend brings together a diverse group of adult Episcopalians from Thursday night through Sunday afternoon. The three days
are filled with talks and group discussions on aspects of our faith, plus fellowship,
singing, good food, and time for privacy, meditation and prayer. Eucharist is celebrated each day. Lay people lead the weekend, with 2 or 3 clergy members as spiritual advisors. Cursillo is not intended to be a conversion experience,
but rather to enrich and deepen your spiritual life.
After the weekend, small groups of friends gather regularly for continuing encouragement and fellowship ("Group Reunion"). Larger groups from throughout the area meet monthly for the same purpose ("Ultreya"). Spiritual direction from skilled lay persons or clergy is also encouraged, to provide help in deepening one's relationship with Christ.
The
next Cursillo weekend in our diocese will be on May, 13-16, 2010 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Walla Walla. Our own Mary Basta will be the weekend leader. The weekend will start
at 7:00 p.m. Thursday and end at about 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Participants stay at
the Cursillo site the entire weekend. The $65 registration fee includes all
meals and materials. For more information, contact Jim or Nadine Grady. Brochures and application forms are available at our Communication Center in the hall near the church offices, or at the Inland NW Episcopal Cursillo website.
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is a time-honored practice which spans most of the world's great religions. The importance of this ministry has become more recognized in the Christian Church generally and in the Episcopal Church specifically. Spiritual direction is offered at St. David's by the Rev. Gaye Lagana -- a deacon, trained spiritual director* and member of St. David's. Meetings are by appointment in Catherine's Room, across the hall from the church office.
Rabbi Jacob Staub has given one of the best concise descriptions of this ministry. He is quoted on the Spiritual Directors International web site as saying: "The object of spiritual direction is to cultivate one's ability to discern God's presence in one's life -- to notice and appreciate moments of holiness, to maintain an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, to explore ways to be open to the Blessed Holy One in challenging and difficult moments as well as joyful ones. The director serves as a companion and witness, someone who helps you (sometimes with questions, sometimes just by listening) to discern the divine where you might have missed it and to integrate that awareness into your daily life."
Generally, most spiritual directors meet with their directees about once a month. To decide if spiritual direction is right for you, the best course of action is to meet with a director once or twice to see if both parties are comfortable working with each other. You may contact Gaye for an interview or for more information by calling her at 468-0514, or by email. A brochure is also available.
*Gaye received a certificate of completion in spiritual direction from Gonzaga University in 2004. She completed an eight-month retreat studying and practicing Ignatian spirituality in the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life. She has practiced Authentic Movement, focusing on meditations and the witnessing aspects of relationships, for 15 years.
Education for Ministry (EfM) is a program of theological
education and reflection on ministry offered by extension through the
School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
It is specifically designed for adults to pursue a
program of study within their own parishes. It is a four-year curriculum of Old and New Testament study, church history
and theology. Individual participants
belong to an EfM seminar group, facilitated and guided by a
mentor trained by the School of Theology. Seminar groups meet weekly
through the academic year, generally for two to three hours. They discuss the week’s reading assignments, worship
together, and learn a process of theological reflection which helps
them to connect their theological study with their own experience.
Although it is a four-year program, members make a commitment to
register for one year at a time. The tuition for one year is $340.00,
which includes all books and materials. We will schedule another Education for Ministry class when there are enough people interested. For more information, contact mentors Elaine Breckenridge or Gaye Lagana. You may also contact any of St. David's former EfM students for more information and feedback. They are: Char Mills,
Barbara Gronberg, Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter, Jim and Nadine Grady,
Jeanne Mitchell, Steve and Kathleen Kellen, Sally Atkins, Marjorie
Heywood, John Finlon and Tom Latimer.
EfM5
Some of our former EfM students have formed a continuing group, named "EfM5," to study various books and videos and engage in theological reflection. For more information, contact Elaine Breckenridge.
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