Saint Benedict Episcopal Church

Christian Formation is something that we do for all ages, not just our children. It is something not just for our heads but also our hearts and souls—more than just education, the church hopes for nothing short of transformation of our minds hearts and souls. Christian Formation is bigger than just our minds—it is about everything we do.  

       
Our Christian Formation Hour this fall will focus on a variety of topics in hopes of offering a diversity of different topics for our community. Membership in our community means cultivating an understanding of our tradition, examining the privilege of being a generous person, meeting God daily through prayer and spiritual practice, seeking God in the vulnerable of our community and reaching out to those in need. Our Formation hour will present a variety of topics on each of these aspects of membership in order that we might all go deeper.

Every Sunday (except noted below) from 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

September 7 9:15-10:15 Episcopal 101: Examining the first leg of the three legged stool—making sense of ancient scripture in a 21st Century world. With our Vicar, we will look at how we can make sense of the Bible in our 21st Century world. We will examine the history of the writing of the Bible and also look at the variety of ways that people read scripture.

September 14: Living the privilege of God’s Generosity and Abundance. What is Stewardship? All too often the word Stewardship is defined as giving money to our church. However, Stewardship is what allows to bring our life and relationship to God further into harmony with one another. Stewardship is everything we do after we say yes to God—not just our money but all things. Come learn more about how we can best become generous people.

September 21: Best Spiritual Practices: Lectio Divina: Praying with Scripture. Come learn the ancient Benedictine Practice of reading scripture with the ear of our hearts. Working with Sister Lucy Wynkoop, OSB, we will learn about praying with scripture and listening for God.

September 28: Listening to Scripture with the ear of our heart. After practicing with Sister Lucy Wynkoop, we will try communal lectio divina together. From time to time, we will have the chance to examine the Sunday’s readings with the ear of our heart and see what the Holy Spirit might have in mind for us.

October 5: Episcopal 101 Examining the second leg of the stool: Tradition—Opening our Prayer Book. With Deacon Gen, we will look at the history and future of the Prayer
Book.

October 12: Living the Privilege of God’s Generosity and abundance: With guest speaker and priest, Bob Rhodes, we will examine how we can best live into the privilege of being generous people.
 

October 19: Best Spiritual Practices: Visio Divina. Have you ever been moved by the visual arts? Come learn about the prayer of finding the divine in the visual art of Icons.
Once again, we will welcome back Sister Lucy Wynkoop to lead us in praying through Visio Divina.
 

October 26: The Hands of Christ in the Heart of Lacey Faith Based Coalition for Youth. Wes Pruitt will be our guest speaker. Wes who is from Lacey Presbyterian has helped to form a new coalition that works on empowering our youth to be healthy and successful. Come hear how the coalition is working to do this and be inspired to change the future by helping our children to be successful.
 

November 2: Episcopal 101: Examining the second leg of the stool: Tradition: The communion of saints. On this All Souls Day, we will look at the tradition of the Communion of Saints. What does it mean to be a saint? What does it mean that we are part of the great cloud of witnesses? Come hear our Vicar talk about Saints and Sacraments on this day when we remember All the Saints.
 

November 9: Living the Privilege of God’s Generosity and abundance: putting Christ back in Christmas. As we prepare for the emotional roller-coaster and spending frenzy that is Christmas, we will look at ways that we can consider Jesus and our faith when it comes to spending.
 

November 16: Best Spiritual Practices: Centering Prayer. In a world of noise and nonstop chatter, Centering Prayer invites us into deep silence and listening for God in the midst of silence. God’s first language is silence one theologian once said. Come find out what’s it like to pray in silence.
 

November 23: The Hands of Christ in the Heart of Lacey—what’s new with our Community Dinners! What’s new with community dinners? How do we hope to grow this vital ministry in our community? How can you help? Come and find out.
 

November 30: No Adult Formation this week 

 

December 7: Episcopal 101 Examining the second leg of the stool: Tradition: Deacons, priest and Bishops oh my! What is does it mean to be a clergy person? What are the differences between these three orders of ordained ministry? What is the call and ministry of the baptized? Come and learn about the deep abiding traditions of the Episcopal Church.
 

December 14: Living the Privilege of God’s Generosity and abundance. Budgets and Emotional Spending. Have you ever noticed that most ads for products focus on emotional experiences rather than the product that they are selling? Come learn about emotional spending and the effects it can have on us. Also come learn about budgeting and how to create a spending plan.
 

December 21: Best Spiritual Practices—Praying with the Psalms. The Psalms are sometimes brutally honest with God. How can we use them and pray with them in our own spiritual practice? Come and find out more about this.
 

December 28: No Formation