Education for Ministry (EfM)
St. Mary Anne’s has had a long history of an active Education for Ministry (EfM) group. After a short break as we welcomed Father John and Karen, we will be looking to begin another group at a time that fits the schedule of those who were unable to join the group that was previously held during the morning. Please check the bulletin and the E-News as we will be looking to have an organizational / information meeting soon. If you have ever thought about taking EfM or finding out what it is all about, please either let the VPOW know; contact Carol Weisel or call the office.
Don’t let the title fool you, EfM is not a course that prepares people for ordained ministry. The goal of the four year course of EfM is to bring Biblical teaching and principles into everyday life. We read Biblical passages every week in church and many of us read them at home each day but what does it really mean to us today? Are the teachings still relevant in the 21stcentury?
Each week the EfM group explores part of the history of the Bible and the founding of the church to see how we came to the beliefs that we profess each week. We also look at events in our own lives and in the world and through a process called Theological Reflection (TR). This process of Theological Reflection brings the Bible and other traditional literature alive in the world today.
Another aspect of the EfM group is helping us as Christians finding the way in which we fulfill our call the ministry as we are asked to do. EfM helps us to see that ministry comes in many forms and in many places. This process gives us the time and the space to discern God’s call to us as individuals in the world.
