A reflection by Cedar team member Taylor Devine.
Churches in transition, whether this is a transition around leadership, size, or some other issue, often struggle to maintain consistent and robust offerings for adult Christian formation. Common refrains from membership include “We used to have an adult forum,” “People just don’t have the bandwidth to stay after the service on Sunday,” and “I know education is important, but I can’t be the one to facilitate it.” With real constraints on resources, staff, and volunteers, adult Christian formation can get lost in the mix, even though we know that equipping and supporting our members in developing a mature faith is one of the most important things we do as Church.
In conversation with leaders across the Episcopal Church, I have heard of a few jump-starts that have placed congregations on the path to more robust adult Christian formation. Here is one example that you may find inspiring, as you consider your space, the kinds of spiritual questions your people are asking, and the kind of time and leadership support you have in your ministry context.
Sabbath Brew
Emily Bruner Doane is the Canon for Formation and Lay Ministry in the Diocese of East Tennessee. In Emily’s home parish, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge, TN, she and the rector started an informal Sunday forum called Sabbath Brew that started conversations, gave parish leaders a sense of what people were responding to, and led to more openness for adult formation offerings.
Steps:
Leaders got a group subscription to the Work of the People, which offers a collection of faith-based films and visual content ($60/year group subscription). They chose and previewed a short 3-5 minute video, and showed this about twenty minutes into Coffee Hour each Sunday. Then the group had a brief conversation responding to the short film.
Why it worked in this context:
This casual format did not replace the fellowship of Coffee Hour, but provided an enriching opportunity in community, that people then realized they valued. The leaders were able to note what kind of questions came up and which topics were of interest to the group, as they considered what else they might be able to offer during that or another time. These Sabbath Brew sessions built momentum, and parishioners began asking for more formation. This led to leaders adopting the Pilgrim course (an adult Chrisitan formation course from the Church of England) as the next chapter of adult formation at their parish, which became their Confirmation class.
Please reach out with your stories of transformation if this sounds like you! We would love to share more like it. To hear more about how Emily Bruner Doane has co-led Pilgrim, join the Cedar team for a Webinar on Introduction to Christian Faith curricula on September 29.
For further suggestions on creating on-ramps for adult Christian formation in your congregation, see the “Get People Moving” chapter of Signs of Life. Start with where you are; get to know your people; and invite them and others into more!
The Rev. Taylor Devine is the Church Relations Coordinator for Discipleship Initiatives at Forward Movement and a member of the Cedar team.