EfM Program

The Program

The seminar group is the nucleus of the
Education for Ministry program. A group
consists of six to twelve participants and a
trained mentor who meet weekly over the
course of a nine-month academic year. These
meetings are usually from two and a half to
three hours in length.

Through study, prayer, and reflection, EfM
groups move toward a new understanding of
the fullness of God's kingdom. This process can
be illustrated by a two-rail fence. One rail is the
Christian tradition. The other is the collective
experience of the group's members. The rails
are linked by fence posts which represent the
seminar sessions where life and study meet.
The fence is grounded in the soil of regular
worship which is vital to the life of the group.

Participants are given weekly assignments to
study with the help of resource guides.
Students are responsible for setting their own
learning goals. They spend between two and
four hours in study and preparation each week.
In the seminars members have an opportunity
to share their insights and discoveries as well
as to discuss questions which the study
materials raise for them.

Through discussion and guided reflection, the
seminars furnish an opportunity to deepen
understanding of the reading materials.

More important is the development of skills in
theological reflection. The goal is to learn to
think theologically. By examining their own
beliefs and their relationship to our culture and
the tradition of our Christian faith, participants
can learn what it means to be effective ministers
in the world. In coming to terms with the notion
that everything we do has potential for
manifesting the love of Christ, we discover that
our ministry is at hand wherever we turn.

The seminar is supported by a life of prayer and
regular worship. EfM groups are encouraged to
develop a pattern of worship appropriate to their
situations. Liturgical materials are furnished
with the course materials.