At St. Stephen’s, we emphasize social justice, contemplative spirituality, and the arts. We are so pleased that our three adult formation offerings this Autumn speak to these three emphases. Until Franklin County returns to a moderate or low level of Covid spread, these offerings will be online-only. You can join in on Thursday evenings from 7:00 – 8:00 by clicking this link.

September: A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues

An Adult Formation class led by Elliott Bush, based around Margot and Martin Hodson’s A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues. Click here learn more.

• September 2 – Discovering God’s Earth
• September 9 – Biodiversity
• September 16 – Climate Change
• September 23 – Water
• September 30 – Human population & consumption

October: Experiments in Prayer & Meditation

An Adult Formation class led by Patricia Rose. In this series, we’ll delve into the riches of prayer experientially by experimenting with a different form of contemplative prayer each week. Click here to learn more.

• October 7: Stillness
• October 14: Healing, using a form of Lectio Divina (divine reading) with the gospels
• October 21: Rest and Sabbath

November: Four Poets

An Adult Formation class led by Stuart Hobbs. We will focus on four poets, learning about their lives and reading their poetry together. Click here to learn more.

• October 28: The Buddhist in the Garden: Nature and Spirit in the Poetry of W. S. Merwin
• November 4: Walking the Dog with Jane Kenyon: (Extra)Ordinary Insight in the Poetry of Jane Kenyon
• November 11: The Pity of War: The Poetry of Wilfred Owen and the Music of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem
• November 18: The Mountain, the Heron, and Julian: Panentheism in the Poetry of Denise Levertov

Stay tuned for the Advent Film Festival, beginning in December!