By Ian Burch The pandemic invited (coerced?) me to read a lot in the last few months. As a treat, I re-read all seven of the Harry Potter books (eight, if you count the play, which is wonderful). Hunkered down at home, I disappeared once again into the world of Quidditch, arch Scottish professors, and deeply satisfying bildungsroman. Reading a passing reference to the age … [Read more...] about Who Me? On Being A Mentor
formation
Raising Confirmands in the Way They Should Go
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald Commonly baptized as infants, Episcopal teenagers are guided to claim Christian discipleship for themselves in the rite of confirmation. Yet so many do the opposite, leaving church as soon as they are confirmed, that the phenomenon has a name: the graduation effect. It does not have to be that way, researchers say. Teens can be motivated to deepen … [Read more...] about Raising Confirmands in the Way They Should Go
Ashby to Lead High Desert School for Ministry
The Rev. Canon Lucinda Ashby of Idaho will serve as dean of the newly formed for the newly formed High Desert School for Ministry, a joint project of the dioceses of Eastern Oregon and Idaho. The school, a three-year local formation program for ordained ministry in the diaconate or priesthood, will welcome its first students in November. The partnership is part of the … [Read more...] about Ashby to Lead High Desert School for Ministry
Mind Your Manners
The Office of Government Relations has developed a Civil Discourse Curriculum designed for reflection, consideration, and discussion. “The Civil Discourse Curriculum was created as a resource to help folks understand and practice civil discourse, particularly as it relates to discussion about politics, policy, and legislation, and why it is so important to living out our … [Read more...] about Mind Your Manners
Tune in to Formation
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald In 2013, the Rev. Chris Yaw twice raised eyebrows among his fellow Episcopalians. The first time came when he proposed making church-based adult education into a largely online enterprise. The second came when he launched ChurchNext, a limited liability company with a fee-based approach to fulfilling that vision. “In the Episcopal Church, we don’t … [Read more...] about Tune in to Formation
Refreshing the Spirit
Richard and Nathan Foster share a laugh at Wycliffe College. Sue Careless By Sue Careless A trio of writers offering two generations’ reflections on spiritual formation recently gathered in Toronto to discuss their experiences in building spiritual exercises, knowing God’s love, and cultivating the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Richard Foster, his son, … [Read more...] about Refreshing the Spirit
$1.5M to Trinity School for Ministry
Adapted from Trinity School for MinistryWilliam Stucki Hansen Foundation of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, has donated $1.5 million to Trinity School for Ministry in nearby Ambridge to support the Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future.“Embracing the vision the leaders at Trinity have for the Robert E. Webber Center means more to us than just nodding our heads,” … [Read more...] about $1.5M to Trinity School for Ministry
Education that Crosses Divides
By the Rev. Mark MichaelThe future of theological education in the Episcopal Church should be marked by robust evangelism, serious engagement with orthodoxy, and a courageous tenderness, according to panelists at a gathering of seminary leaders convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.The Very Rev. Ian Markham, Virginia Theological Seminary’s dean and president, hosted the … [Read more...] about Education that Crosses Divides