Christian Education for Adults

We at Trinity normally have a number of adult education programs.  We also participate in -- and occasionally lead -- adult education programs undertaken by neighboring parishes.

What's upcoming or going on right now?

--During the most recent months, Pastor Heidi led a class on the Gospel of Mark and "the Essential Episcopalian" beginning at 8:50 AM (following the 8 AM service) and ending by 9:45 AM.  That class is now concluded, but a new offering will begin in the Fall.

What's happened recently?

Linda Snyder, Diocesan Christian Formation Missioner, visited and spoke with us

--Education for Ministry (EFM):

In recent years, we have held a number of EFM classes, enrolling (and graduating) not only our own parishioners but also parishioners from other Episcopal (and other denominations as well) parishes in our area.  As with most programs in a small parish, Education for Ministry at Trinity will now be taking a holiday until new students emerge from the parish and surrounding churches.  The material that follows refers to the most recent EFM program conducted at Trinity, which graduated our own Alexis Dorf in June 2009.

EFM mentor Mary Anne Carley led the course on Wednesdays from 3 – 5 PM in the Trinity library. The program meets weekly throughout the academic year. EFM is an extension course from the University of the South (Sewanee). It is not intended to prepare participants for the ordained ministry, but rather to provide a seminary level course in theology, inviting participants to more fully explore the roots of our beliefs and to reflect on their lives in the light of the Christian tradition. The full program takes four years to complete; however, members commit to only one year at a time.  Our EFM group included participants from several parishes and at least two Dioceses.  For further information, including fees for the program and to discuss plans for future EFM groups, contact Mary Anne at 860-364-5652 or macarley@sbcglobal.net.

EFM Mentor Mary Anne Carley congratulates Norma Wright upon her graduation from the four year EFM curriculum in June 2007

What else notable has happened in adult education in recent years?

--The Robertson Alford Lecture Series at Trinity:

The 2007 Robertson Alford Lecture Series was entitled "Domestic Green:  helping the environment starts at home" and was organized by Lynn Gaffney.

for more information about this program.

--About Celtic Christianity--

Christian traditions have come from more than one source, and the contributions of so-called Celtic Christianity in the days of the early Church were important ones.  Their importance have increasingly been recognized in the Episcopal Church in recent years -- no surprise, really, when one considers that The Episcopal Church had its origin, shortly after the American Revolution, in the Church of Scotland, rather than the Anglican church at Canterbury. 

At Trinity, we have one very visible artifact of Celtic Christianity in our traditional "Trinity Cross" which appears in two distinct variations on our steeply and on our cornerstone.  Another less tangible trace of Celtic Christianity is found in our parish's purpose statement:  "Trinity Church: offering companionship along the Way."

The Inquirer's Class that recently concluded was the first formal introduction of Celtic Christianity for most of us in the parish, and the subject matter has resonated with the attendees. 

What other kinds of programs have we held?

--Inquirer's Class

Frequently people come to Trinity with backgrounds in other religious traditions, and occasionally people come to us with no religious background at all. Gradually -- sometimes rapidly -- a critical mass of new parishioners with a desire to know more about our Episcopal faith accumulates.  When that time is reached, Trinity holds an Inquirer's Class, running for several weeks, and scheduled for the convenience of both the inquirers and the clergy.  

We concluded an Inquirer's Class began at Trinity in March 2006.  The class, which numbered around 35, was largely made up of present parishioners.  Please contact the Parish Office -- or Pastor Heidi directly -- if you would like another Inquirer's Class soon.

Noted speakers and innovative programs on timely topics

Not sure just who Fr. Hardy was? Well, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams described him as "one of the Anglican Communion’s leading theologians."

--Christianity, Islam, and Iraq

In 2002, following 9/11 and before the US invasion of Iraq, in response to the realization in the congregation that most of us knew very little about Islam, the late Robertson Alford, a parishioner with personal knowledge and experience in the Middle East, assumed the role of moderator of a group to study Islam at Trinity Lime Rock.  At the first session, Robertson presented a brief history of Islam to the 15 parishioners who attended, accompanied by handouts that provided a time line and defined many Islamic concepts.  

A second session built on the first.  The group realized that we had barely scratched the surface in terms of knowledge about Islam, most particularly about how Islam and Christianity could co-exist in the modern world.  

Robertson was charged with taking the group further, and  arranged for Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi, Professor and Co-director of the Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian Muslim Relations at the Hartford Seminary to speak at Trinity Lime Rock on April 5, 2003.  In a far-ranging discussion, Professor Abu-Rabi explored the subject of Islamic/Christian co-existence, and in the process accurately predicted the next several years of Iraq history.  Parishioners who attended that evening still marvel at the accuracy of the Professor's predictions regarding the outcome of the Iraq invasion as they continue to play out and perhaps find it a bit disquieting that we as parishioners of little Trinity Church in rural Connecticut had been able to obtain better information about the prospects our nation faced in Iraq than our elected leaders. 

to read more about this series and see pictures

--Discussion and Book Study groups:

From time to time over the past few years we have held Bible study groups and reading groups who met to read and discuss authors whose writings were relevant to our own experiences here.  For the most part, these groups have been led by Trinity's clergy.

As well, particularly memorable were two recent series moderated by Fr. Franck DeChambeau, in cooperation with St. John's Church, Salisbury.  One was on Bishop Spong's recent works and another on the work Elaine Pagels has done on the Gnostic Gospels discovered in Egypt.

--Christian Education for the unchurched:

Trinity a few years ago, under the leadership of the Rev. Beth Long, sponsored a group of women with no formal ties to organized religion, including professed atheists and agnostics, for a series of weekday morning discussions in members' homes regarding the Bible and its relevance today.  Self-named "The Pagan Bible Study Class," this group met for several months with considerable enthusiasm, and, while we do not believe it gained any converts, we know that it enabled many of its participants to have a better sense of where their believing friends were coming from.