Christian Education and Formation

Christian Education and Formation at St. Gregory’s comes in many forms and flavors, ranging from a small class that studies the Hebrew language to a drum circle to kick off our annual all-ages Vacation Bible School. There are opportunities for children and adults to learn and to grow in spirit, knowledge, and community.

Advent Spiritual Formation Programs

Faith: Brick by Brick (Legos and Logos)
Advent Sunday Mornings, November 23 & 30, December 7 & 14 @ 9:15AM in the Parish Hall
Adult, Youth, and Children Sunday School combined. All are welcome.

On Sunday mornings, we’ll explore the life and roles of different builders in the Bible and what their work can tell us about faith: We’ll seek out spiritual creativity with Hiram the Craftsman, fortitude and courage from Nehemiah, Ruth and Naomi will teach us about building Nations, and finally we’ll see what Jesus has to say about building a movement in times of uncertainty. This will be a time for Gregorians of all ages to come together and celebrate, contemplate, and collaborate this Advent.  Our program will be led by Matt Rodgers.

In the Beginning 
Advent Wednesday Evenings, December 3, 10, & 17
Fellowship dinner at 6:30PM in the CE Building, Program 7-8PM in the Library

Using the beginning story in the Gospel of John, we’ll explore the meaning of Advent and how the preparation of this time can help us see the bending of “the arc of history” toward justice. 

We’ll follow the Stars in John’s gospel as we explore the galactic implications of the idea of Immanuel, “God with us.” As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, how are we inviting, practicing, and proclaiming justice for our story yet to come? Our program will be led by Matt Rodgers.

Children

How We Do Love: Children's Ministries

The promises we make each time a person becomes a member of the church through baptism guide Children’s Ministries at St. Gregory’s. (See pp. 304-305 in the Book of Common Prayer for a refresher!) While the focus is on our youngest members, we recognize that we are one Body of Christ, all connected, and strive to strengthen our bonds through cross-generational programming. Our goal is for children to know God loves them, and wants them to love themselves and others. Our Children’s and Youth ministries is a big umbrella that includes:

  • Our excellent Montessori–style nursery with its fully–trained, dedicated staff

  • Weekly Sunday School using “Weaving God’s Promises”, a curriculum that helps children learn Bible stories with associated crafts and activities. It meets at 9:15 in the Children’s Chapel in the Christian Education Building. Snack is served.

  • Children’s Church (10:30 service), where children fully engage in the Liturgy of the Word each week through scripture, song, prayer, and art.

  • Vacation Bible School for all ages (newborns to nineties!) for three evenings in the summer, including dinner, music, Bible storytelling, cooperative games, creative crafts, and Compline nightly.

  • Our children’s program is led by a committed group of parents and parishioners. The contact for all volunteer opportunities is Catherine Holton.

Nursery Information

Youth

Upcoming Youth Events: December

1) Our next Diocesan event is the Christmas Carol Camp-In in Macon, Dec. 20-21. This year the event will be hosted by Christ Church rather than St Francis. This is a very low impact event and we will return to Athens by approx. 2-3pm on Sunday. Wade will be attending this event and offering rides to anyone interested in attending!

2) If your middle schooler is interested in attending New Beginnings 51 in March you can register at the link below. Wade will be attending this event and offering rides to anyone who registers for the retreat or applies for Team!

3) Any high schoolers or parents that would like to join us on Team and make this retreat possible can apply!  

The Diocese and St Greg's offer financial aid to students in need for all Camp Mikell events. All of these events can be accessed with the QR code to the right.

Please watch the News and Events pages on this website, or sign up for the weekly newsletter to learn about activities and opportunities. All are welcome; you do not have to be a member of or even attend services at St. Gregory’s. Come and learn of God’s love and the ways that we can show it forth in the world!
For more information, contact Wade McGlamery, Director of Youth

Adults

Adult Education classes meet from 9:15-10:15 am on Sundays.

Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall)
The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible study will not meet during the month of November. Check back for information on our upcoming Advent programs!

Lectionary Class: (Library) 
The lectionary class meets in Office #1 (next to Kendall's office) at 9:15AM. We study the assigned readings for each Sunday. Please contact Les House at 478-733-2939 or via email if you have any questions. 

Spiritual Self-Discovery 
This discussion group focuses on lived experiences, exploration of faith, and theological fundamentals. The class aims to offer an accessible space for both new and longtime members that are seeking a space to explore personal faith and the stories and practices of others. Grab a warm beverage and a snack, get comfortable, share your story, and learn from someone else's. We will meet in the library.

Other Adult Spiritual Formation Opportunities:

Dream Group
St. Gregory's Dream Group is for beginners into dreamwork, but also for those who already know and experience this reality and need the support, encouragement and wisdom of the dream community. It is important for participants to already be doing their own inner work through reading about dreamwork and by keeping a regular dream journal. The group meets weekly on Wednesdays from 10AM-12PM, in the library in St. Gregory's Christian Education building. Call or email Lane Norton for more information before you come to your first meeting, 706-338-3071.

Men's Group
The Men's Group meets from 9:00 to 10:00 am Saturday mornings. We discuss topics of spiritual concern to men, drawing on such resources as C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen and Ronald Rolhiser. Please contact Peter Rice for more information about this group and a Zoom link to join the meeting.

Hebrew Reading Class
The focus is on reading a Hebrew passage aloud and then translating said passage into modern English. Since we started this group, we have read through Genesis, Exodus, many Psalms, and other passages. This group is meant to provide an opportunity for persons who have studied Elementary Hebrew to hone their skills through direct encounter with the Hebrew Bible. Hebrew Reading meets via Zoom on Wednesdays from 1-3PM. If you're interested, email Joel Hunt for more info!

Education for Ministry (EfM)
Education for Ministry (EfM) invites people into small, mentored communities that help us understand our lives and shape our actions as we deepen our Christian faith. We believe a gracious God calls us into relationship to serve the world. Through study, prayer, and theological reflection, EfM enables us to discover and exercise our gifts for the ministry where we live and work.
The five core practices of EfM are:

  • Living in Community

  • Regular Prayer and Worship

  • Theological Reflections

  • Study of Christian Tradition

  • Vocational Discernment

Contact person for EFM is RuthElizabeth Conine, reconine@gmail.com.