Page 24 - Annual Meeting, 2020

Christian Education, Annual Report, 2019
Catherine Hicks

All that we do—our time together and our serving the world together in God’s name is
educational, because we always learn something when we’re together. We have done a
LOT of Christian education together this year under that broad definition.

Specific Christian Education also took place in a variety of ways.

Even though the children’s Sunday morning class has come to what I hope is only a
temporary end, and children have joined in with adults on Sunday mornings for education,
we also had several educational activities specifically for young people. Over
approximately six weeks this summer, the children met weekly, along with children from
the neighborhood to do various activities together. At the end of the summer, I did a
Eucharist and blessing of the backpacks, to which all kids were invited. We had an
instructed Eucharist and each child present received a back pack tag to place on the back
pack. By serving as acolytes, the children also have a way to learn about worship and why
we do the things we do. I am very grateful to the Dukes and to the Fishers for serving as
acolytes in 2019.

The weekly ecumenical Bible study continued and thrived. Our time consists of praying for
one another and then delving into each of the upcoming scriptures for Sunday.

Thanks to the help of TryTank and the Latino Ministry in a Box experiment, we started a
new Bible study during Lent. This Bible study is geared toward Spanish speakers. During
Lent, we listened to a short talk in Spanish, followed by a discussion. Since Lent, the group
has continued to meet, and our current study consists of each person bringing a Bible
scripture that illustrates a certain theme such as faith or blessing. We share a meal
together and then join in conversation around the theme of the evening. All are welcome at
this Bible study, even those who don’t speak Spanish.

Several of us participated in the way of love breakfast, which took place on the last
Wednesday morning of the month over the course of six months. At each of the sessions
we took one of the rules of life and discussed the impact of that rule on our lives and how
we might support one another in being faithful to the rule. We used the material on The
Way of Love provided by The Episcopal Church.

Christian Education on Sunday mornings has included a study of the Letter of Paul to the
Romans which we did in conjunction with The Good Book Club, and a study of I
Corinthians, in which we all took on the parts of people who would have attended the early
church. Bishop Ihloff played the part of Paul during his visitation with St Peter’s. We also

had a series on pilgrimages in which we learned more about Israel, Ireland, Guatemala and

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