DRG Women are Enriched by Study

For any Christian woman, study is an important part of life. This can take a variety of formats. Within churches there are Bible study groups led by lay and clergy. Retreats around the DRG offer the chance to get away for a day or longer and be inspired by a speaker.
There are also more focused studies that can be followed. Kerygma, Alpha, and EfM are just some of the better known options. Maybe your church has one or more of these available.

Education for Ministry (EfM) is perhaps the most intense of the studies because it involves a 4-year series of lessons. Starting in Year One with 36-weeks of reading and studying your way through the Old Testament, students move on to the second year when the New Testament is the focus. Year 3 is Church History and in Year 4 you learn about the development of the wide variety of theologies in the Church. The course is produced by the University of the South at Sewanee. At the end, you do receive a certificate of completion. Fortunately, you only sign up for one year at a time and many students take a year or more off before completing the work.

However, EfM is NOT preparation for ordination. It is a program to equip the laity to live into our call or vocation as expressed at the end of each Eucharist: “And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord."

EfM is not lead by a teacher. Rather it is a mentored seminar where “Through study, prayer, and reflection,  EfM groups move toward a new understanding of the fullness of God's kingdom” by finding where life and study and tradition meet.

A process called “theological reflection” is actually the main focus of the seminars. The group and individuals learn how to examine “their own beliefs and their relationship to our culture and the tradition of our Christian faith” in order to be more effective ministers by “coming to terms with the notion that everything we do has potential for manifesting the love of Christ, we discover that our ministry is at hand wherever we turn.”

Kerygma is another study program that has ties to the DRG. In the late 1970’s, Canon Ken Clark of the Cathedral authored some of the early Kerygma studies along with developing his own “St. John’s Sunday School Curriculum”. The word ‘kerygma’ means “the proclamation of religious truths, especially as taught in the Gospels.” The program now offers New and Old Testament studies.

The Kerygma Program started in 1977 and now offers 33 different courses of study in many lengths and topics. “Kerygma courses will transform and revitalize adult Bible study in your congregation. Participants and leaders learn the basics and complexities of the Bible and develop skills for interpreting Scripture while applying learning from the Bible to personal and corporate life in today’s world.”

Alpha Courses are also used in some churches around the DRG. It is a 10-week course around a meal with discussions about God and life. Alpha is for “anyone and people attend from all backgrounds, religions, and viewpoints. They come to investigate questions about the existence of God, the purpose of life, the afterlife, the claims of Jesus and more. Some people want to get beyond religion and find a relationship with God that really changes life. Others come for the close, long-lasting friendships that are built during the Alpha course.” 

O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities and Bible studies, that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There are many other study options available and if you’d like to share one you are involved in, please do so!