Connect? • What Does It Mean To Be Part of a Eucharistic Community?
November 1 - December 13, 2009
Sunday afternoons, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Bloedel Hall
Please register by October 29, 2009.
What is Connect?
Connect? is an adult faith formation program focused on the Eucharist and on what it means to be part of a Eucharistic community. Gathering in small groups around a shared meal, participants consider together Jesus’ invitation to a new life in God’s reign of love and justice. The six scheduled sessions comprising the Connect? course are described in more detail below.
Connect? is also part of The Klesis Project: Connect? Commit? Covenant! created by the Rev. John de Beer and Sarah Dylan Breuer.
Who Might Benefit From Connect?
All who seek a deeper connection with the Christian story and vision while building authentic, life-giving relationships with the people of Saint Mark’s may benefit from participating in Connect? This adult faith formation program is designed for both new-comers to the Episcopal Church and long-timers alike. It is also suited for those outside the church, those on the fringe of the church, and those who may be considering Saint Mark’s Cathedral as a place to call “home.”
For adults who may be seeking baptism, confirmation, or reception into the Episcopal Church, we highly recommend enrolling in both Connect? and Commit? Both programs taken in sequence provide an excellent process for preparing to affirm or reaffirm one’s baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 3, 2010.
How to Register
Email connect.commit@saintmarks.org to register for the Connect? program. You can also register by way of sign-up sheets, available on Sunday mornings after the 9 and 11 a.m. services in the coffee corner of the Nave. When registering, please also let us know if you have any food allergies, as a simple meal will be provided as part of each Connect? session.
Connect? Summary & Schedule
Session 1 - Connect with Jesus: An Open Invitation (November 1)
As we celebrate the Eucharist, we remember and give thanks for Jesus' ministry, particularly by celebrating the ways Jesus made use of meals to invite all people into community.
Session 2 Connect with God: Praying Freely (November 8)
Jesus teaches us to be cherished by God. The Lord’s Prayer is central in every celebration of the Eucharist and is a primary resource for our prayer as individuals and in households.
Session 3 - Connect with God’s Story: The Good News! (November 15)
Christians (including biblical authors) have viewed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in many ways. However, as Christians, we agree that Jesus is the best lens through which we can read the story of God's love for the world. In the liturgy of the Eucharist, we retell this story, from the goodness of creation through the ending we anticipate – the messianic banquet.
Session 4 - Connect in the Eucharist: Becoming Part of the Story (November 22)
The mystery we celebrate in the Eucharist is that we are all being knit into a community in which we become most fully ourselves. In a Christian community we are valued for who we truly are, and are challenged and supported to discover our own unique identity and vocation. Our unity is not doctrinal or cultural, but sacramental and relational.
Thanksgiving Break (November 29)
Session 5 - Connect with Faith: Living the Story (December 6)
Connecting with God and one another in the Eucharist changes our sense of who we are and how we make choices. We are already reconciled to God, and so are free to choose how we will “love and serve the Lord.” We commit to living by faith, which is trusting in God, as we draw on Scripture, Tradition and Reason for guidance, and seek the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Session 6 Connect with Mission: Working Together (December 13)
God sends us all to serve as part of God’s mission on earth. The way we live as individuals and as a community, not just on Sunday but every day, speaks to the world around us of God’s love and God’s desire for unity with all people. For us, as people of God, loving and serving are intertwined. That means that the way we work together to be church can be as important as what we accomplish.
Contact Us
For questions or concerns about Connect? or for more information about preparing for baptism, confirmation, or reception into the Episcopal Church at Saint Mark’s, please feel free to contact either:
Sean Horner
Coordinator for Connect? & Commit?
sean.horner@hotmail.com
206-818-3023