Christian Education at St. James'
 

"Relying on what he already found, Abraham stretched himself forth to things that were before... And he disposed all these things in his heart, he kept transcending what he had grasped by his own power, for this was far inferior to what he sought."
-Gregory of Nyssa

The life of a Baptized Christian is an ongoing process of growth or constant becoming. In his mystical theology, Gregory saw life of prayer and contemplation as a "school" in which the soul participates in the life of God, yet God remains ever beyond, and the soul must move constantly forward. The soul is, in a true sense, transformed into the divine; it truly participates in the life of the Holy Trinity. But God at the same time remains constantly beyond, and the soul must always go out of itself or, rather, it must continually go beyond the stage it has reached to make a further discovery. Christian Education then is a never-ending process. As we grow in Christ we move from stage to stage in our life's journey of maturing into the people God has called us to become as his adult children. Therefore, Christian Education begins in Baptism and never ends. St. James' is committed to quality Christian Education for all its members.

Church School
Patti Lunden, Church School Superintendent

Just as from a small mustard seed, a mighty tree can grow, so St. James's Church School seeks to plant the seeds so that a lifetime of faith can grow. Research has shown that most people's faith traces back to childhood days so this ministry is very important to the children of St. James'.

Sunday school meets every Sunday each month except for the last Sunday of the month.  We offer Pre-K through HS classes that meet in the Parish Hall.  Any child who will be 4 years old by December 1^st may attend Sunday school.  There is no fee to attend Sunday school. 

We are fortunate to have great teachers who are committed to helping with the children’s ministry at St. James.  Our teachers for the 2007-2008 school year are as follows:  

Pre-K-K:  Christine Giudice, Diane Nicholson & Kaitlyn DeAngelis

1^st/2^nd Grade:  Linda Nichols & Beth Somlai

3^rd/4^th Grade: Evelyn Clark, Dede DeAngelis & Sue Jackson

5^th/6^th Grade:  Donna Carbone &  Pat Fritsche

7^th/8^th Grade:  Karen Arent DellaVecchia & Anna Marie Noe

HS: Julie Zeccola

The Sunday school morning begins with Children’s Chapel.  Instead of children reporting directly to their teachers, all the children at each level will come to Children’s Chapel from 10:00-10:15 am.  The idea behind Children’s Chapel is to bring all the children together as a community to learn and pray together.  At 10:15 am children will go to their respective classes.  Dismissal for Sunday school is at 11:00 am and children may be picked up in the lobby of the Parish Hall or they will be led into church to meet their families in the 10:15 service. 

Vacation Bible School
Donna Carbone, coordinator

St. James' also offers a Vacation Bible School program in the summer. Vacation Bible School meets for five mornings during one week during the summer. Many of the Church School teachers return to teach or help out at Vacation Bible School.

Youth Group
Linda Coleman, coordinator

The Youth Group meets once a month for a discussion and meeting. Generally, there is one activity or event on a given weekend every month.  The purpose of the youth group is to help our young people grow in their faith and to enjoy time together for fun, intergenerational activities and service projects.

For information about anything in which you are interested in participating, please contact Father Carl at 294-6225.

Education For Ministry (EFM)
Joann LaBrecque, coordinator

Every baptized person is called to ministry. The Education for Ministry (EFM) program provides people from all walks of life with the education "to be" Christians and carry out their ministry. All Christians need a Christian education which supports their faith and which prepares them to express that faith in day-to-day events.

EFM is a world wide program developed by the School of Theology of the University of the South, Sewanee, TN. It holds before us that the foundation for bringing Christ to the world lies in a Church empowered by an active theologically articulate laity.

Theological & Moral Choices

Thousands of persons have completed this four-year program. You can enroll one year at a time, can transfer almost anywhere in the USA and in many foreigh countries, and can obtain 18 Continuing Education Units per year by participating here at St. James's Church.

Theological Reflection

As students in the EFM course, we spend time during our discussion period each week developing our skills at something called Theological Reflection. A student volunteers a passage of scripture, an incident from life or perhaps a current event for discussion. Participants learn to listen carefully and reflect on what has been presented. They then go on to consider the situation from an abstract or objective perspective so that we can discuss the matter from the point of view of our Christian tradition, our culture, our personal viewpoint and continue by considering implications for our future actions. Theological Reflection is a "mind-stretching" exercise that helps us connect the topics of our reading and study with relevant concerns in every day life. Students are respectful and caring of others viewpoints and the discussion can be lively and fun!

Current Schedule

At this time the EFM program meets every Monday evening in Goshen from 7:15 to 10:00 PM from mid September to mid June, with some exceptions for holidays. We try to keep to the school calendar when possible. Students are asked to make a firm commitment to the schedule in order to fully benefit from the small group discussions and support of a study community. Each student has from one to two hours of reading each week to prepare for the program. All materials are provided.