CHRISTIAN FORMATION

Christian Formation, our development and growth into our faith, is a life-long process.  It begins, for many of us, at our Baptism when we are brought into the Christian Community.   The development of our faith life continues during our formative years when we are in elementary, middle, and high school through our parents sharing their faith tradition with us and through Sunday School and Confirmation programs.  And it continues as we progress into adulthood.  It is imperative that we never assume that at some stage we are finished being formed as Christians.  Like our skills and talents and hobbies, the ability to understand, communicate and live the faith of the Risen Christ takes learning, practice and committment.

In the parish family of Saint Paul we take Christian Formation very seriously and we provided many opportunities for all members of the parish, and the wider community, to come to know Jesus Christ better.

Devote some time each week to the deepening of the understanding of your faith, of your relationship to the Risen Christ, of the Scriptures, of your Church, and of ways that we can proclaim the Gospel to a broken and hurting world. Please join us, as Together We Build the Kingdom of God.

Please feel free to contact us to find our more information about our Christian Formation programs or to suggest programs that you would like to see us offer.  We can be contacted by mail at P.O. Box 96, 340 Locust Street, Columbia, PA  17512 or by e-mail at stpaulepchcolumbia@earthlink.net or by phone at 717-684-8496.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

 FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE

Sunday School

A Jubilee Ministry Center

Please call the parish office (684-8496) to register your children / grandchildren.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Mary Elizabeth Bair Parish Center

Our preschool and Grade 1 program will be using the Living the Good News Program which uses the Sunday readings and the great stories of the Bible to help our children understand their relationship to God.  Our Grade 2 through Grade 8 program will use the Seasons of the Spirit curriculum which uses the Lectionary readings for each Sunday to help our children practice what they learn in Sunday School.  Each Sunday (except as noted below) our young people gather together to pray, sing songs, listen to the Scripture reading, and make their offerings to God.  They then go to their classrooms for instruction, learning, crafts and other activties suggested by the curriculum and / or the teacher.  The offerings that the children make are brought forward at our Sunday worship by the children.

Preschool - ages 3 - 5 and grade 1

Elementary School - grades 2 - 8

The High School program is the Adult Forum Program that is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Sundays.  Please see the Adult Christian Formation information for dates, topics, and times.

Our Sunday School is open to all members of the community.  You do not need to be a member of Saint Paul's to be part of our Sunday School.

There will be no Sunday School class on Sunday, March 28 (due to Palm Sunday breakfast) and Sunday, April 4 (due to Easter Egg hunt for young people)

Call 717-684-8496 to register or e-mail us at stpaulepchcolumbia@earthlink.net

Confirmation Program

This program prepares young people for Confirmation to be celebrated when the Bishop visits the parish on Sunday, June 6.  Parents, in conversation with their children, should make the decision as to when their child should be confirmed.  A reasonable age to begin thinking about Confirmation is when the child is 12 - 16.  Confirmation is a commitment by the individual to a life based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim his name, therefore some level of understanding of what this means is necessary.  To be confirmed at Saint Paul, the young person must be an active member of the parish for at least six months.  An active member is defined as someone who is a regular particpant in Sunday School, attending church on Sunday on a regular basis, and a member of the parish youth group.  The upper age for Confirmation class is 13.  Young people older than 13 will be part of the adult class (Inquirer's Class) for Confirmation / Reception.  The dates for the 2010 Confirmation Program are:  Sunday, April 11, April 18, May 2, May 16, and May 23.  Classes begin at 12:00 noon and last about an hour.  To get more information now and / or to register your child, please call the parish office at 684-8496 or at stpaulepchcolumbia@earthlink.net

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

FOR

ADULTS

A Jubilee Ministry Center

There are two programs for Adult Christian Formation:  the Sunday / Monday / Wednesday Adult Forum Programs and the Spring Adult Faith Renewal (Inquirer's) Program.  All our Adult Christian Formation programs are open to anyone in the community.  You do not need to be a member of Saint Paul's to attend.

Adult Forum Programs

Those in grades 9 - 12 at Saint Paul's  will particpate in the Sunday / Monday / Wednesday Adult Forums as their Sunday School Program.  Parents / Grandparents should call the parish office (684-8496) to register the young people for this program.  Adults do not need to register for this program.

ADULT FORUM (MONDAYS)

Beginning on the first Monday of October and continuing through the Monday before Ash Wednesday the Monday Adult Forum takes place at 7:00 p.m. at Saint John Lutheran Church (unless otherwise noted).  This program is a joint program of Saint Paul Episcopal  Church, Saint John Lutheran Church, and Saint James Lutheran Church.

Our Monday Adult Forum has ended for the year.  It will begin again in October 2010.

Dates, topics, and speakers for the Wednesday Adult Forum (Lent) and the Sunday Adult Forum (Easter Season) will be posted as informataion is finalized.

ADULT FORUM (WEDNESDAYS)

This program is held on the Wednesday evenings of Lent and is a joint effort between Saint Paul Episcopal Church and several Lancaster County-based Episcopal Churches.

Wednesday, March 10 - Saint Paul, Columbia

6:00 p.m. - Dinner

7:00 p.m. - Program:  Healing Through the Scriptures

Wedneday, March 24 - Saint Paul, Manheim

6:00 p.m. - Dinner

7:00 p.m. - Prayer Service of Healing

ADULT FORUM (SUNDAYS)

Begins on the Sunday after Easter and runs through the Sunday before the Pentecost.  It is held at 9:05 a.m. in the Rector's Office.  Come join Father Patrick in a lively discussion on a variety of topics that are critically important to us as a parish family and a member of the Body of Christ.  Confront, challenge, lean, pray, discern, and grow.

Sunday, April 11

9:05 a.m. - Who is Jesus of Nazareth?  We believe - yet do we understand?

Sunday, April 18

9:05 a.m. - The Liturgy of the Church.  We do it every Sunday, but does it change our lives?

Sunday, April 25

9:05 a.m. - Mary - the mother of Jesus.  Just what do we know about this remarkable woman?

Sunday, May 2

9:05 a.m. - Authority in the church - Who is the boss?

Sunday, May 9

9:05 a.m. - The Anglican Communion Covenant - will it save the church or kill it?

Sunday, May 16

9:05 a.m. - What does it mean to be a Christian in today's world?

ADULT FAITH RENEWAL

(Inquirer's Class)

This program prepares our young people and adults (14 years of age and older) who would like to become a member of the Episcopal Church and need to be Baptized, Confirmed and / or Received when the Bishop visits the parish on Sunday, June 6.  For an adult person to be confirmed or received they must be an active member of the parish for at least six months.  To be an active member means to attend church on Sunday on a regular basis, particpate in the prayer, educational, and social life of the parish, and to contribute to the ministry and mission of the parish through their time, talent, and treasure.  High school students must also be attending the Adult Forum (the high school Sunday School) and be an active part of the parish youth group.  Current members who would like to renew and deeped their understanding of the faith are also welcome.  The class schedule for 2010 is:  Sunday, April 11, April 18, May 2, May 16, May 23.  Each class begins at 12:00 noon and lasts about an hour.  To get more information or to register, please contact the parish office at 684-8496 or at stpaulepchcolumbia@earthlink.net