Education for Ministry (EfM) is a distance learning programme of theological education for lay people.

There are four years but participants commit for one year at a time, meeting in small groups for study and practice to aid them in discovering and nurturing their call to Christian service.

EfM helps the faithful encounter the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition and bring it into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship, and engage in theological reflection together.

Participants take what they learn about scripture, church history, theology, inter-faith studies and ethics into their own lives and hearts, in order to support them in living out a vibrant baptismal ministry in the church and in the world. (EfM Canada)

 

EfM invites the people of God to discern and act in faith through small-group reflection. (Sewanee)

EfM helps the faithful encounter the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition and bring it into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship, and engage in theological reflection together. (Sewanee)

“… a special opportunity to explore our faith in an intimate and non-judgmental way.  As our group has explored, shared, agreed and disagreed, I have found myself face-to-face with ideas I had never even considered before. It has caused me to question as well as affirm my beliefs and has led me on a journey with God throughout the week, not just on Sunday mornings.” - Year One participant

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Ministry

"One of the greatest theological insights of the past two decades by most denominations of the Christian Church is that every baptised person is called to the ministry of the whole people of God. The EfM programme provides people with the education and training they need to carry out that ministry." (EfM Canada)

Christian ministry is the vocational work of living and teaching about faith, in the hopes of increasing the population of God's people done by the church, church officials, congregational members, and Jesus followers. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_ministry) 

EfM students

EfM students work with:

  • Year One: Who is Israel?
  • Introduction to the Old Testament by Rolf A. Jacobson and Michael J. Chan
  • Bible Women, 2nd ed. by Lindsay Hardin Freeman
  • Year Two: Who is Jesus?
  • Mind the Gap by Matthias Henze
  • Introducing the New Testament , 2nd ed. by Mark Allan Powell
  • Year Three: Who and What is the Church in the World?
  • A Short World History of Christianity, rev. ed. by Robert Bruce Mullin
  • To Love and Serve – S. Gunn
  • Year Four: Christian Ethics and Spirituality
  • A Primer in Christian Ethics by Luke Bretherton
  • The Spiritual Way: Classical Traditions and Contemporary Practice by Philip F. Sheldrake
  • Wide Angle
  • Inspired by Rachel Held Evans
  • Being Disciples by Rowan Williams
  • Church Meets World by Winnie Vargese
  • Ladder to the Light by Steven Charleston

The Monastic Heart by Joan Chittister

Students meet in weekly seminar groups led by a trained mentor, in those sessions they share their faith journeys and reflect on issues from their daily lives, and their studies. (EfM Canada)

 
Mentors

Laura Dey - efm@stjohnscobblehill.ca or lauradey18@shaw.ca 

Rev. Deborah Rivet - revdeb@shaw.ca