Discipleship

In most of our Christian journeys, there comes a time when we want to go a little deeper, know a little more about God and give a little more of ourselves to God's work. We call that Discipleship, and it is as simple as attending a short multi-week class, attending a Bible Study or Discipleship Group, serving on a Ministry Team, or working with one of our Outreach projects. Here are our current offerings:

Adult Bible Study (all of these are "open," just show up)

• Men's Bible Study -- 7:00AM Wednesdays
• Mixed Bible Study -- 6:00PM Thursdays
• Lectionary Bible Study -- 9:00AM Sundays

Discipleship Groups (these groups begin and end with Discipleship Vows (download card below) and in the middle they can do any activity, most often read a book together, study the Bible, or pray. Discipleship Groups often create new outreach projects in the community. These groups are open to new members, but do require an ongoing commitment to attend and participate rather than "drop-in." Talk to Fr. Mark about joining one of these or beginning a new group!

• ​​Women's Discipleship Bible Study -- 3:00PM Wednesdays
• Mixed Discipleship Prayer Group -- 12:00PM Thursdays

Adult Education

Our clergy and lay leaders offer year-around classes of varying duration, most meeting weekly for 4-6 weeks. Schedules vary, but there is typically a class either going or upcoming. Some classes are offered on a rotating schedule annually (the "Basics" courses), some are one-time. We are always looking for new and interesting studies to offer.

​An example of classes offered recently:

• Basic Bible --covers the origins, authors, themes, and reliability of both the Old and New Testaments. 
• Basic Anglicanism -- covers the history of the Episcopal Church, its relationship to the worldwide Anglican Communion, including the Church of England,  and its grounding in the Book of Common Prayer. 
• Basic Discipleship -- read together "The Restoration Project" by Christopher Martin and explore the tradition of Benedictine discipleship and its application in our busy lives.
  
• Basic Christianity --  covers the history and meaning of what Christ meant when he said "The Kingdom of Heaven has come near to you," and "Follow me."
• "The 3 Color of Ministry" -- examines the gifts we all bring to ministry and identifies the unique gifts of each individual.
• "Who Is This Man" -- study of Jesus with author John Ortberg.
• "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" -- author Joanna Weaver looks at how busy women can find room for faith.
• "Embracing the Prophets in Contemporary Culture" -- a look at what the prophets can teach us about today's economy with renowned scholar Walter Brueggeman.
• "The Advent Conspiracy" -- how to get real about Christmas.

Ministry Teams

It takes lots of committed folks to do the work of a church. At St. Francis, we depend on our Rector and Clergy, our Vestry (governing board), and our Lay Volunteers to work together to get it all accomplished. There is always more work to do than time or resources to do it, but we are not called to be perfect, rather to offer ourselves in faithful service and do what we can. We believe that everyone has unique talents and gifts, and that when we work in those areas of our gifts we find joy and when we work outside our gifts we get disappointed and burned out. So everyone is encouraged to find a place to serve where they are fed and filled with joy. No commitment is forever, and so expect and encourage turnover on our teams. Where can you help? Our current Ministry Teams are:
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• Outreach and Community Service
• Christian Formation -- Youth and Adult
• Pastoral Visitation
• Parish Life and Growth
  
• Finance
  
• Communications