Christian Education and Formation 

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Teams of loving teachers guide children age 4 – grade 5 in learning about God, Jesus, the Bible, and the Church using the 3-year Episcopal Children’s Curriculum. This curriculum
brings to life the Bible, liturgy, and traditions of the Episcopal Church.   Each year all the classes focus on either Baptism, the Eucharist, or worship, plus a theme from the Hebrew Bible and one from the New Testament, and an emphasis on some aspect of being the church.  Over the years, children deepen their understandings of what it means to be an Episcopalian through repeated age-appropriate encounters with the sacraments and the Bible.

YOUTH MINISTRY
Holy Trinity nurtures its older youth in their faith journeys through the Journey to Adulthood program.  Journey to Adulthood, a six-year curriculum, is based on the premise that while manhood and womanhood are free gifts of God, adulthood is earned through study and relationships with peers, the church, and the world.

Rite 13:  The first two-year component of the Journey to Adulthood program, Rite 13 begins every other year with youth in grades six and seven.  Led by a team of committed adults, the youth in Rite 13 consider and celebrate who they are, who they are becoming, and what their responsibilities are in relationships with each other, with their families, and with the church and the world.  Sunday morning gatherings are sometimes discussions and Bible studies, sometimes ping-pong games, and sometimes breakfast at Zorba’s.

J2A:  The second two-year component of the Journey to Adulthood program, J2A builds on the youths’ experiences in Rite 13 and engages them with the skills and critical thinking involved in adulthood.   During the second year, the J2A class learns about the Book of Common Prayer and our Anglican heritage, in preparation for confirmation.  J2A culminates with a spiritual pilgrimage; Holy Trinity pilgrims have traveled to Montreal and Quebec and to New Mexico. 

Young Adults in the Church (YAC):  Older youth gather each week with a group of adult mentors for YAC, where they can discuss topics of interest and how their identity as Christians calls them into the world.   They also head to the mountains for an annual ski trip and engage in outreach ministry. 

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Holy Trinity joins with St. John’s Episcopal Church for Vacation Bible School each year.  This year we’re going to Camp E.D.G.E. (Experience + Discover God Everywhere) on August 3-6.  We’ll have four fun-filled mornings with songs, games, Bible dramatizations, and crafts.  Registration forms are available at the church for children age 4 – rising 6th graders. 

ADULT FORMATION
Christian formation for adults at Holy Trinity is offered in a variety of settings.

Sunday Forums are offered between the 8 a.m. and 10:30 services during the academic year.  Some offerings are multi-week units; others are one- or two-session discussions about a topic.  All are welcome at any time; there’s rarely any preparation requested of those who attend.  Most of the forums are led by lay members; sometimes the clergy teach; and occasionally a guest speaker joins us.  Recent topics have included:

      1. Forgiveness
      2. Death, Dying and the Christian Faith, a five-part series that included presentations by a physician on end-of-life medical issues, a hospice staff member, a funeral director, and a discussion with the clergy about planning your own funeral
      3. Gratitude as a Spiritual Discipline
      4. Religion in the Middle East, a fascinating two-part series on Islam and how Muslims in the Middle East view us, led by an Army colonel who is a parishioner
      5. What’s Happening with the Economy?

Sunday Just-in-Time Bible Studies are offered periodically at the same time as the Forum.  Led by lay leaders, the Bible study focuses on one of the scripture readings for that day. 

Popcorn Theology is a monthly Sunday night gathering to watch a film and munch popcorn together, followed by a discussion led by one of the clergy. 

Mid-week studies for adults at Holy Trinity have included a variety of long- and short-term studies, many from the Disciple program offered by Cokesbury.  Year-long studies of “Christian Believer” and “Jesus and the Gospels” have recently been completed by parishioners, as have shorter (10-12 week) series on the book of Genesis and the Gospel of John.

Quiet Days are offered during Advent and Lent by Mother Jill.  These Saturday experiences are built of brief reflections and blocks of silence.  The labyrinth is always available to walk, and the day concludes with a celebration of the Eucharist.

Monday Night Book Group chooses and reads together books on a variety of topics.  Recent choices have included Christ and the Celts by Philip Newell, Abraham by Bruce Feiler, and An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. 

Welcome to the Episcopal Church, a series of classes designed to orient newcomers to what we do and believe as Episcopalians and to prepare adults desiring to be confirmed, are offered by the clergy several times a year.  

Cursillo reunion groups meet regularly at Holy Trinity.

 

 
 

1601 Raeford Road Fayetteville NC 28305 • Phone: 910-484-2134 • Fax: 910-484-3198