Big, Holy Questions: Spiritual Accompaniment for Children and Ourselves 

Presenter: The Rev. Claire Brown, T'20, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Athens, TN

Children have questions about God and faith: creative, big, and challenging questions. While many of these don’t have one clear answer, Christians throughout the ages have given us helpful ways to think and talk about what we believe. Led by the Rev. Claire Brown, co-author of New Directions for Holy Questions: Progressive Christian Theology for Families, this workshop will consider how to explore holy questions with kids from an attitude of wonder and companionship. It will discuss prayer practices, story-telling, and the challenges and transformation we can encounter when we allow ourselves to engage honestly with the big, holy questions of our faith again and again. 

This workshop will be held in Lower Cravens.

Using the Catechumenate as Baptismal Formation

Presenters: The Very Rev. Jim Turrell, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Theology and The Rev. Melissa Hartley, Ph.D., C'93, Senior Associate University Chaplain 

Workshop Description: The catechumenate was the ancient church’s method of baptismal preparation. Lost in the Middle Ages, it was recovered in 20th century liturgical revision as a means of preparation for adult baptism (and sometimes for confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation of baptismal vows). This workshop, led by the Very Rev. Jim Turrell and the Rev. Melissa Hartley, will look at what the catechumenate offers the present-day church, how it can help candidates for baptism, and how it might be implemented in a typical parish. It will examine in particular the 2018 revisions of the catechumenal rites in the Episcopal Church, which are substantially different from earlier versions. Participants are invited to bring their questions and experiences! 

This workshop will be held in the Chapel of the Apostles.

Education for Ministry: From Seminars to Streets

Presenter: The Rev. Kevin M. Goodman, Executive Director, Education for Ministry (EfM)

Workshop Description: For nearly 50 years, Education for Ministry (EfM) has been empowering the people of God to live into their Christian identity through intentional small groups for faith exploration and formation. Participants create communities to learn God’s holy story, the church’s tradition and history, the impact of culture, and how their experiences of God matter. Would you like to learn more about EfM? Led by the Rev. Kevin Goodman, this workshop will discuss how EfM works, equipping followers of Christ to put their faith beliefs into action. 

This workshop will take place in Lower Cravens.

Boundaries, Identity, and Belonging: Observations of Christian Practice on a College Campus

Presenter: The Very Rev. Marcus George Halley, D.Min., T'15, T'22, Chaplain to the College and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 

Workshop Description: It is no secret that religious practice is changing in the West, particularly among millennials and Gen-Z who are less likely to identify with a particular religious tradition. The question of what it means to be a Christian disciple is especially salient in a complex setting like a college campus. This workshop will be led by the Rev. Marcus Halley, author of Proclaim!: Sharing Words, Living Examples, Changing Lives and Abide in Peace: Healing and Reconciliation. It will explore how religious changes are manifesting in one particular context (Trinity College, Hartford, CT), what wisdom experiments in liturgy and formation have yielded, and what these learnings might mean for the broader Christian tradition in the United States.

This workshop will take place in Upper Cravens.