St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

215 N. 7th, Terre Haute, Indiana

Adult Formation and Fellowship

Soup and study small

Ongoing

Basics of Faith

Our Basics Classes will give each of us the building blocks we need to build a thriving faith. Over the course of the year, we will explore the major themes of our faith, our scripture, our tradition, and our living. We will learn and share and have the opportunity to explore our common faith in a generous and inviting setting.

The Biblical Wild

The Thursday evening (5:30 pm) Bible study called The Biblical Wild is our weekly exploration of the breadth and depth of our holy scripture with the purpose of not only reading and absorbing our scripture, but in building our capacity to tell our common story richly and with hope. Our focus is on not only the story we read, but also the lives we are living and how our story fits in with the wider story. It is based on the ongoing Bible study of the same name.

Other classes

Our adult formation classes and gatherings vary according to season, interest, and the questions people are asking. Recent offerings include:

  • A Lenten study based on Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan’s The Last Week
  • An Advent study based on Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan’s The First Christmas
  • The Bible Challenge (see below on this page!)
  • Anglican Ways: An Introduction to Anglican Worship and Spiritual Practice (fall 2013)
  • The Lord’s Prayer, using John Dominic Crossan’s The Greatest Prayer: Rediscovering the Revolutionary Message of the Lord’s Prayer  (summer 2013)
  • Jesus Was An Episcopalian (And You Can Be One Too), using Chris Law’s book of the same name (Lent 2013)
  • America’s Generations, using Chuck Underwood-2 session DVD series (April 2013)

Watch the Sunday announcement page, the Messenger newsletter, and the “Upcoming Events” announcements on the website home page for dates, times, and announcements of new offerings. Join us as we discover together what life in Christ can be and explore the practice and questions of faith.

Women Dinkim smalling Out (Monthly)

This monthly gathering is Girls’ Night Out with a twist. It’s open to all women and girls in our congregation and their friends. On the second Wednesday of every month we gather at the church for potluck, often with a theme. (We’ve done Mexican, Hawaiian, Thanksgiving, and many others.) We enjoy the food and each other’s company. The twist is that we then donate whatever we would normally spend for dining out. The proceeds are collected for a period of months and then donated to a cause we all agree with. Our first WDO donation of $700 was given to the CODA organization in memory of Robin Chillington. Our current cause involves supplies for a women’s prison project. Watch the Sunday leaflet or the Parish Calendar for dates and themes. Hope to see you at the next WDO!

The Bible Challenge (Lent 2013 to Lent 2014 . . . and beyond!)

The Bible Challenge is simply this: a challenge issued by our interim rector and our bishop to join them and other congregations in reading the Bible, any Bible, daily in 2013. The Bible is our story of the experience of God in our midst. It’s as capable today of speaking God’s truth as it ever was. It is messy, sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, and with plenty of good stuff in between—just like our lives!

Let us challenge and covenant with each other to read the Bible this year. We started reading at the beginning of Lent, but you can start any time. Some days will be better than others, but it’s very possible you’ll notice the practice is speaking to you in noticeable ways, good ways. Reading larger passages at a time is a very different experience than always reading the same pieces we use in worship. Skim the boring passages like the “begats” or the details of the Temple. Dig more deeply where you’re intrigued. If the entire Bible feels overwhelming, consider reading the New Testament or prayerfully reading the Psalms or Luke’s gospel during Lent.

While all you really need is a Bible and the discipline for some time each day, here are some helps already in the plan:

  • The Bible Challenge website offers a wealth of information, ideas, and resources.
  • A reading schedule starting the first Monday of Lent to help with a goal such as reading the entire Bible (click here) or the New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs (click here). These were developed by Trinity Church in Indianapolis. The Bible Challenge site has some slightly different plans, and plenty of others are available. But you don’t need a plan if you don’t want it. The point is simply to read something every day or almost every day.
  • A Facebook comment and discussion group. For Facebook users, this is be a closed group, i.e. only visible to group members, but it’s not an exclusive one. To join, simply email or Facebook-message Mary Slenski.
  • There is an optional accompanying book, The Bible Challenge (ed. Marek Zabriskie) with short background essays and reflection questions for each day written by a large variety of clergy and lay people around the Church. To purchase from forwardmovement.org click here. Kindle and Nook versions are also available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
  • We’ll be holding an adult forum on April 14 and occasionally thereafter to share blessings and challenges with the Challenge.

Any questions, contact Rev. Mary. Let’s let the Holy Spirit speak to us all this year through the Word!