Groups and ClassesEmmaus Groups | Covenant Periods| Upcoming Classes and Groups | Wellness Ministries | Bible Study Groups
 All Christians need the support, accountability, and prayer that come from belonging to a small group of spiritual companions. At St. Stephen’s, Emmaus Groups are made up of six to 10 people who pledge to meet for an hour and a half each week for 10 weeks. There are three ten-week “covenant periods,” and you can decide each covenant period if you wish to join or remain in a group. While we have listed a brief sampling below, the array of groups is unlimited and more are forming all the time. Some meet in the morning, some in the evening; different groups meet on different days of the week according to the needs of the group. Many groups focus on the Bible readings for the coming Sunday (these are known as lectionary-based groups), others on a particular book, writer or theologian, others on a life passage; and others on a spiritual practice such as silence, or an activity such as yoga or needlework. Groups can form around any topic that is agreeable and that works with the four Emmaus “pillars,” which are spiritual reflection; mutual care and support; prayer; and service.For the Spring Covenant Period beginning the week of March 26, we will have a new Emmaus group for men who would like to explore their own spiritual journeys with other men, meeting Wednesday nights at 6:30. This will be a lectionary-based group (studying the gospel passage assigned for each Sunday), to be led by Lee Mumford and one other man (TBA). All ages are welcome, and we especially hope younger men will consider this opportunity.
A Tuesday afternoon group will meet at 3:30 p.m. Also lectionary-based, this group will be for individuals who serve in a caregiving role. Lynn Burgess will facilitate.
Groups with current openings meet Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening.
Please contact Gene LeCouteur if you would like to join a group (or form one).
Covenant periods for the 2011-2012 program year are listed below. Contact Gene LeCouteur for more information.
Fall: Week of September 26 through the week of November 28, 2011
Winter: Week of January 9 through the week of March 12, 2012 Spring: Week of March 26 through the week of May 28, 2012
Including Bible study and Wellness Ministries
Inquirers Class: Real Questions for a Real Faith
Led by the clergy staff
Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., March 28-May 9, 2012
What do I have to believe to be a Christian? What does it mean to be “saved”? Who gets to go to heaven? What about people who are from different religious traditions or who are atheists? What do Episcopalians believe about the Bible? What is Baptism all about? Do I have to believe everything in the creeds? Do Episcopalians believe that Christ is really present in Communion, or is Communion just a symbol? How does prayer work?
These are just some of the questions that make for fascinating discussion in the Inquirers Class. In fact, this class is based on questions—your questions—and any question is fair game. The history behind some of the answers will surprise you, and your own capacity to handle these questions with integrity and faith might well inspire you. Join the rector for this seven-week course on the basics of Christianity and the richness of Anglicanism and The Episcopal Church. If you think you would like to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church, this class is for you. If you have been an Episcopalian all your life and would like a refresher—or you just have lots of questions!—this class is for you, too.
The final class in each section consists of an instructed Eucharist which is open to all, including those who are taking the class.
Contact Janet Allen for more information.
New Offering for the Easter season! James, the Brother of Jesus | Register here
Monday evenings, April 16 - June 4, 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Led by Betsy Tyson Join us for Beth Moore's new study, "James." James, Jesus' own brother, started out as a skeptic. See how one glimpse of the resurrected Savior turned an unbeliever into a disciple. Topics include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom, gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humilty, and prayer.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training | video
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has been a transformative experience for the young children who have experienced it here at St. Stephen’s–and just as much for the adults who have participated as catechists (guides). This is not traditional Sunday school, and the role of the adult in the Atrium is not that of a traditional teacher. Not only will you find the training a profoundly spiritual experience, you will enjoy deepened relationships with your fellow catechists. St. Stephen’s annually offers training for catechists in both Level I and Level II, led by one of the premier Catechesis trainers in the world, Anna Hurdle. For information about upcoming opportunities to participate, contact Abigail Whorley in the parish office.
Contemplative Prayer
Year-round offering Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m. in the lounge Led by
Henry Burke and Millie Cain
Silence is God's first language. Words are a poor translation. --Father Thomas Keating
We gather to sit together in silence. We have a short walking meditation and then a contemplative dialogue. We close with silence. All are welcome.
Wellness and Salvation
The importance of wellness ministries at St. Stephen’s has its roots in the ancient Christian understanding of salvation. To be saved is not simply a matter of believing or doing the right things in order to go to heaven when you die. Instead, to be saved is, quite simply, to be made whole and well.
The New Testament word for “salvation” is the same word for “healing” and “making whole.” Our English word, “salve,” helps us to recover this ancient understanding of salvation. A salve, of course, is an ointment or other agent of healing.
We see our wellness ministries as extensions of the healing ministry of Jesus. These ministries encourage:
-Holistic approaches to health of body, mind, and spirit.
-Healing of our relationships with God, our neighbors, and ourselves.
-Greater balance, mindfulness, and centeredness in daily life.
-Healthy and responsible habits in daily living.
-Lives of Christ-like compassion, healing, and presence for a wounded world.
Nurse practitioners Cherry Jones and Dale Purrington offer this class with presentations and discussion centered around Michael Pollan’s short book, Food Rules. Participants learn how to eat more simply and healthily, and in the process discovering the reasons behind some of the more important "rules." The class demonstrates how dramatically the modern western diet has changed and why culturally indigenous diets have historically been so much healthier than typical practices today. This class builds on the assumption that caring for our bodies is inextricably linked to caring for our souls and our minds, and the goal is to give us tools and information for making healthy, life-giving choices. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at St. Stephen's.
Into Stillness: Mindfulness Meditation and Stress Management | Offered each Covenant Period Spring dates: Sundays (for new students), beginning March 25 for five sessions (skipping Easter), 6:45-7:50 p.m.; Tuesday class (experienced students) continues through March 28, 7:15-8:45 p.m. Led by Jo Ann Bibb, MS, Bon Secours Richmond, Cardiac Wellness $25/person per Covenant Period
Learning to be still and present is a key component of wellness and growth in the spiritual life, and an important tool for anyone who wishes to learn classical disciplines of Christian meditation and to receive the gift of contemplation. This class is also valuable for people who are looking for new ways of dealing with stress, using the same principles used in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a proven method for reducing stress.
The Sunday evening class is timed to allow those who attend the Celtic service (at 5:30 p.m.) and/or the Compline service (8 p.m.) to continue to do so.
Yoga Tuesdays, 6-7:15 p.m., led by Emily Cobb
$10 per session; no registration required
Yoga is for all and ages and levels and the benefits are many. It increases strength and flexibility, removes tensions, focuses the mind and teaches the practitioner to use breathing as a way to relax the body.
Contact Gene LeCouteur for more information on these offerings; no registration required. Mothers Bible Study | Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. Contact: Alice Reiniger, 360-0179
This Bible study is lectionary-based and leadership is shared among members of the group. Child care is available if requested in advance.
Thursday Bible Study | Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. This weekly group, open to all, focuses on specific books of the Bible, September-May and is led by members of the parish staff.
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