"Our God is not only worshiped, but also engaged."

Christian Education is a journey that begins from the earliest years and continues well through our senior years. Our engagement with God brings a continual unfolding of wisdom and growth.  A vital part of our Christian community is spending time together, sharing our experiences with each other as we grow in our knowledge and love of God.

As we minister to each other in this way our lives are transformed, and we grow together as members of the one Body of Christ. Our classes and other educational offerings aim to hold up both our uniqueness and our unity as each of us grows and learns.

The 2009-2010 Program Year at St. Stephen's begins September 6 with the Blessing of the Back Packs and Sunday School/Youth Group registration. It continues with an outdoor worship service and all-parish picnic at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on September 13.  Classes for all ages begin September 20.

Invest 2 Children and Youth Education

St. Stephen's offers a variety of Sunday morning education opportunities for children, from Sunday School for youngsters age three through 5th grade, to our Journey to Adulthood Program for young people in middle and high school. A Children's Chapel for children aged 3 to 7 is held during the Word of God (the first half of the 10:30 Mass) each Sunday.  Children return to the Nave to receive Holy Communion with their families. Children in third grade and up are invited to join the Acolyte Corps. First graders and older are invited to join the Children's Choir.

Invest 2 Adult Education Classes

Each fall through spring, we are delighted to offer courses of Christian education and formation at St. Stephen’s for people of different ages and at different points in their spiritual journeys. We invite you to invest two hours out of a week which is doubtless filled with deadlines and decisions and crises and carpools and sports practices and all the “stuff” which comprises life in these hectic times. It is our hope that by investing two hours each week, one for learning and one for worship, you will encounter deeper levels of meaning in your life.

The four- or five-week classes start this year on September 20 and run through the end of May, 2010.  Please see "Adult Education" on this web site or contact our Parish Office for more information.

In the words of Henry David Thoreau: "Goodness, godliness, service, peace, and commitment are the only investments which never fail."

Education for Ministry (EfM)

Education for Ministry, or EfM, is a program of theological education-at-a-distance of the School of Theology of the University of the South.  Students sign up for one year at a time with this four-year program.  It covers the basics of a theological education in the Old and New Testaments, church history, liturgy, and theology.  Students meet regularly, usually once a week, under the guidance of a trained mentor.

The St. Stephen's class meets weekly on Monday evenings from September through May.  New students are invited to sign up each year before the beginning of classes.

Please contact Krisan Lamberti at moonlightK@aol.com  for more information.  

We are happy to announce a new EfM daytime class beginning this fall.  Please contact jmurphy@sseds.org for more information.