Education
 Adult Sunday School
Meets Sundays at 9am to study a variety of topics.
EFM
The Education for Ministry program is designed to help lay people develop an understanding of their faith through the study of the Bible, church history and theology. EFM encourages lay people to bring that material into dialogue with the events of everyday life. The course is 4 years. The first year being the study of the Old Testament; the second going into the New Testament and third and fourth years studying church history from Jesus’ Resurrection to present time. You don’t have to be a scholar! There are two classes offered: Thursday am @9:00 – 11:00 and Tuesday pm @6:30 – 9:00. Please call Judith Schmitt for more information at 733-9715.
Children's Sunday School
During the school year, we begin Worship for Young People at 9:00 with a light breakfast, fellowship and songs.
9:45-10:40 – Ages 5-7 – participates in Godly Play, a Montessori based spiritual program. This hands-on curriculum is designed to allow children to enter the Bible story and make it their own. We join our families in the church for Holy Communion
9:45-10:45 – Ages 8-10 – explores how real life situations correlate to the Bible stories we study. We join our families in the church for Holy Communion.
During the summer months, children join their families at the 10:00 service. We recess to Hansen Hall for Children’s Chapel during the sermon and return for Holy Communion.
Vacation Bible School
Each summer children ages 3-10 are invited to participate in Vacation Bible School. This 4 day program is full of worship, music, art, games & fun!
Women’s Book Club
After the church dinner on the 4th Wednesday of every month, women are invited to discuss a book we have chosen to read. This multigenerational group offers fellowship, laughter and spirited discussion. All women in the congregation are invited to attend.
Professional Voice Lessons for Children
Carol Bocker, former soloist with The Metropolitan Opera, offers free professional voice lessons to children in the community. Tuesdays from 4:00-4:45 in St. John’s Chapel, all children ages 5-10 are encouraged to participate.
Jackson Hole Kid Games
4th of July, after the parade, join us for old fashioned field games on the lawn of St. John’s Church. Relay races, egg toss, watermelon eating contest and pie throwing are a few of the events. An entry fee of $10.00 includes a t-shirt, picnic lunch and lots of games and laughter.
Adult Formation
Education for Ministry: “EFM” began in the mid-1970’s as an outreach of the theological college at the University of the South. Lecture notes from core courses were distilled into manuals. Hundreds of groups all over the world, ranging in size from 6 to twelve participants, gather 36 weeks a year for a four year course of study covering the basics in Old and New Testament, Anglican and Christian history, and contemporary theology. Fr. Ken was one of the first groups of mentors. Students read each week an approximately 20 page lesson as well as original source material and then gather in their group to debrief their reading and, through a process called “theological reflection,” apply the lesson to modern living. St. John’s sponsors two EFM seminars, on Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.
Summer Bible Study: Every Wednesday morning during the summer months, Fr. Ken leads a book group looking at a new work by one of today’s most engaging Biblical scholars. Past groups have read Marcus Borg, John Shelby Spong, John Dominic Crossen and Bishop N.T. Wright. The conversation is always lively and wide-ranging. Participants need only to purchase the book and come prepared to engage with one another.
Sacred Conversations: One of the characteristics of the Episcopal Church is our ability to engage any topic. God is truth and whether we discover that truth through Holy Scripture or the scientific method or the social sciences, truth glorifies God and is Sacred. Our Sacred Conversations are short term events or series about a pressing topic in God’s world. In the past we have produced The Laramie Project, hosted the world premiere of Brokeback Mountain, partnered with Off Square Theatre to provide talk back sessions for local dramatic productions, and hosted speakers such as Bishop William Swing and Phillip Newell. Our 2009 events include a morning conversation with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, reflections on the crisis in the Sudan and the Bishop of New Hampshire, the Right Reverend Gene Robinson.
Sunday Mornings: Between our two morning services in the Buthenroth Classroom, a group gathers to explore various aspects of the Christian faith and abundant living. Typically, the classes focus on a particular topic for several weeks before switching to examine either or heritage or how to make Christian choices in a difficult environment and a confusing world. In 2009-2010 the main format will be the series Living the Questions.
And Occasionally... St. John’s has a fully equipped teleconferencing studio, which allows us to take part in conferences throughout the nation and the world. We also offer opportunities for newcomers to gather and talk about the experience of participating in a religious tradition that values conversation over indoctrination, sacrament and mystery over literalism and rule making. For some that is a difficult road; for others, it opens unimagined possibilities. These Inquirers’ Groups are a way of imagining a new way of experiencing the presence and power of God in one’s life.
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