Our program of Christian Education at Grace Church includes everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult. We believe that Christian Education is a life-long process of formation, instruction, and education that is inherent in all that we do. Our basic formation takes place in worship as we experience the rites and ceremonies that express our faith. That formative process is supplemented by instruction and ever changes as we reflect on what we believe in the midst of experiencing life. We call that reflective experience education. Thus, Christian Education occurs as we worship on Sunday morning as well as when we sit in class or gather around the table at a meal or discuss a movie.

We Episcopalians are a liturgical people. That means that what we do in worship forms and expresses our ideas about God. We live by a liturgical calendar. We begin with the season of Advent that tells us someone is coming. We celebrate God’s coming to us in human form-incarnation, which means in the flesh- at Christmas. In Epiphany we celebrate the revelation that the one who has come is really God’s Son. In Lent we participate in the unfolding drama of Jesus’ rejection by his own people which culminates in the events of Holy Week. At Easter we celebrate the defeat of our worst enemy, death. At Pentecost we are renewed by God’s gift of the Holy Spirit who resides in and empowers the community of faith.

All that we do as the community of faith forms our belief and strengthens us to live in a world that does not necessarily believe in the God of our fathers. Come and celebrate our life together.

Christian Education for Children

Our comprehensive program is designed to take full advantage of a child’s unique capacity to experience spiritual reality. We believe that children have an innate ability to see God in the world around them. The teacher’s role is not to impart information to unknowing subjects, but to be a guide and pilgrim on a journey whereby both teacher and student experience God’s presence. These classes are designed to draw children and youth out so that they can tell us what they see and hear of God.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd  is our program of  education and formation for children ages 3 ½ to Kindergarten. It meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. The program uses a Montessori approach and invites children to grow closer to God through interactive experiences. For example, children learn about worship through the preparation of a child-sized altar for Holy Communion. Other such experiences reveal the character of God and Jesus, teach well-known Bible stories, and offer opportunities to learn about prayer and other practices and traditions of Christians. And because the space (the room) where this interaction and learning happens is sacred, it is given the special name atrium. The atrium is located in room 210 of the children's wing, down the hall from the church nursery.

Gospel Light is a brand new offering for 2007-08! Gospel Lighters is where kids, 1st through 3rd grades, learn and apply biblical truths in fun and enjoyable ways with age-appropriate lessons. Here they will explore Bible stories and verses that they are able to understand and recall, and that will teach them about Jesus, their Savior. This exciting curriculum incorporates music, games, science activities, storytelling, and art. Join us Sundays at 9:30 AM in room 219 of the children's wing.

Spirit Rockers is for children in grades 4 & 5 . The Spirit Rockers meet on Sunday mornings during the education hour (9:30 to 10:30 AM) and at other times for special activities and events. Each year the Spirit Rockers hold a Craft and Bake Sale to raise money for their outreach project, Sonrise Camp. Not only were they able to contribute over $700 towards this ministry, but also gave hands-on help at the camp on several weekends. The group also enjoys other fun outings.  Curriculum changes will provide a fresh resource for the Spirit Rockers this year, as well as a new room for meeting Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM! Preteens will be presented a reason to stay engaged--with meaningful mentoring relationships that lead them to discover what the Bible says about real-life issues in their daily lives. This is not just an ordinary Sunday school class! Come check it out. The Spirit Rockers  meet in room 109 of The Grace Center.

Vacation Bible School is held for one week each summer for children ages 4 through 5th grade. Music, food, art, recreation, and Bible lessons are a part of this fun and inspiring week for all of our children. VBS is also open to children in the community.

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Christian Education for Youth

Journey to Adulthood is the program we use to instruct, educate and form the middle and high school youth of our church. Developed by St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Durham, NC, and used at Grace since 1999, the program provides a holistic approach to ministry with and for youth. Traditional Sunday school and youth group activities are combined by the program with the objective of creating a community of peers for the participating youth. Within this community of peers, the youth journey together to adulthood while learning about and developing the traits and characteristics that makes one an adult believer and church member.
 
The program consists of three age groups for the 2007-08 school year, each led by a team of adult leaders.

Rite 13 Our 6th and 7th graders are members of the group known as Rite 13. The name for this group comes from the ceremony that marks and celebrates the beginning of the teenage years that all youth in Rite 13 participate in to conclude this portion of the Journey program. The Rite 13 ceremony is also a recognition of the formation of the group of peers that they will be with throughout the entire Journey to Adulthood program. Rite 13 meets in room 111 in The Grace Center.

J2A Eighth and ninth graders are members of J2A, which is simply an acronym for the name of the entire program. J2A invites participating youth to go deeper with regards to their spirituality, personal and interpersonal development, and the members of the group will undertake a pilgrimage at the end of the year lasting about 10 days. The pilgrimage seeks to integrate the learning and the relationships of this segment of the program. Groups from Grace have gone on pilgrimage to the Lakota Reservation in S. Dakota, to the Cathedrals of England, to Italy in study of St. Francis and St. Clare and most recently to Greece to study the writing of St. Paul. J2A meets in room 126 in The Grace Center.

YAC, Tenth and eleventh graders are members of the fourth and final group known as YAC.  YAC stands for Young Adults in the Church.  This part of the Journey program is a culminating finish of the preparation for becoming adult members of the church as they approach the time that they will move out of their high school years and into adult life.  Part of the preparation for being an adult in the church is time spent preparing for and participation in the rite of Confirmation. Our goal is that as the youth finish their high school years they will be prepared to go forth into the world with the ability to live into the faith journey begun and formed here at Grace Episcopal Church. YAC meets in room 115 of The Grace Center.
 
The Journey groups meet Sunday mornings and two Sunday evenings each month from August to May and at other times as scheduled. Each group has its own room in The Grace Center.

Annual Youth Retreat
Our entire youth group and leadership begins the year with a 3-day retreat at Camp Mikell. The retreat is a wonderful and fun-filled spiritual experience.

January Lock-In
One of the highlights of the year is the January Lock-In which combines social activities with moving prayer at the stroke of midnight. Almost 70 Grace youth and their friends attended last year.

Annual Pilgrimage Auction
The J2A Auction is held each spring as the primary fundraiser for the Pilgrimage which completes the middle section of the Journey program. This exciting and entertaining event offers a multitude of silent auction items and a live auction of beautiful art, sports and concert tickets, vacation getaways, and other wonderful donations. The 2008 auction will be held on Saturday night, April 19. The youth will be selling tickets prior to the event and at the door.

Other Opportunities for Youth
There will be many additional opportunities for Grace Church youth over the next year. These include the wonderful programs organized by the Diocese of Atlanta, such as New Beginnings, Happening, diocesan youth conferences, and the annual Hunger Walk, as well as numerous other events sponsored by Grace Church. Information about these opportunities will be shared with all youth.

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Christian Education for Adults

The Adult Education Committee organizes the Sunday Morning offerings, the programs for Great Wednesday at Grace, and Movie Nights, as well as working with other opportunities for Christian Education. Details will be announced in The Evangelist, but here’s an overview of these programs:

Adult Inquirers: Episcopalian 101 A class for newcomers and others interested in an overview of the Episcopal expression of Christianity, to be offered on Sunday mornings beginning January 6. Led by the rector, the class explores church history, church customs, the Bible, and more. All interested adults are invited to participate and opportunity is given at the end of the class to be presented to our bishop for Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows. Sundays at 9:30 AM in The Grace Center Conference Room

Sunday Morning Forum In the Sunday Forum our topics and approaches are wide-ranging and varied. The remaining topics for this school year are listed below. Sundays at 9:30 AM in the Parish Hall

March 30: An Overview of Environmental Ethics
Jay Gaspar will lead a discussion on Environmental Ethics and its founder, Holmes Rolston, in preparation for Dr. Rolston’s appearance in Gainesville for Earth Day, 2008.

April 6 & 27: African & Native American Spirituality
Our guest speaker will be Dr. Gnimbin Outtara, a wonderful speaker and an emerging academic star at Brenau.

April 13: Dreams Agnes Parker, wife of Grace Church Rector Emeritus, the late Nat Parker, will talk about “Dreams and Synchronicity: The Wisdom Side of God."  Agnes is a founding member of Natural Spirituality and a leader of a dreams group at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia.  She also teaches at the Hayden Institute Summer Conference on Dreams.

April 20 Bishop Alexander will be with us and lead a discussion prior to the confirmation service.

May 4 & 11: In the News We will discuss “In the News — Headlines That Make us Pause.”

The Seekers The Seekers is an opportunity for adults to explore contemporary Christian belief in the context of their own lives and experiences, so that they might become more spiritually grounded. Specific, relevant themes will be discussed and the format may be in the form of books, guest speakers, newspaper articles. The Seekers are currently focused on a series called The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority- Achieving Victory through Surrender by Adrian Rogers. Sundays at 9:30 AM in the Parish Hall Parlor

Great Wednesdays at Grace As in the Sunday Forum, our programs that follow the GWAG meal will be shorter and eclectic. Upcoming program topics for GWAG are listed below. Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall

April 2, 9 & 16: Caregiving During this three week series, we will use a great handbook published by the Harvard Medical School, copies of which will be available at a cost of $5. The program on April 2 will feature The Reverend Dr. William Carr with the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia. The speaker for April 9 will be our own Jason Voyles, an attorney with special training in elder law. On April 16 we will hear from Ronda Rogers of Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center. learn more

April 23 Dick Freeman will generously host us for an informative visit to The Northeast Georgia History Center.

April 30 & May 7: Literature and Life Choices Dr. Bruce Morgan, Pastor Emeritus at First Baptist Church in Griffin and a teacher at BULLI and highly regarded occasional speaker at our Sunday Forum, will lead a two week program on Literature and Life Choices.

May 14: Believers’ Band Our final program will feature the Believers’ Band from First United Methodist Church.

Movie Night On movie nights, adults gather once monthly in the Youth Room to view selected movies addressing a wide variety of themes from various vintages. Light refreshments are served, and informal discussion before and following the movie helps us understand and enjoy these movies more fully. A very casual occasion; attendees are encouraged to suggest their own favorite films. 2nd Fridays at 7:00 PM in The Grace Center

Education for Ministry Education for Ministry, often called EfM for short, is a wonderful program for adults and older teens developed by the School of Theology of the University of the South. The program provides an overview of the Christian faith and life through a small group experience. Participants are asked to make a commitment for one academic year, September to May, and during that time meet weekly for several hours. The entire program lasts four years and the topics for each year are Old Testament, New Testament, Church history, and theology. 

Special Offerings The Adult Education Committee continues to work on special opportunities for the enrichment of Grace Church’s adults. Watch for details of special offerings.

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