The Letter of James tells us, “Faith without works is dead,” which encourages us to be active in outreach and compassion for others.  Christian formation (sometimes called Christian education) helps us understand why we are called to help those in need.

Christian formation is founded on the belief that each of us is on a lifelong spiritual journey and, as a community, we can undertake parts of that journey together.  Emmanuel Church encourages spiritual learning and spiritual growth through programs that support spiritual development. Members of the Emmanuel community seek a better understanding of the Bible through study and through short learning sessions, such as reading the Gospel of Mark aloud and viewing a series of videos by Professor Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University that tie Hebrew scripture and first-century history to help us better understand the teachings of Jesus. Emmanuel offers a weekly opportunity for contemplative or centering prayer, though which we seek to deepen our relationship with God.  

For the past two years, Emmanuel has hosted a seminar with a Benedictine monastic leader exploring St. Benedict’s “way of peace” and how to apply it to our modern lives. From time to time, Emmanuel has hosted movie nights to watch films with a theme that relates to spiritual growth.  We have also met to discuss how better to live our faith in responding to the problem of poverty or how to live our faith in the workplace. Emmanuel has offered parishioners opportunities to make pilgrimages to Iona and Holy Island to understand the Celtic influence on Anglican and Episcopal thought and to Canterbury Cathedral to see how Christianity flowered in the South of England.  These pilgrimages included worship services, contemplation, nature walks, and time to reflect on our beliefs and traditions. For most of 2026, many of these programs have been led by laypersons.  Emmanuel will offer more opportunities for Christian formation in the months ahead.