Adult Formation
Wednesday Evenings
After worshiping at Stillpoint at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, pick up your dinner in Haywood Duke and take it downstairs to Broome Hall for a new adult formation series. These gatherings will be more conversational and participatory in nature, offering subject matter related to topics such as the End of Life and What Comes Next, the Mourning Mother Mary in Linda Brown’s poetry, Enneagram Insights, and Becoming Beloved Community. We hope these discussions will be gathering places for a wide variety of people, so invite your friends and neighbors who aren’t Episcopalians or even Christians. Wednesday evenings, throughout the program year, 6:15-7:15 p.m. in Broome Hall
All Year
Education for Ministry helps participants answer the question, “What does life mean in relationship to God and my neighbor?” The course, which meets weekly, September to May, on a weekday morning, requires a year-long commitment. Designed by the University of the South School of Theology at Sewanee, Tenn., EFM includes Bible study, church history, and discussion of views of theologians. It also helps participants define their personal theological view and exercise their call to minister to the world. For more information, contact Libby Haile at 336-314-1022.
Fall 2023
All classes are Sundays, 10:15-11 a.m., in Haywood Duke Room, on the dates listed.
Key Ingredients to Growing a Healthy Parish: This series led by Holy Trinity’s pastoral staff will focus on successful strategies for building our parish in a post COVID era. The series will begin with a seminar-based discussion on discovering our specific spiritual gifts by inventory and experience and how they can be used to build the parish via its members’ gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Facilitator: Dr. Louis Gallien; Speakers: Fr. David Umphlett, Mtr. Sarah Carver, Rev. Mark Lile-King, Canon Catherine Massey; Sept. 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1
Resident Aliens Re-visited: In the late 1980s, two Duke University seminary professors, Bishop William Willimon and Dr. Stanley Hauerwas, both retired deans and professors at Duke Divinity School, wrote the book “Resident Aliens,” a modern follow-up to the classic tome by Reinhold Niebuhr titled “Christ and Culture.” This timely update will utilize insights from their book as we consider its relevancy given our current culture wars. Both men will be invited to offer insights they have gained since the release of the book. Though this is a Sunday morning class, both authors will be present on Wednesday evening, Oct. 18, for an in-person discussion. Facilitator, Dr. Louis Gallien; Oct 8, 15, 22, 29
The Church as Spiritual Art and Architecture: This series will focus on church art and architecture via key literature and field trips to three architecturally significant churches in the South: the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; Christ Church, Alexandria; and the new chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary. The field trip is Friday-Saturday, Nov. 10-11. Facilitator, Fr. David Umphlett; Nov. 5, 12, 19
Advent Programming: The Rev. Dr. Jerry Beavers, who brought us Advent & Christmas in Scripture and Art last year, will return to help us prepare for Christmas. On Dec. 10, he will share the history, theology, and use of crèches (Nativity sets) and how different cultures have appropriated those images. On Dec. 17, his topic will be Saint Nicholas, the Real Santa Claus. We will explore the legend of Santa Claus, which can be traced back to a monk named St. Nicholas who was born around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Dec. 10 and 17
Winter/Spring 2024
Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation: Made in the Image of God: A series of professionals will offer definitions and insights into the wider issues that are either misinforming or informing the popular understanding of these two prevalent and often controversial issues. We will work to see through the sensationalized coverage in the popular press and the heated political debates to understand the real, spiritual humans working out their self-understanding. Facilitator, Dr. Jane Perrin; Jan. 7, 21, 28
Intergenerational Service Day: Details TBA, Jan. 14
Dante and the Good Life: Parishioner and UNCG Professor Tony Cuda will lead a series on the epic tale of Dante’s journey to the afterlife. This journey still excites new readers and offers resonant insights into why we suffer and how we learn. The class will focus on how Dante uses tales of sin, loyalty, longing, and sacrifice to convey what it means, within and without the Christian tradition, to live the good life. Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25
Into the Field of Suffering: Dr. David Schenck is a Greensboro native and medical ethicist whose book of the same title has been recently released. His book focuses on his research and experience on professional burnout among caregivers along with the moral distress and dilemmas they face. These sessions will be helpful for people who are in the position of caretaker for family and other friends. This series will lead us into the next series on the Afterlife. Facilitator, Dr. Louis Gallien; March 3, 10, 17, 24
The Psalms as Literature: An expert on the literary study of the Bible, UNCG professor Dr. Christopher Hodgkins will offer reflections on the psalms as poetry, hymnody, and imprecatory literature. April 7, 14, 21, 28
The Solomonic Trilogy: Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes: Facilitated by UNCG Professor Chris Hodgkins, April 2024 dates TBD
Adult Education Series: topic TBA, Dr. Sandie Gravett; May 5, 12, 19
Thanks to the Adult Education Committee Members: Dr. Louis Gallien, Dr. Margaret Salinger, Dr. Tony Cuda, Dr. Linda Brown, Mrs. Melody Young, and the Rev. Russ Ingersoll.