Throughout the year, St. Bart’s offers a wide variety of opportunities to learn and grow. Our offerings encourage both spiritual and intellectual engagement and welcome all sorts of people and views.
The Forum
Each Sunday at 10 am, guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines join our St. Bart's clergy for deep and insightful conversations about topics that matter to our lives as responsible citizens and people of faith. Speakers in recent years have included winners of the Tony Award, the Emmy Award, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the Pulitzer Prize, professors from prominent universities like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and journalists from New York, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic.
Watch The Forum live on our website, or join the conversation live on Facebook or YouTube where you can post your questions for our speaker in the comments during the live stream. Visit our The Forum page for upcoming schedule and past recordings.
Adult Formation Opportunities
Explore Class
Mondays September 8, 15, 22 at 7 pm on Zoom
Explore is for anyone new to St. Bart's or the Episcopal Church and interested in learning more. This three-week series provides an overview of Christian belief and practice, through a progressive and open-minded lens. No question is off the table, and all are welcome. Sign up at stbarts.org/explore to receive the Zoom link.
Theology Odyssey: Wrestling with the Core Questions of Christian Faith
Sundays, September 14-November 16, 1:00-2:30 pm in person
Who is God? Who is Jesus? Why does evil exist? St. Bart's parishioner and university professor Dr. Brooks Ishler leads a ten-week journey through some of the most fundamental questions addressed by the Christian faith, exploring their theological significance and introducing the historic discourse surrounding them. Suggested donation: $10 toward lunch. Please register below.
We Believe
Tuesdays, September 16-October 28, 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom
This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea when a group of bishops gathered to codify what Christians believe. Today, the Nicene Creed remains the central statement of our faith. In this series of classes, we will read Luke Timothy Johnson’s book, The Creed: What Christian’s Believe and Why it Matters to explore what the Nicene Creed says and what it means for us today. A limited number of copies can be found in our Bookstore.
Explore Class (In Person)
12:30 pm Sundays, November 9, 16, 23 in the Vestry Room
Explore is for anyone new to St. Bart's or the Episcopal Church and interested in learning more. This three-week series provides an overview of Christian belief and practice, through a progressive and open-minded lens. No question is off the table, and all are welcome. A light lunch is offered. Sign up at stbarts.org/explore.
Saturday Mornings @ St. Bart's
The Universal Christ
Saturdays, 10:00 am-11:00 am via Zoom
The Saturday Morning group discusses Richard Rohr’s The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe. Newcomers welcome. A limited number of copies of the book will be available at the Bookstore. Newcomers are welcome to join.
One Script, Two Worlds: Coexistence Through Language with Aravrit
Tuesday, November 11, 6:00-7:15 pm in person at Central Synagogue
Join our partners at Central Synagogue for an evening with Liron Lavi Turkenich, founder and creator of Aravrit, an experimental writing system that merges Hebrew and Arabic. She will discuss the challenges and reactions from the public to this new script and share some inspiring stories before leading a workshop to try our hand at this writing system. Registration is required here.
Peace Book Club
2nd and 4th Sundays of Each Month, 1:30-3 pm, via Zoom
Our next book selection is The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallor.
We welcome new and curious attendees to the Peace Book Club discussions. Please note that reading of the books though encouraged is not required! This is a no-stress discussion group where we provide some content when we meet, and then share related ideas, memories and differences in opinions. So, you can come as you are, we are sure you will be stimulated and also find that you have something to share.
Ongoing Classes
Weekly Bible Study
Wednesdays at 1 pm
Thoughtful reflection and lively discussion of the upcoming Sunday readings, hosted by a member of our clergy. Click here for Sunday’s reading.
Retirement: Transition and Purpose
First Wednesday of every month, 4-5 pm via Zoom
This group is for people who have retired or are entering retirement and are seeking to learn and share their experiences with others. Grounded in prayer, the group is a safe and confidential space to help navigate the changes and challenges that come with retirement. Retirement: Transition and Purpose does not provide legal or financial advice. Instead, we gather for conversation to find support, direction, and fulfillment in our post-retirement lives. Led by the Reverend Meredith Ward, we meet on Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.
Grief, Hope, and Healing Together
Fourth Wednesday of every month, 6-7 pm via Zoom
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Grief is something we all go through at some point in our lives and when we do, comfort can seem very far away. This is a support group for those who have experienced the recent loss of a friend or loved one or are going through a longer-term bereavement process. The group does not provide formal grief counseling. We gather for conversation in a safe and supportive environment to express our sorrow and to begin to find hope and healing together. Led by the Reverend Meredith Ward, we meet on Zoom on the 4th Wednesday of each month from 6-7 pm via Zoom.
Education For Ministry (EFM)
Are you looking to live into your faith more fully, to have faith connect more deeply with everyday life? What can the Bible teach us about the world today? Do you ever wonder what God is calling you to do? If you want to seek answers through study, reflection, and spiritual practice in community, EfM—a four-year certificate program in theological education with a weekly in-person seminar format that starts again this fall—may be for you. To learn more, please download our information handout here, or contact EfM Mentor Liza Page Nelson.
Upcoming and Ongoing
