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
Easch 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
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Saturday Mornings @ St. Bart's: Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
Saturdays, April 6-June 29, 10-11 AM via Zoom
The Saturday morning discussion group delves into acclaimed novelist Marilynne Robinson's interpretation of the Book of Genesis, Reading Genesis. Newcomers are welcome to join.
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LGBTQ+ FILM SERIES
Fridays through May 3, 6-9 pm (in person)
Film professor and St. Bart's parishioner Anthony Perrotto hosts a bimonthly film series February 2-May 3, with an introduction, important insights, and commentary for each screening, all with LGBTQ+ themes. Please enter through the Community House: 109 East 50th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues.
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Easter Triumph, Easter Joy: The Music of the Easter Season
Tuesdays: April 2-May 14, 7-8 pm (via Zoom).
The clergy and staff of St. Bart's explore some of the most beloved music associated with the Easter season:
Tuesday, April 2: The Reverend Zack Nyein on the Exsultet
Tuesday, April 9: Dr. Paolo Bordignon on Bach's Cantata 67
Tuesday, April 16: Seminarian Nathan Peace on Easter hymns
Tuesday, April 23: Olivia Sue Greene on Handel's Messiah
Tuesday, April 30: no session
Tuesday, May 7: The Reverend Peter Thompson on Stanford's When Mary thro' the Garden Went
Tuesday, April 2: The Reverend Zack Nyein on the Exsultet
Tuesday, April 9: Dr. Paolo Bordignon on Bach's Cantata 67
Tuesday, April 16: Seminarian Nathan Peace on Easter hymns
Tuesday, April 23: Olivia Sue Greene on Handel's Messiah
Tuesday, April 30: no session
Tuesday, May 7: The Reverend Peter Thompson on Stanford's When Mary thro' the Garden Went
Tuesday, May 14: Alex Pattavina on Messiaen's L'Ascension
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Learning Liberation: Prayer, Study, and Action for Social Justice
Thursdays: April 18-May 23, 6-7 pm (in person in the Chapel - does not meet May 2).
Join Associate for Social Outreach Teagan Sage for ongoing justice education and conversation with local leaders, both spiritual and secular, on topics relating to our Faith In Action Team’s programmatic priorities: migrant welcome, homelessness, creation care, and beyond. Through prayer, study, and action, we will strive to engage with liberation work in all its emerging iterations.
All are welcome - no prior registration required.
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Earth Stations of the Cross
Wednesdays: April 17 & 24, 6:30-7:30 pm via Zoom
Allegra Lovejoy, who for a decade has worked at the intersection of faith and the environment, leads a two-session contemplative study of our society’s relationship with our planet, and our Christian call to planetary stewardship.
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Sacred Looking: Interfaith Learning with Central Synagogue and St. Bart's
Tuesday, April 30, and Wednesday, May 1, 5:30-6:30 pm via Zoom
Join the Reverend Meredith Ward and Rabbi Sarah Berman to explore art through the lens of faith. This two-part series focuses on the themes of creation, sacrifice, home, and love. Serving as a virtual adaptation of our previous Sacred Learning program, we extend a special invitation to those who couldn't attend the initial session earlier this year.
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Peace Book Club
2nd and 4th Sundays of Each Month, 1:30-3 pm, via Zoom
Our next book selection is The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in America Medicine by Richardo Nula.
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.
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ONGOING CLASSES
Weekly Bible Study
Wednesdays at 1pm
Thoughtful reflection and lively discussion of the upcoming Sunday readings, hosted by a member of our clergy. Please contact Liz Gillespie to be added to our weekly Bible study via Zoom. Click here for Sunday’s reading.
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Retirement: Transition and Purpose
First Tuesday of every month, 10-11 am 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 Tuesday of every month.
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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.
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Forward Together
Second and Fourth Mondays of every month, 6-7 pm via Zoom
Forward Together is a support group for people who are experiencing job insecurity, who are unemployed or under-employed, or who are considering a career change. Grounded in scripture and prayer, the group is a safe and confidential space to share experiences, get support, and express concerns about job insecurity. Forward Together does not offer job placement or teach practical job search tools like resume writing. Instead, the group focuses on the spiritual aspects of our work and supports members in discerning next steps in their lives. Led by the Reverend Meredith Ward, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care, Forward Together normally meets via Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month from 6-7 pm. For questions or further information, contact the Reverend Meredith Ward.
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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.
