EFM (Education for Ministry) is a program of extension theological education of the University of the South School of Theology. EFM groups can be found throughout the USA , Germany , Great Britain , New Zealand , Australia , Canada , the Bahamas , Hong Kong , Honduras , Italy and Switzerland . Over 70,000 students have participated in the program.
EFM seeks to challenge people with ordinary lives to think in extraordinary ways, to tell our stories, and learn about our Christian and Anglican heritage. It is for persons of all faiths – even those with none. You will learn to think theologically while deepening your faith and understanding of our Christian heritage.
Enrollment for the EFM group sponsored by St. Timothy's begins each May at EFM Sunday (May 27). The EFM group is limited to 11 students. Classes begin in September and run through May. The enrollment fee is $340 which includes the text materials. Scholarships are available to cover one-half the fee. For more information about EFM or enrollment forms, contact Fr. Andy or Barbara Jones, EFM Mentor, at 662-429-2338 or dbhjones@bellsouth.net .
The curriculum is a four-year, seminary-level course for lay people. It includes a thorough study of the Old Testament (Year 1), New Testament (Year 2), the history of the early Christian church through the Eighteenth Century (Year 3), and liturgy, ethics, and modern and post-modern theology (Year 4). Through study, prayer, and reflection, EFM groups move toward a new understanding of the fullness of God's kingdom. Students are given weekly lesson assignments to study with the help of resource guides. In the weekly EFM meeting students have an opportunity to share their insights and discoveries as well as to discuss questions which the study materials raise for them.
There are thirty-six group meetings during the course of an academic cycle. New students always begin with the first lesson of the first year. Students read thirty-three chapters of academic content and five common lessons which help the group get started, learn to reflect theologically, develop its spirituality and life of worship, and examine the potential for various kinds of ministries. Each year the students encounter a new cycle of common lessons so that they complete four different cycles during their time in an EFM group.
Sample Chapters-The First Year: The Old Testament
Meetings
EFM seminar group meets Sunday evenings 5:00-7:30 p.m. from September through May in the Library
Some Links of Interest
Sewanee EFM official webpage : http://www.sewanee.edu/EFM/index.htm
Another good source for EFM: http://www.theophilus-seeker.com/
