EFM combines the traditional functions of fellowship group and Bible study with a method of theological reflection designed to tap into our metaphorical and mythical ways of thinking, to help us make conscious connections between our faith traditions and the "post-religious" world we find ourselves in today. A group of six to twelve participants is led by a trained mentor for 108 hours during the academic year, usually 3 hours a week for 36 weeks. The 4-year program may be taken with commitment to only a year at a time.
- Small Seminar groups from 6 to 12 students
- Trained mentor(s) and thought-provoking texts
- Theological reflection practiced regularly
- Prayer and worship in a Community of study
Four years, committed one year at a time, containing studies of
The Old Testament,
The New Testament,
Church History,
Theological and Moral Choices.
Education for Ministry is a program of theological education for lay people offered by extension from the School of Theology of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. EFM originated in the mid-1970s as an extension course, based on the seminary curriculum, for lay people who needed further theological training but did not feel called to the ordained ministry. The basic belief of the program is that by our baptismal vows all Christians are called to be ministers in and through the church. The program developers believed that lay people in the church needed more training and education than was generally available in order to carry out their ministries. What began as a small experimental course has now become a world-wide network with over 9,000 graduates and 7,500 students enrolled.
The program is offered in the local congregation, led by a mentor (lay or clergy) who is trained by the School of Theology to facilitate the seminar group. Meeting weekly for nine months of the year, over a four-year period, the student experiences readings in Scripture, Church History, and Contemporary Issues. In addition to the readings, the focus of the seminar session itself is learning and practicing various techniques of Theological Reflection whereby the student learns to experience the presence of God in his/her own life experiences, and to "own" the Scripture and Tradition in new ways by holding up the experiences of their lives against the backdrop of the Christian Tradition.
