Adult Education

Adult Education at St. Stephen’s is a welcoming forum for thoughtful spiritual exploration. Programs are in spring and fall seasons, usually meeting on Sundays at 9:00am in the Upper Meeting Room (with refreshments and fellowship beginning at 8:45). Additional offerings are sometimes scheduled on weekdays or weeknights to accommodate a wider range of interests and availability. All are welcome to attend—parishioners and the broader community alike. For information or program suggestions, please contact Dan Beaupré, An Duclos, Theresa Gleason, or Diane Nancekivell.

When available, Zoom access is provided at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87490029176 with the passcode AdultEd

Sunday, Jan 4, 9 am

A Brief Look at Mary, Continued

with Diane Nancekivell

MARY IN EXPERIENCE: Over against the unfolding doctrinal theology that evolved predominately in the Roman church during the last 1,000 years there have been countless experiences of mystical encounters with a universal Mary, abiding mother, healing, strengthening and enlivening those with whom she has touched.

Diane invites you to share your experiences, the music, icons, poetry, literature, encounters and all the inbetween thoughts, wonderments, and revulsions that you have. Bring whatever suits you to this session and we will honor and be instructed by what transpires. Faith is a living, breathing, unfolding and movable human response to awe as Jessie so clearly and wisely told us last Sunday and Mary is a persistent presence in the Christian story.

Join us in this session of “Mary in Experience.”

Sunday, Jan 11, 8:30 am

Compassionate Communication

with Mary Claire DeHaven

DO YOU WANT to experience more connection, support, and understanding in your relationships? Do you want to feel heard and considered? Do you want to have more compassion or forgiveness in your relationships? We can’t change others but we can express ourselves more effectively. We increase our chances of a helpful response when we communicate from the heart with self awareness and clarity.

In this ninety minute session, we will practice the basics of a method of Compassionate Communication (Non-violent Communication, NVC) developed by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. Come with a willingness to practice communication in some new ways and to share from the heart. This is sure to be a lively, engaging session where you may get to know a little more about your church friends.

If you want to learn more and deepen your understanding about this method, Rosenberg’s book, Non-Violent Communication is available on the back table of the church.

Bishop Marianne Budde

Sunday, January 18, 9 am

Get Up! Do Something! Move!

with Sharon Tierra and Theresa Gleason

FURTHER REFLECTIONS UPON THE WORK of Bishop Marianne Budde. In November, at the National Cathedral, Bishop Marianne Budde considered the words of Jane Goodall and other like-minded souls in her eulogy for Dr. Goodall. Bishop Budde noted that the concept of blessing has been been translated as, “ Get up, do something, move!”

Please join us for a continued conversation about how we learn to be brave and decisive moments in life and faith. We will view Bishop Budde’s 15 minute eulogy of Jane Goodall and then discuss what these words might mean to our own and our congregational faith journeys.

You do not need to have attended the September sessions to join us!