St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
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 St. Bart’s Adult Education

Overview

The Adult Education Committee at St. Bart’s endeavors to support and coordinate opportunities for intellectual and spiritual growth in the company of others as part of an open and inviting Christian community. To those ends:

We Encourage
  •             Reflection on the Life of the Spirit and Christian responsibility in the world
  •             Discussion of issues of import to members of the congregation, friends, and visitors
We Sponsor
  •             Book-of-Two-Months Club
  •             Liturgical Season Guided Discussions
  •             Study Groups​
We Collaborate
  • With other parish committees (e.g., Pastoral Care, Community Outreach, Fellowship) as well as diocesan and interfaith groups of common spirit
For more information on these programs, please refer to posted announcements or contact members of the Adult Education Committee: Penni Groves;   Dan Hudkins; or, Elizabeth Ring.
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 2025 Offerings
Weekly Bible Study 
Starting January 8th, every Wednesday at 10 AM in the upstairs meeting room.   We have finished discussing the Book of Joshua -- one of the historical narratives of the Hebrew Bible.  We read one chapter each week and draw on the wisdom of those around the table. Please bring a Bible with you or borrow one of the many Bibles we have here at church. You do not need to attend every week in order to participate in the study. The next book to be announced.

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Liturgical Season Guided Discussions
​During Lent, Reverend Amanda led us in a group discussion of the Nicene Creed.  Other seasonal discussion topics to be announced.

Book of Two Months Club for May/June via Zoom and in person 
We  read and discussed The Serviceberry--Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.   As Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and ecological systems to reimagine currencies of exchange?
 
In this year when we are seeking to discern how the Holy One may be leading us at St. Bart's to see service, mission, and outreach anew, Jonathan Appleyard led the discussions of Kimmerer's observations of the natural world. She does not look to creation to provide lessons from which we learn, but as the way God is and a path forward to walk together.

To read more about the book, CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CALENDAR WITH THE MOST CURRENT DATES & TIMES OF UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Overview of Activities 2023-2024
Book-of-Two-Months Club
We sponsor and promote volunteer-led* discussion of selected books in the support of the goal of intellectual and spiritual growth and ethical responsibility.  Any parishioner may volunteer and lead a group discussing an approved book over a two-month period (including at least two meetings, in-person or on-line). Recent selections:
  • The Church Cracked Open, by Stephanie Spellers.
  • ​The Great Transition, by Maine author Nick Fuller Googins. 
  • The Greatest Prayer: Rediscovering the Revolutionary Message of the Lord’s Prayer, by noted Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan.  Dr. Crossan (who just turned 90!) joined our conversation via Zoom.
  •  Eve Isn’t Evil: Feminist Readings in the Bible to Upend Our Assumptions  by the Rev. Dr. Julie Faith Parker. Rev. Dr. Parker is currently Visiting Scholar at Union Theological Seminary and Biblical Scholar ion Residence at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. She joined the second session on Zoom. 
  • Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Franciscan Friar and Ecumenical spiritual teacher, Richard Rohr.  

​Study Groups
  • Sacred Ground—an Episcopal Church program addressing racial inequity, the church’s history, and our responsibility as members a community of faith.   
  • Indigenous Justice Book Study Series—a seven-month program coordinated throughout Province 1 of the Episcopal Church (all the dioceses of New England), consisting of four online book discussion meetings and related local activities focusing on the history of white settler-Indian relations in the U.S. and the role of the churches in the history of inequity and in subsequent efforts at Truth and Reconciliation. 
  •  Episcopal Church Province 1 Indigenous Relations Book Group: January and March, 2024​
              Lisa Brooks’s Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War (Yale 2018), winner of the Bancroft Prize for                        history (2019), and  Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, by David Marannis.  The Episcopal Church now                     seeks reconciliation for its role in the racist program  for the assimilation of Indigenous people into the white                      mainstream culture. 
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Special Seminars hosted by Pastoral Care Committee--recordings available below
Presentation: Local Resources for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Dementia
Families and friends caring for loved ones with dementia were invited to a special presentation at St. Bart's on May 21st on local support resources.  The presentation was led by Lori Campbell, MA, LSW.   Lori is a licensed social worker and a Family Caregiver Resource Specialist in Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver Support Program. To view the recorded presentation, click here:   https://c.themediacdn.com/link/http/W5s3f9/i2dTOCjscNQ/miN7zusgPdk_1
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Presentation: The Challenges and Gifts Unique to Caregivers of Loved Ones with Dementia 
Dr. Susan Wehry’s presentation on the Challenges and Gifts Unique to Dementia Caregivers.  St. Bart’s was honored to have hosted Dr. Wehry, who is a compassionate advocate and a dynamic speaker. To view the recorded presentation, click here:
 https://c.themediacdn.com/link/http/W5s3f9/i2dTOCjscNQ/OnxlzFsghfp_1
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*All activities of the staff and volunteers of St. Bart’s are governed by the “Safe Church Policy” adopted by the Vestry on June 14, 2023, or as amended thereafter.

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​396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine, 04096            
Church Office Phone: (207) 846-9244                                               
​Office email: [email protected]
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​St Bart’s is a parish of the Diocese of Maine,
​
of the Episcopal Church,
​a province of the Anglican Communion.
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  • Home
  • Worship
    • Services
    • Sermons
    • Music
    • Memorial Services
    • Memorial Garden
  • About Us
    • Philosophy/History
    • Clergy and staff
    • Vestry
    • Committees
    • Members Only
  • Education Programs
    • Adult Education
    • Youth Program
  • Community Outreach
    • Pastoral Care
    • Day of Service 2025
  • News & Events
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • Endowment
    • Make A Pledge
    • Donate