EfM: EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY

EfM invites the people of God to discern and act in faith through small group reflection.

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​Education for Ministry (EfM) is a four-year program developed by the School of Theology at the University of the South to provide lay persons with tools and resources that will encourage them to more fully engage their baptismal journey in daily life. Participants enroll one year at a time, each year building on the last.

The heart of the program, theological reflection, is supported by an exploration of the disciplines of biblical exegesis and interpretation, systematic theology, church history, ethics, liturgics, and ascetical theology.

Through study, prayer, reflection, and small-group conversation, participants are offered an opportunity to examine their own beliefs in light of the Christian tradition and everyday experience — developing knowledge, aptitude, and identity as followers of Jesus. The first two years of the curriculum focus on Scripture (year one on the Hebrew Scriptures and year two on the New Testament), year three examines Church history, and year four focuses on theology and ethics.

​A new, one-year “Wide Angle” curriculum is now offered concurrently with the four-year program, inviting participants to engage deeply with books that expand and challenge their faith. Together, these works encourage readers to reimagine sacred stories (Rachel Held Evans, Inspired), draw hope from spiritual wisdom (Steven Charleston, Ladder to the Light), practice discipleship in daily life (Rowan Williams, Being Disciples), cultivate monastic values in the modern world (Joan Chittister, The Monastic Heart), and boldly engage the church with issues of justice and the common good (Winnie Varghese, Church Meets World).

Across them all runs a shared call to an honest, rooted, and outward-looking faith—one that holds tradition and questioning together, grounds personal transformation in daily practice, and calls for active compassion and justice in the wider world.

Topics covered include:

• Spirituality, prayer, and worship
• The authority of the Bible for the church today
• The lessons and perspectives of history
• Theological reflection as a life skill
• Integrating behavior and belief for faithful living
• Discovering vocation, passion, and one’s place in the church

To find all things EfM: linktr.ee/efm.sewanee.edu
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​Learn about the EfM books and curriculum HERE.

Upcoming groups (all online, 36 weeks):

• ​Beginning  September 2025,  Mondays 7:00-8:30 pm, Mentored by the Rev. Christopher Golding
• Beginning January 2026, every other Monday,  11:30-1:30 pm or 12:30-1:30 pm, Mentored by Mandy Frantz
• Beginning February 2026, Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm, Mentored by the Rev. Christopher Golding

The Rev. Christopher Golding

If you are interested in learning more about signing up for an EfM group online or in person, contact EfM Diocesan Coordinator Christopher Golding HERE, or call 808-422-6148.

"Returning to the Mountain: Celebrating 50 Years of EfM at Sewanee" - Click HERE to read this article written by the Rev. Christopher Golding that appeared in the August 28, 2025 issue of The Hawaiian Church Chronicle.

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“What EfM Isn’t and What It Is”
by Laurie Gudim, Fort Collins, Colorado

​If I am going to tell you about Education for Ministry (EfM), why would I start by describing what it is not? Because the words “for ministry” tend to send most of us everyday church folks running in the opposite direction out of fear that we are going to be dragged off to seminary and into ordained ministry. This isn’t that kind of program, nor are we talking about that type of ministry. In fact, this program was developed just for those of us who

want to understand our Christian journey as it relates to our daily lives. The “ministry” that this program focuses on is the ministry of the baptized and helps participants grow more fully into their Baptismal Covenant (see pages 304-305 in The Book of Common Prayer).

EfM is a four-year program that participants commit to one year at a time and includes two years of journeying through the Bible, a year of exploring church history, and a year of growing one’s knowledge of theology, ethics, mission, and day-to-day ministry in the world.

While it is true that participants read through the entirety of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, EfM is not a Bible study. It is, however, an opportunity to see the Scriptures through the eyes of scholars with varying perspectives and engage in a dialogue that enriches and enhances the participant’s understanding of the way these ancient texts engage today’s world. This understanding is further expanded as Christianity is explored from just after the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the church of today. During the final two years, participants will see how the various ways we now express Christianity have been shaped by world exploration, science, industry, and more.

How does this all happen? During weekly gatherings of no more than 12 participants, trained mentors guide the process at the heart of the EfM program – Theological Reflection (TR). This process connects what participants are learning from their weekly readings to what is happening in the world around them, in their own lives, and their personal beliefs about the topic at hand. It is through TR that each person becomes increasingly aware of God’s continuous work, not only in the world around them, but within themselves, and allows them to see themselves as Christ’s hands and feet at work in every part of their lives.