Christ Church Calgary | Education and Fellowship

Christ Church is committed to providing top-notch, relevant programs that pique interest, challenge, inform, and slake thirst. This fall, we are pleased to be able to offer several opportunities for adult education:

The 50’s+ Group

Bridge, Scrabble, companionship, and conversation, ending with tea and goodies.

Wednesdays
2.00 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
at Christ Church

Bible Study

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of Mark

Thursdays
10.15 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
at Christ Church

Fridays
7.00 p.m.-8.30 p.m.
at the home of John & Laurel Buck

First Tuesday Movie Night

Movies and discussion.

Our next film will be The Insider.

Tuesdays (first of the month)
7.00 p.m. or 6.30 p.m. until the movie is over.
Contact the Church Office for location.

(Next date April 1, 2008)

Adult Inquirers

Via Media: A Safe Place to ask 21st Century Questions

Christ Church offers classes for children at the 10.30 a.m. service, from September till June. Children from pre-school to Grade 6 are included. We work with a curriculum which is based on Scripture, and which highlights important aspects of our faith through age-appropriate lessons and activities. This includes outreach: our children’s offerings are directed to the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) Family Resource Centre, to help need children in Calgary.

The children begin in their Sunday School classes, and in this sense mirror the emphasis on the Word which is taking place simultaneously in church. At the Offertory, when the focus of the service changes from the Word to the Table and the eucharist, the children are escorted into the church, where they join their families.

Christ Church also organizes special events for children and their families, and provides opportunities for children to assist in the leadership of the liturgy.

The Christ Church nursery is open year round at the 10.30 service, and is staffed by a professional caregiver. We welcome infants and toddlers up to the age of three, and offer a caring and nurturing environment while their parents participate in worship.

The Re-affirmation of Baptismal Vows is available to any baptised Christian, young or old, any number of times. We usually call this Confirmation the first time it is undertaken.

Christ Church offers Confirmation Classes for young people, and Catechesis for adults who are considering the renewal of their baptismal covenant. Adult catechesis is generally undertaken in Lent each year, and provides a wonderful opportunity to raise and consider questions which have grown larger since one’s youth. Please speak to one of the clergy for more information.

The Confirmation program for teens runs annually for 8 – 10 weeks. This includes in-class instruction, field trips, a service project, and retreat-experience. Candidates are expected to participate fully by attending both the classes and worship on Sunday and Holy Days. The purpose of this program is to inform, challenge, and inspire inquirers as they seek to make their personal commitment to the Christian journey. Opportunities are provided to examine the Bible, our Christian roots and heritage, worship and prayer practices, spiritual gifts, and the Creeds and Sacraments.

Old Testament, New Testament, Church History and Contemporary Theology: these are Education for Ministry’s topics over a four-year program. In a group not larger than 12, students work through their particular level, and share with the whole group their spiritual autobiographies, different methods of theological reflection, and the great vista of faith lived out by the people of God since Abraham.

“EFM” is a distance program of the School of Theology of the University of the South (at Sewanee). This program has achieved international recognition, and is undertaken at Christ Church annually. Mentors and coordinators are certified, and those who complete the entire four years receive a certificate of completion.

Education for Ministry looks to equip lay people with that strange joy of knowing how it all fits together (or not!).

For one hour on Thursday mornings, our group studies selected books of the Bible. It is not haphazard: we are looking to understand how God has appeared in great lives, such as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul, in order to enlarge and deepen our faith.

A lot has happened in the Bible. A lot has happened in every one’s life. How do the two match up? We are listening always to a God who has spoken through a common, and yet deeply personal, history.

The Christ Church Breakfast Group is an informal monthly gathering of people who enjoy food, friendship, and conversation. Its purpose is to build community.

Normally this group meets on the first Saturday of the month, from October till May. Please contact the Church Office if you would like to join us.

Christ Church Youth Group is an exciting and dynamic group for youth in Grades 7 – 12 to build community and grow in their relationship with God. We meet weekly on Sunday afternoons to discuss issues that affect youth today, and see what God’s Word says about these issues. All this while sinking into our cozy couches and sipping hot chocolate!

As a group we love to have fun together and do regular youth events approximately every other Friday. These have included an Amazing Race event, a youth retreat, wide games and barbeques, costume parties and a Napoleon Dynamite. We have also helped with the Christ Church Inn from the Cold program. Whatever we do, we always share a ton of laughter, making new friends and building on existing friendships.

If you are interested in joining our group, or just have some questions about what we do, feel free to contact Jo Popham, our temporary Coordinator.

We are group of young Anglicans who attend Christ Church, and gather regularly for fun and bible study. Where some Churches classify our demographic under the constrictive title of “Colleges and Careers,” our group includes the full gamut of individuals at various points in their lives: some single, some married, some with children, some in school, and others long since graduated.

We meet every couple of weeks either at the home of one of our group members or at Christ Church. For every couple of sessions of bible study or theological debate, we have at least one social gathering – often meals out, or seasonal parties. Our bible study addresses everyday issues that young adults face in their lives.

Once a week, a group of seniors and near-seniors gather for fellowship, bridge, board games, conversation, and the occasional day-trip. Christ Church is looking forward to expanding this ministry after its renewal project is completed, to include other programs to enhance seniors’ well-being – for example, to cook take-home meals together.