Christian formation is the lifelong process of growing in relationship with God, self, others, and all creation.
In this process, we are transformed into the people God wants us to be. The Episcopal Church has gracefully articulated how we answer God’s call in the Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation that was overwhelmingly adopted at The Episcopal Church’s General Convention in July 2009.
Through St. Paul’s SLC, people of all ages are invited to a life of prayer, service, education, and worship; inspired to experience our faith journey through the lens of worship, scripture, reason, and tradition; and are transformed to live into our baptismal promises.
The hope is to engage all generations in more active participation in church life; to equip and support families, especially parents, to practice the Christian way of life at home and in their daily lives; to transform the church community into a community of lifelong learners; and to utilize the whole life of the church as the faith formation curriculum through the church year, feasts and seasons, sacraments and liturgy, justice and service, prayer and spirituality, and community life.
The premises of Christian formation – holistic integration of learning, the importance of context, the need for interdependence and cooperation, and the value of relationships and dialogue – all inform how we conduct the Church’s mission, which includes the sharing of stories, an honest accounting of the past, and personal engagement that leads to societal transformation.
An important part of being Christian in a multi-faith society is to understand one’s faith enough to be able to live in the world honoring that faith while honoring and affirming others’ faith. Christian formation and theological education courses are essential to instilling that deep understanding and knowledge to empower Christians to be able to say what they believe in.
