If you are interested in joining Pilgrims in Christ, please use the site contact form and select the Pilgrims in Christ category.

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Pilgrims 10-year Reunion: Click to Enlarge (Photo: Matthew Welch) Pilgrims in Christ is a nine-month ‘catechumenate’ offering formation in the basics of Christian faith and practice, in the context of the Anglican tradition.  It is intended for the following adults, called by God to a process of new commitment and spiritual growth:

Pilgrims in Christ Retreat, 2007: Click to Enlarge (Photo: Laurita Liles)The goals of Pilgrims in Christ are:

Pilgrims meets for two hours per week throughout the academic year and is taught by the rector, the parish catechist, and others on a teaching team.  The format includes prayer, presentations, and group discussions.  There is an off-site Saturday retreat in the Fall and another during Lent. These two Saturdays are integral parts of the curriculum.
 
In addition to the weekly classes and the retreats, there are three public rites (held at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass this year), plus Baptism and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil—all of which are attended by the whole Pilgrims class.

Our curriculum, new in 2005, is in four parts.  Participants are asked for an initial commitment to Part One.  The commitment may be renewed in additional increments, through early June 2010.  

Time and Place
Wednesday evenings, 6:30—8:45 p.m.  (Note: Monday evenings during Lent and whenever major liturgies or parish events fall on a Wednesday—see calendar highlights below).  Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the 6:00 p.m. Mass beforehand and to bring a bag supper to class.  Beverages are provided.   The session begins at 6:40 sharp and the class follows promptly.  After the Introductory Dinner (which is held in the dining room), Pilgrims in Christ plans to meet regularly in the Guild Room.

If you are interested in joining Pilgrims in Christ, please use the site contact form and select the Pilgrims in Christ category.

Highlights of the 2009-2010 Pilgrims in Christ schedule

Pilgrims Kickoff Dinner, 2009: Click to Enlarge (Photo: Laurita Liles)Wednesday, September 9 Introductory Dinner Meeting—in the Dining Hall. Information and Questions (potluck dinner provided by Pilgrims ‘alums’)

Wednesday, September 16 Part One, Session One [Note:  The 2009-2010 Class will be closed on this date.  Newcomers arriving after September 16, 2009 will be invited to join the Pilgrims class of 2010-2011, and offered an assigned ‘mentor’ for the interim.]

September 16—November 18 PART ONE: THE INQUIRY PERIOD.  This is a time of welcome, hospitality, and addressing the seeker’s basic questions.  Sponsor-Candidate-Companion pairings are made, and table discussion groups are formed.   The history and worship of our parish church are explored; the basics of prayer are introduced; our roots in the English Church are traced; we learn the story of God’s people through the Old and New Testaments and begin to look at our own lives theologically; and we realize that God has ‘called’ each one of us on a pilgrimage.

December 2—February 15 PART TWO: THE CATECHUMENATE PERIOD.  This is the period of ‘instruction.’  The major themes of Christian theology are introduced, and we find that the resources of our faith tradition equip us for a lifetime of theological inquiry and reflection. Part Two begins by asking who God is and explores the Cycle of Redemption, the Incarnation, Holy Baptism, Reconciliation, and the Nicene Creed & Early Councils.  We discuss meeting Christ in the poor, and the entire class participates in the holy work of our St Paul’s Grate Patrol.  In addition, the section is grounded in a thorough examination of Acts 2:42, including Fr Andrew’s three patented lectures on the Eucharist.

February 22—March 22 (Mondays) PART THREE: THE ILLUMINATION PERIOD (Lent).  As in the ancient Church, this is the time of intensive preparation for baptism on Easter Eve.  Having done the intellectual work, now we are encouraged to open our hearts to direct experience of God and thus begin true formation.  The themes of this period are found in the ‘Year A’ Lenten Gospels.  They include:  temptation; the two-storey universe and being reborn from above; healing, wholeness, and forgiveness; spiritual blindness and attachments; and the freedom of new life in Christ. Finding and practicing a regular prayer life is a focus throughout the Pilgrims in Christ year; but in Lent we explore an array of prayer methods and aids, to assist the spiritual exercises of the season—and well beyond. 

March 26—early June (classes resume Wednesdays) PART FOUR: THE MYSTAGOGIA PERIOD.  Having received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and the stirring up of the Spirit at Confirmation, we now explore what ‘incorporation into the Body of Christ’ looks like as a way of life.  In Part Four we examine our gifts for ministry—in our church and in our world.  We begin with a study of Spiritual Gifts, and as we identify our own we find that they can be matched to specific ministry opportunities at St Paul’s.  Then we are treated to a set of panel discussions at which members of our parish family share first-hand ministry experiences, “where we worship, live, and work.”