Lessons

Common Lessons

Along with the Lessons designed for each of the four years of study, each group works through five common lessons each year. The themes of the Common Lessons (CL) are the same each year: CL 1: Spiritual Autobiographies, CL 2: Thinking Theologically, CL 3: Life in Christ, CL 4: Theological Frameworks, CL 5: Looking to the Future. Although the overall topics remain the same, the approach taken changes from year to year, allowing each student to develop her or his own understanding in a deeper, richer, more personally relevant way. The path taken for each year and its application to the five lessons is given below.

Year A: Developing your personal faith

CL 1: Spiritual Autobiographies: Stepping stones
CL 2: Thinking Theologically: The Microscope Method
CL 3: Life in Christ: Sabbath Time
CL 4: Theological Frameworks: Mapping your theology
CL 5: Looking to the Future: Planning your ministry

Year B: Focusing on Tradition and Beliefs

CL 1:Spiritual Autobiographies: Time lines
CL 2: Thinking Theologically: Reflecting from a text/scripture
CL 3: Life in Christ: Faith, Hope and Love
CL 4: Theological Frameworks: Your personal theology
CL 5: Looking to the Future: A vision of your ministry

Year C: Our Faith in the World

CL 1: Spiritual Autobiographies: Pictures
CL 2: Thinking Theologically: The Wide-Angle Lens Method
CL 3: Life in Christ: Liturgy and Society
CL 4: Theological Frameworks: Writing your own Creed; Theology and Worship
CL 5: Looking to the Future: Developing your Personal Ministry

Year D: The Moral and Ethical Life

CL 1: Spiritual Autobiographies: Your personal history
CL 2: Thinking Theologically: The Issue Method
CL 3: Life in Christ: Living with differences
CL 4: Theological Frameworks: Making Choices; Ethical Thinking and Moral Theology
CL 5: Looking to the Future: Responding to our Call

The binder containing the Common Lessons, which each student receives, also contains many pages of supplemental material, including additional methods of theological reflection, materials on Faith and Belief, Theological Discourse, Educational theory, group life and dealing with conflict, and liturgy.

Each group should work through the five Common Lessons at intervals throughout the year, ending with the last Common Lesson at the end of the year. The supplemental materials are discretionary, to be used as the mentor and group members find helpful.

EFM combines study of Scripture, history, and doctrine with a process of reflection on our own experiences called "Theological Reflection." This is an essential part of EFM. For more information on Theological Reflection and how it works, click here.

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