Our educational and spiritual formation is a continuous seeking for information and experience, reflection, and deepening. Our prayer life needs to evolve and mature.

Adult formation opportunities help us make sense of our lives and inspire us to contribute to this world as active and faithful people of God.

Sunday Forums

Sunday Forums and other presentations and reflections are offered appropriate to the liturgical season.

Parishioners, guest speakers, and staff members lead these sessions. These programs can be grouped roughly as:

Foundations

Our life in faith is built upon the record of God’s mighty acts in history as described in the Holy Scriptures, recorded in the lives and work of faithful people in the church throughout the ages and revealed in the natural order of God’s creation including our God given capacity to reason.

This collaboration of foundational elements distinguishes Anglicanism. We build lecture and discussion classes seasonally around Scripture, Church History, Theology, and the varieties of Christian experience.

Contemporary Issues

We work topically in some classes to apply the foundations of faith to the circumstances of the world in which we live.

The objective of such classes is to illuminate the issues and discuss appropriate Christian responses.

Baptism and Confirmation

This is a more targeted class that looks at the very heart of Christianity for those preparing to be baptized, to have their children baptized or to make an adult affirmation of their faith.

It looks at how the Episcopal Church forms people as Christians and at the resources a local parish can provide for that journey.

Education for Ministry

This is a four year, very intense educational program built around a core seminary curriculum. A year is spent in Hebrew Scripture, Christian Scripture, Church History and finally, Theology and Ethics.

The program uses an adult learning model combining subject familiarity with reflection on how the content can guide daily life. All Souls forms groups when seven to ten people are prepared to enroll.

Intensive Journalling

From time to time All Souls’ sponsors Intensive Journaling workshops. Intensive Journaling is a method for engaging one’s spiritual and psychological depths to inspire both creativity and, if needed, encouragement to become unstuck from places where conflicts seem to have reached an impasse.

Such journaling is entirely self-directed and self contained using the methods taught in the workshop.

Centering Prayer

Contemplative Outreach of San Diego, an international ecumenical organization located in offices at All Souls', teaches contemplative prayer. This style of prayer seeks to go beyond thoughts, words or feelings to open us to the mind of God.

Watch for opportunities to learn this method of meditation and to form a community of prayer.