Adult Formation

Parishioners at Sunday Morning Forum

Sunday Morning

Throughout the program year, we gather in Valentine Hall at 9:00 AM for Adult Formation and feature topics related to scripture, the liturgical season, and living faithfully. Below will find an outline for this Fall.

September
20 - Intro to Being With
27 - All Parish Meeting

October
4 - No Forum (Blessing of the Animals)
11 - Being With God
18 - Being With Each Other
25 - Being With Ourselves

November
1 - No Forum (Annual Giving Celebration after 10:00 service)
8 - Communion of Saints: Past, Present, and Future
15 - Communion of Saints: In Richmond
22 - Communion of Saints: In the World
29 - Advent Fair

December
6 - Celebrating St. Nicholas
13 - No Forum (Advent Apostles of Soul Band after 10:00 service)
20 - No Forum
27 - No Forum

Person holding an open Bible and a cup of coffee on a wooden table, with a notebook and pen nearby.

Small Groups

Find a group that speaks to your interest, fits your schedule, and enhances your relationships.

Class participants writing notes

Wednesday Night

We invite all adults to participate in seasonal and liturgical classes on the third floor of Michaux House. Everyone is welcome to stay for dinner after at 6:00 PM. Childcare is also available from 4:45 to 6:15 PM.

Fall Classes
September 30 to November 4

Advent Classes
November 11 to December 16

Epiphany Classes
January 6 to February 3

Lent Classes
February 17 to March 17

Easter Classes
April 7 to May 5

Stay tuned for registration details!

Confirmation & Reception

In the Episcopal Church, confirmation is the sacramental rite in which the candidates, “express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop" (BCP, p. 860). If you were baptized as an infant, confirmation is an opportunity to affirm the vows that were made on your behalf. If you were baptized in another denomination, confirmation is an opportunity to become an official member of both St. James’s and the Episcopal Church. If you were confirmed in certain other denominations and wish to become a member of St. James’s and the Episcopal Church, we call this “reception” rather than confirmation. Both confirmation and reception happen once a year when the bishop visits (usually in the spring). Preparation takes place in the weeks and months leading up to the bishop’s visit.

Contact our Interim Associate Rector, The Rev. Dr. Kyle Babin, through the button below if interested in learning more.

Please note that you do not need to be confirmed or received to participate and serve in almost all areas of our church life. The one exception is that you must be confirmed or received to serve on the vestry.

Additional Offerings

Education for Ministry (EfM)

EfM is a program created by Sewanee’s School of Theology. Through individual and group study and theological reflection, participants move toward a greater understanding of the fullness of God’s kingdom. They also discover opportunities for responding to their own call to ministry. To learn more, get in touch with mentor and facilitator, Billy Baxter, through the button below.

Becoming Beloved Community (BBC)

Following Christ’s commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves and living into our Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human being, St. James’s BBC Ministry works to promote racial justice and understanding within our parish and in the communities we serve.

WomanKind

The 2026 two-day conference took place this past April 24-25, 2026. We were honored to feature internationally recognized author, activist, and speaker Lisa Sharon Harper.