Education for Ministry (EfM)

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
After a long absence and under the auspices of the diocesan Education Commission and our provisional bishop, Education for Ministry (EfM) is coming back to The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. EfM is a life-changing four-year theological study program developed by the University of the South designed to give laypersons basic instruction in scripture, church history, theology and theological reflection and helps equip lay persons for the ministry to which Christ has called them.

Participants commit for one year at a time and the current tuition is $450 per year. However, with your support to the diocese, we can lower this fee to $340 per year. Our diocese can only contract to provide this program when we have raised the $1,500 annual sponsorship. To date we have only received a fraction of this sponsorship requested in late May from the smallest faith communities and a few individuals.

We have three trained mentors in our diocese ready to lead seminar groups beginning in September 2009. We have laypersons anxious to register and begin this journey. In order to make this possible, we prayerfully solicit your support for these requests:

1. Provide an annual gift to The Diocese of Fort Worth earmarked for Education for Ministry in an amount of $100 or more? We currently have received $400 of the $1500 needed to make this happen.
2. Supply one room large enough for a group of twelve people to meet weekly in an EfM Seminar Group for a nine-month period?

We currently have commitments for facilities at Messiah Lutheran Church, Weatherford and St. Christopher Episcopal Church, Fort Worth. We need one more location.

Please send your checks made payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth with EfM noted in the memo to the diocesan offices immediately. Your help is urgently needed. If you have any questions about the program you may read more about it at http://www.sewanee.edu/EFM/EFMAboutUs.htm, or contact me by phone or e-mail at 817.637.1820 or MFagley@aol.com.

With prayers of gratitude,

Marti Fagley, EfM Mentor
Member of the Education Commission