My name is Jacki Zahn and I’m a parishioner at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Greenville. I wanted to give you a little information on Education for Ministry.
I love learning new things, especially History. Because I never got the chance to go to college after high school, I went “later in life” and graduated from Rhode Island College at the age of 56 with a History Major.
As a former Roman Catholic, I took an Inquirer’s class with my Episcopalian friend Betsy at Christ Church in Lincoln. I attended another one at Calvary Church when my husband and I were received into the Episcopal church.
I yearned to learn more about my faith, spirituality, and the history of the church so when Rev. Susan Carpenter, at a women’s retreat years ago, informed us about EfM, I knew I was being called. I started the four-year program with mentor Donna Tornatore at Trinity Church in North Scituate.
It was a “life changing” time in my life. The first year was a challenge, studying the Old Testament, writing a spiritual autobiography, and acknowledging that the “black and white” in my life was in fact “gray”.
EfM is a four-year learning certificate program of the University of the South (Sewanee). It was started in 1975; it encompasses study, worship, and theological reflection in a small group setting. I finished my four-year program in December of 2018 and completed my mentor training in March 2023.
I will be co-mentoring EfM starting in September at Trinity Church in North Scituate with Phyllis Spaziano (who completed her program with me). We will be keeping the group small, 6 to 8 members and meeting on Saturday mornings. The concentrations for the four-year program are: Year 1, Old Testament; Year 2, New Testament; Year 3, Church History and Year 4, Spirituality/Theology. The cost of the program is $325 annually plus the cost of books. (If the cost is an issue, there are some there are some grant opportunities available.)
I’ve been praying for you over the past few months…are you being called? If you want to learn more join us for an EfM Open House at Trinity, North Scituate, Saturday, April 6 from 10 am – noon.
-Jacki Zahn