Hello there!
Let me introduce myself. My name
is Cindy Jordan and I will be the Diocesan Coordinator for EfM. I am filling some formidable shoes of past
EfM coordinators, so please be patient as I learn the ropes.
A little bit
about me—I am a member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, where
my family and I have worshipped for 28 years.
I have one adult son and a new grandson, who both fill my heart. I grew up in New England, but came to
Virginia when my husband of 36 years was stationed at Yorktown with the Coast
Guard. I have two brothers, who both have moved to Virginia and made their
homes here, one of whom is a member of Old Donation with his famly. My spiritual journey has been influenced by
so many wonderful people throughout the years, many of whom are in this Diocese,
ordained and non-ordained. I am a high
school teacher by vocation, but learned through EfM that my vocation can also be
a ministry. I hope to provide that
experience for many of you.
What is
EfM? For those of you who might be new
to the Church, EfM is a program of study, prayer and theological reflection
that was developed by, and is administered through, Sewanee: University of the
South. Sewanee is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee,
Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church. Its School of Theology is an
official seminary of the church.
The course for EfM is a journey through the Old
Testament, the New Testament, Christian/ Church History and Theology over a
four-year period. EfM allows
participants an opportunity to explore God’s call to them, while giving them
more information and opportunities for reflection to discern that call. This is done through weekly small-group
gatherings (currently virtually) lead by trained mentors. The course operates much like a college
course, however, there is no grading and no research papers to write! You can
take breaks in the course should you need—take a year off if needed. Throughout the course, participants are asked
to reflect on their spiritual journey past, present and future. EfM is living theology. Participants learn to live into their own
theological beliefs and be an example of the heart and hands of Christ in their
circles—family, friends, church, co-workers, and community.
Let me define “ministry” here. We are not talking about “holy orders” and
ordination! Ministry is about giving of ourselves, and of our time,
talents, and resources to bless and help others. We are ALL ministers in
this world. God has often used
unsuspecting, but good people to serve and minister to His people. Think of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Miriam,
Deborah, Mary and the disciples called by Christ. In Isaiah we read, “And I heard the voice of
the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said,
“Here am I! Send me.” EfM prepares participants to say “Here I
am!”
This is the only program I know of that gives the
non-ordained, the non-clerical, the kind of knowledge and tools they need to be
active in the life of the Church and church community. Everyone is called to ministry but finding
that ministry with all the “noise” around us can be difficult. Many EfM graduates have gone on to begin new
ministries in their parishes, serve on their vestry, become formation leaders
in their church and even, through discernment, deacons. The benefit to our
parishes and diocese is immeasurable as participants and graduates begin their
journeys. The benefit to the participant
is a deeper knowledge of how the Church came to be and a much richer view of
their place in it and in today’s world.
My goals for EfM in the Diocese are three-fold:
- To be sure every parishioner in DiSoVa is aware of the opportunity to become an EfM participant and explore their call to ministry in the church.
- To “train up” several current EfM graduates to become mentors for new groups
- To grow our network of groups by at least 20% this coming year
Right now, new groups are forming and “old” groups are
gearing up to resume in the fall! All
groups will begin online due to the current public health issues. This is a great time for some our smaller
parishes to offer EfM to their parishioners as we can combine folks in the on-line
format. No prior study or knowledge
of scripture or theology is required.
I am very much looking forward to walking this journey
with you. Join me and here your call!
