When you hear the words “Education for Ministry”, do you react by thinking to yourself — “Ministry, what ministry? I’m not planning on becoming a minister, or priest, or preacher!” But all of us are called to ministry – for in the most basic sense, ministry means to reveal the love of God in how we live each day. Ministry can take place anywhere – at your workplace, in your home among whanau and friends, in your community, in the wider world. It combines scholarly and systematic Bible study and education in theology and church history, with small group worship, prayer and fellowship. What we learn through our study is joined to our own lives and experiences through the exciting, challenging, and faith-building process of theologi-cal reflection.
The EfM uses recognised contemporary text books alongside Reading and Reflection Guides.At the heart of EfM is the pro-cess of “theological reflection”. In general, this term means knowing God and knowing about God through experience. Peo-ple who have studied theology through EfM often speak of how theological reflection (TR) altered their way of thinking about their faith, bringing them greater insight, drawing them closer to God, and giving them fresh awareness of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in today’s world. This new under-standing has enriched and deepened their mission and minis-try. Since taking what you have learned out into the world is EfM’s ultimate goal, TR can be seen as a key part of the pro-gramme.
EfM has informed, nourished, and equipped hundreds of people around New Zealand, and thousands world-wide, in their journey of faith. Whether you are already part of the EfM community, or exploring whether EfM might interest you, welcome!
Tricia Carter EducationforMinistryNZ@outlook.com
