Adult Christian Formation class takes a look at Islam, starting Oct 11th

Starting October 11, the adult education class will step into the brave, new subject of Islam. Since this summer, we have advanced our understanding each week from individual to parish spiritual identity, then reviewed the transforming identity of the Episcopal church in America, and most recently we looked at 2,000 years of phases in Christian spiritual identity as outlined by Urban T. Holmes. With this strong foundation of self-knowledge, we should be better prepared to take the next step in understanding spiritual identities beyond Christianity.

St. Francis Episcopal Church is an Episcopal, Christian church surrounded by immigrant populations from across the Near East and Asia. Muslim immigrants make up the most predominant population around St. Francis. How can we engage this population, our new neighbors, without having an understanding of both ourselves and of them?

Dr. Duane Miller, who has ample experience in Christian witness among Muslims in Israel and Jordan and most recently to Muslims in San Antonio, will share his expertise on this subject from October 11 through November 1. Sharon, his wife, will also share one Sunday her experience of being a Christian woman living in a Muslim-majority community.

There are many friends and new relationships to be made with our Muslim neighbors if we learn enough about Islamic spiritual identity and practice to constructively engage them. Come join us for this important spiritual formation opportunity that will enable our community to step out into our neighborhood and the changed world we face today and be relevant to it.