Formation
Sundays @ 9:10 am | Adult Formation Class: Hebrews
Sundays @ 10:00 am | Children’s Sunday School: Godly Play
Wednesdays @ 5:30 pm | Evening Prayer
Wednesdays @ 6:00 pm | Discussion Group: Prayer Aug. 19 - Sept. 9
The Episcopal Church defines formation as “lifelong growth in the knowledge, service, and love of God as followers of Christ . . . informed by scripture, tradition, and reason.”
“Christian formation is a lifelong process, occurring in community, that shapes you into the person God created you to be.” — The Reverend Dr. Pamela Dolan
Sunday Morning Adult Formation Class
Sunday Morning Adult Formation takes place in the parish hall at 9:10 am.
On Sunday, July 5, we launch a new Bible study on the Book of Hebrews, a fascinating and mysterious text of the New Testament that offers a unique perspective on the salvation we receive through Jesus Christ. We gather at 9:10 am in the Parish Hall, and generally explore one chapter each week, reflecting on what the text means for us and how we can apply its wisdom in our daily lives. Hebrews has 13 chapters, so this study will last a little over three months, taking us into the end of September. We always offer extensive notes, so missing a session doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile to come, and our conversation–especially the questions and comments from the class–always offer a lively experience.
Study of scripture is an essential part of life as a disciple of Jesus. It’s hard to have a relationship with someone if you don’t know much about them, and the best source of information we have about God as revealed in Jesus Christ is the Bible. Reading the Bible at home alone is important, but we learn better together, where we can swap ideas and glean fresh insights.
Children’s Sunday School: Godly Play
We are excited to once again offer Godly Play as our primary children’s curriculum at St. Thomas à Becket this year. To better support children at each stage of development, we are expanding from one class to three age-based groups:
Nursery: children under age 3
PreK–Kindergarten
1st–5th grade
Children’s Ministries Contacts
Kathy Smith, Head of Children’s Ministries
kathysmith@gmail.com
The Rev. Michael Delk, Rector
rector@stthomasabecket.org
Children’s Programs for Fall Session 2026
Children’s Choir
This year, we are also working to develop a children’s choir for occasional musical offerings during select services. Monthly practices will take place during the Sunday School hour as we prepare for these opportunities.
Sunday School Registration
Regular Sunday School will resume on September 6, 2026 at 10 a.m. and will meet each Sunday. Children will be greeted at the door by one of our doorkeepers and directed to the appropriate section of the Sunday School room.
To register for this year’s Sunday School and children’s programming, please use the registration form.
Once you have completed the form, please send it to ekathysmith@gmail.com or bring a completed copy with you when dropping off your children for Nursery or Sunday School. Additional copies are available in the Sunday School Room and Nursery.
The Diocese of West Virginia requires us to maintain updated information each year. This information also helps us keep families informed about upcoming events and opportunities for children and families. This year’s form also includes ways to volunteer and support our Children’s Program—please take a look!
Fall Events and Opportunities
Godly Play Training Saturday, September 12, 2026 with Melissa Cowden, Dean of Seeds of Faith & Kathy Smith will be available to all new and returning Sunday School Teachers. Training is offered to anyone in the Diocese who would like to participate. Nursery care provided. The session will run from 9 a.m. – noon with lunch provided afterward.
Kids’ Table Camp — September 19, 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Children are invited to join us for an action-packed day of activities, lunch, games, and more while parents and guardians attend the churchwide brunch/event. To help us prepare, please sign up when you RSVP for the event.
Parents’ Night Out — October 16. We will offer the first of three Parent’s Night Out events for our families. Children may be dropped off at the church at 5:30 p.m. for activities, games, dinner, and their own movie night while parents enjoy a few hours off. Sign-up information will be available in early October.
Seeds of Faith Hub Event — December 13. We look forward to another Seeds of Faith Advent Hub event for children and families. Registration information will be forwarded by the Diocese.
Christmas Pageant — we will end our Fall session with the always-exciting Christmas Pageant again this year! More detailed information will be available in November.
Wednesday Evening Prayer & Discussions
Current Schedule
5:30 pm Evening Prayer
6:00 pm Discussion: Prayer (Aug. 19 - Sept. 9)
Seasonally we have Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm in the church on Wednesday evenings. One of our four daily offices, this is a service of prayer and scripture that concludes a day nicely. At 6:00 pm, we transition into the parish hall for a discussion group, which finishes at 7:00 pm.
You can choose between worship or study or do both.
Study Description
Our Wednesday night classes exploring ways that our faith impacts our lives will resume at 6 p.m. August 19 with a four-week program on prayer.
If you have ever thought that your prayers feel too puny, too self-centered, too phony, or just somehow inadequate … if you’re bored with the same old prayers you have said since kindergarten … if you promise to pray for others, then forget to do so … if you start to pray and then realize you’re thinking about paying bills instead … if you’re sure everyone else you know is a better and more effective pray-er than you are … or if you just want to learn how to pray differently, this class may be for you.
Many people long to have a personal relationship with God and prayer – communication with God – is the heart of that relationship. Through the centuries, mystics, theologians and even ordinary people have explored routes that we can take to open ourselves up to listen more closely for God’s voice. Just as different people learn differently, different people pray differently. No type of prayer is better than another type.
In this class, we’ll look at why we pray and how we pray. We’ll discuss and practice different ways to bring more joy to our prayer lives and to develop a closer relationship with God, including contemplative prayer, praying with color, lectio divina and visio divina, walking a labyrinth, and Anglican prayer beads. We will also explore additional resources for individual or family prayer time that can be found in our own Book of Common Prayer and online resources.
No special training, experience or skill is required – just bring your own desire to cultivate a deeper spiritual life!
I look forward to taking this journey with you!
—The Rev. Karen E. Klein
Foyer Groups & Prayer Circles
Foyer groups are monthly gatherings of 6-8 people who share a meal in someone’s home or out as a picnic or at a restaurant, going Dutch. Nobody needs to be Martha Stewart. Something simple and wholesome works just fine. The whole point of a foyer group is pure fellowship. No other agenda beyond sharing stories and strengthening friendships. Groups will be formed with an eye to geography and compatibility, while trying to help people meet others they may not know well. These are temporary groups, with fresh sign-ups and new groups being formed every 6-8 months.
Prayer circles are weekly gatherings of 4-5 people who meet somewhere for an hour to pray for and with each other. This is a more intimate and purposeful experience, which can also make it a very powerful experience. These small groups provide support and comfort during challenging times and encouragement as we try to live more faithfully in relationship with Jesus. Simple guides will be provided to help structure these groups, guidelines—not rules—that can be modified as the group decides. Prayer groups, because they are smaller and meet more often, tend to grow much closer, so they are not temporary groups and will not be reformed on a regular basis.
