Connect is intended for those outside the church,those on the fringe of the church, those who have attended for years. The focus of Connect? is on the Eucharist in order to help participants to make sense of their experience of worship. Participants build relationships in small groups that provide support, encouragement to grow, and a sense of connection with the parish. Connect? invites participants to consider Jesus’ invitation to a new life in God’s reign of love and justice.

The course is designed to achieve certain learning goals for each of the six sessions . Listed below is the theme and learning goals for each session.

1 — Connect with Jesus: An Open Invitation

As we celebrate the Eucharist, we remember and give thanks for Jesus’ ministry, particularly celebrating the ways Jesus made use of meals to invite all people into community.

• Understand that Jesus shared meals freely with all
• Wonder if this may be a parable of God’s invitation to us
• Practice being in a group where everyone counts
• Consider the Eucharist as a meal in which Jesus is present

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2 — Connect with God: Praying Freely

Jesus teaches us to connect openly with God. The Lord’s prayer is central to every celebration of the Eucharist and is a primary resource for our prayer as individuals and in households.

• Understand that prayer is about connecting with God
• Explore the images which help or block our connection
• Use the Prayer Book as a resource for connecting with God
• Practice silence as a way to connect with God
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3 — Connect with God’s Story: The Good News!

There are many ways in which Christians (including biblical authors) have viewed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, but as Christians we agree that Jesus is the best lens through which we can read the story of God’s love of the world. In the liturgy of the Eucharist we retell this story, from the goodness of creation through the ending we anticipate – the messianic banquet.

• Understand that stories shape the meaning of our our lives
• Consider the Bible as a 5 part story of the meaning of life
• Find the 5 part story in the Eucharist
• Wonder about the meaning of my life story
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4 — Connect in the Eucharist: Becoming Part of the Story

The mystery that we celebrate in the Eucharist is that we are all being knit into a community in which we become most fully ourselves. Each member in a Christian community is valued for who she or he truly is, and is challenged and supported to discover her or his identity and vocation. Our unity is not doctrinal or cultural, but sacramental and relational.

• Understand the meaning of “sacrament”
• Notice how people tend to justify themselves
• Explore the paradox that I am most myself in community
• Identify the role of the church in God’s new creation
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5 — Connect with Faith: Living the Story

Connecting with God and one another in the Eucharist changes our sense of who we and how we make choices. Being already reconciled to God, we are free to choose daily how we will “love and serve the Lord.” We live by faith, that is trust in God, as we draw on Scripture, Tradition and Reason for guidance, seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit.

• Understand that the primary meaning of faith is trust
• Consider that faith is more exploration than certainty
• Explore the use of Scripture, Tradition and Reason
• Wonder about the freedom of new life in Christ
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6 — Connect with the Parish: Celebration and Next Steps

What has connected most deeply for you over the last five sessions? How can you continue to find more meaning and connection in your life? This parish is an Episcopal community that follows Jesus as we balance our mission priorities. Are there steps you wish to take in becoming more connected at this parish? Jesus’ invitation and ours is to join the feast!

• Identify what you have learned
• Consider any next steps you wish to take
• Say thanks and farewell to others in your course
• Make suggestions for improving “Connect?”
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