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Exploring Faith Matters (EFM)

Explore the Christian faith
Connect faith and daily life
Discover the treasures in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament & Church History

Develop new insights through discussion

Be challenged! Be inspired!

So what is it?

Exploring Faith Matters (EFM) is a study and group reflection programme for the formation of Christian ministry through the development of knowledge and identity as Christians. Every baptized person is called to ministry. EFM provides people with the education to carry out that ministry and an opportunity to discover how to respond to the call to Christian service. Lay persons face the often difficult task of interpreting the depth of the Church’s faith in a complex world. A theological education supports one’s faith and teaches individuals to express that faith in day-to-day events. One does not need to be ordained to think theologically or discern one’s ministry.

EFM is ecumenical in its content and welcomes participants of any faith tradition (or no faith tradition) who are open to a journey of exploration and discovery.

You can find out more about EFM here.

How does it work?

There are now two pathways into EFM. Both pathways run alongside each other.

The one-year “Wide Angle” offers an overview of EFM and participants will read small portions of the four-year programme. Built on the core practices of study, living in community, regular prayer and worship, theological reflection, and vocational discernment, it is designed to offer the same experience as the traditional “Classic” programme. The “Wide Angle” might be for you if you want to …

try EFM without the four-year commitment of the “Classic” programme;
use a variety of learning resources, including videos, podcasts and blogs;
limit preparation time for our weekly meetings to 60-90 minutes.

In addition, and as in the past, the “Classic” route offers a four-year programme where participants enrol for one year at a time, starting with Year 1. The “Classic” programme is slightly more demanding in terms of reading load. The respective years offer insights into the following:

Year 1 – the Hebrew Scriptures;
Year 2 – the New Testament;
Year 3 – Christian History;
Year 4 – Christian Ethics and Spirituality.

Every year we focus on a different theme. For 2025-2026 the theme will be “The Journey with God”. Participants completing all four years receive a certificate in theological education from the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, which is responsible for the creation and running of EFM.

All participants commit themselves to:

reading and reflection in preparation for the weekly sessions;
attendance and participation in the weekly sessions;
preparedness to share experiences, ideas and questions in a small learning group where norms of confidentiality, respect, diversity and trust are observed.

We meet once a week (day tbc) at St John’s Cornerstone Centre. The course runs for ten months, usually from mid-September through to the end of June. It is open to all.

What books will we read?

The Bible is obviously a key text for us. In addition, each year has a different focus with its own set texts. All participants will also study and engage with so-called “common lessons”. You can find the year-by-year texts (and book covers) here and the common lessons here, or listed below:

For the one-year “Wide Angle” programme:

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans (Nelson Books, 2018)
Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life by Rowan Williams (W.B. Eerdmans, 2016)
Church Meets World by Winnie Varghese (Morehouse Publishing, 2016)
Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage by Steven Charleston (Broadleaf Books, 2021)
The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life by Joan Chittister (Convergent Books 2021)

For Year 1 of the “Classic” programme:

Introducing the Old Testament: A Historical, Literary and Theological Survey by Rolf A. Jacobson and Michael J. Chan (Baker Academic, 2023)
Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter, Expanded Second Edition by Lindsay Hardin Freeman (Forward Movement, 2023)

For Year 2:

Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus by Matthias Henze (Fortress Press, 2017)
Introduction to the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, Second Edition by Mark Allan Powell (Fortress Press, 2018).

For Year 3:

A Short World History of Christianity, Revised Edition by Robert Bruce Mullen (Westminster John Knox Press, 2014)
The Episcopal Story: Birth and Rebirth by Thomas E. Ferguson (Morehouse Publishing, 2015)
The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Penguin Books, 2021)

For Year 4:

A Primer in Christian Ethics: Christ and the Struggle to Live Well by Luke Bretherton (Cambridge University Press, 2023)
The Spiritual Way: Classical Traditions and Contemporary Practice by Philip F. Sheldrake (Liturgical Press, 2009)

Common Texts for all years:

A Bible that includes the Apocrypha texts, for example the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation
God’s Joyful Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved by Sue Monk Kidd (HarperOne, 2017)

You can download last year’s schedule used for the four-year programme here.

Is there a cost?

The course fee for 2024/25 was £40 for Year 1 of the four-year programme, which can be paid in full at the start of the course or monthly. The fee for Year 2 onward was £80. The fees for 2025/26 are still to be confirmed.

Participants are also responsible for obtaining their own copies of the books that we use.

If cost may be an issue for you please mention this in your enquiry below and we will discuss it with you in confidence.

How to get in touch

If you would like to know more about EFM at St John’s, or wish to enrol, then please fill out the form below and we will get back to you.

Last updated: 2 July 2025