Formation
The Beloved Community is partnering with our sending parish, The Church of the Nativity (Raleigh) to offer various opportunities for formation. Below are some helpful links to resources about the Episcopal Church, Inclusion, and Faith. If you would like to register for any of our upcoming formation opportunities or would like more information, please contact us.
Formation Opportunities at The Beloved Community
​Rediscovering Scripture
Zoom Discussion Series
Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30PM
September 11 - October 23
Registration Open
Led by Jeremy Clos
Lay Associate for Christian Formation
Church of the Nativity
This series introduces fundamental principles of using source criticism int our interpretation of Holy Scripture. Delving into topics such as canon, genre, hermeneutics, and more, this series will shed new light on the Bible and how we can look beyond what it says to discern the work into which God is calling us.
Love Wins
Zoom Book Study
Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30PM
October 30 - November 20
Registration Open
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass
In Love Wins, bestselling author, international teacher, and speaker Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis, Drops Like Stars) addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith—hell and the afterlife—arguing, would a loving God send people to eternal torment forever?
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​God After Deconstruction
Zoom Book Study
Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30PM
January 5 - January 26, 2025
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass
Deconstruction is hard. Bad views of God and harmful experiences lead many of us to deconstruct. But we're right to run from the nonsense we've been taught and from those who hurt us. God After Deconstruction will not be welcomed by traditionalists. It's not a book for people who think conventional theology works. It isn't for people who just want to tweak a bit what they've been taught.
Thomas Jay Oord and Tripp Fuller offer an open and relational vision of God. This vision makes sense; it fits our experience; it's livable. The open and relational view aligns with our deep intuitions about love and freedom.
God After Deconstruction is for those deconstructing and those wanting help after deconstruction.
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Beyond A Binary God
Zoom Book Study
Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30PM
February 5 - February 26, 2025
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass
All are made in the image and likeness of God. If this is what we believe, then trans people, like all people, reflect something of God, and not just in the ways that they share in common with others, but also in the ways that they are different. They remind us that God is beyond all of our categories, even gender. In this book, Tara Soughers explores theology from the position of a trans ally―a parent of a trans young adult as well as priest. What does it mean about God and about humans, that there is not a strict gender binary? How can we affirm and include what we have learned about the permeability of boundaries to affirm those whose path does not follow traditional cultural stereotypes, and how might the broadening help us to understand the God who is never two for Christians, but both one and three? What gifts does this broader understanding bring to the church?
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When Religion Hurts You
Zoom Book Study
Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30PM
March 5 - March 26, 2025
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass
In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life--such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders--can cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage.
Other Formation Opportunities
Learn more about the Episcopal Church:
Episcopal Dictionary (Glossary of Terms)
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Other Formation Opportunities:
An interview with Bishop Gene Robinson - "God Called Me Out."
Queerology: A Podcast on Belief and Being
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Radical Love: Introduction to Queer Theology: "Patrick Cheng's Radical Love is not only an excellent introduction to LGBT theology but an important contribution to the discipline of theology and the life of the church. It is a must read for anyone who cares about the health of the church and theology today." --James H. Cone, Charles A. Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY (Offered August 14-September 4)
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Walk In Love: Take a journey through The Book of Common Prayer, the Christian life, and basic beliefs of our faith, guided by two Episcopal priests - Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe. Walk through the liturgical year, the sacraments of the church, habits of daily prayer, and the teachings of Anglican Christianity. See how our prayer shapes our belief and our lives and how our beliefs lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. (Offered July 18-August 8, 2024)
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents: In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. (Offered May 15 - June 26, 2024)
The Savvy Ally:The Savvy Ally is a vital resource for teachers, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, college professors, faith leaders, family members, and friends who want to support and advocate for the LGBTQ+ people in their lives and help make the world a safer, more inclusive place. This informative, encouraging, and easy-to-understand guidebook will jump-start even the most tentative ally. (Offered April 10 - May 1, 2024)
Previous Formation Opportunities