Exciting Changes to Spiritual Growth in 2025-26
Rev Dan Puchalla
At the heart of St. Gregory’s strategic framework is an ongoing commitment to Lifelong Spiritual Growth for people of all ages and walks of life. In the 2024-25 Program Year, we launched a new K-5 classroom and beefed up our adult programing to offer regular Sunday-morning spiritual growth opportunities. There was a lot that worked well last year … and we learned lessons from what didn’t go as well.
After working with our talented teachers, talking with some of our parents, and getting feedback from other leaders, I’m pleased to announce some changes to how we will structure Spiritual Growth this year …
1.Sprints, Not Marathons
Instead of holding classes on nearly every Sunday during the program year, we will have three 4-week focused series during times when people seem most likely to have energy and interest for after-church activities: September, October, and Lent. We will also pepper in other multigenerational activities in Advent, the Epiphany season (post-Christmas), and the Easter season.
2.All of Us Will Learn about the Same Themes/Topics
Children, youth, and adults will all be focused on the same topics during these series. Sometimes we will do this all together (see #3 below), and sometimes we will do this in separate rooms with more age-targeted material. The idea, though, is that we are all sharing the same conversation across ages — between parents and their children, and between all adults and all children.
We will kick-off in September with the 4-week series How Do We Make Sacred Space? (see the teaser above). Read next week’s newsletter for more details about that.
3.More Intergenerational Learning
We intend to include one intergenerational session in each series, as well as other one-off intergenerational events. That means all ages gather together in the same space to share an activity and conversation. One-off events will include some favorite from last year: wrapping presents for Nicasa, the Epiphany Breakfast Pageant, and Speed Dating. And we have a few new things in the pipeline!
Intergenerational learning events are important for building deeper connections between children and adults, between young families and empty-nesters, between young adults and retirees, and so on. As followers of Christ, we know that we need everyone’s voice and insights in order to grow more into what God created us to be.
On September 7, we invite everyone of all ages to gather in Founders Hall for an intergenerational learning event to kick-off the series How Do We Make Sacred Space?
4.Okay, but What Does this All Look Like?
Here is a preliminary schedule: click here to download.
5.So, Save the dates!
All classes and events will continue to meet on Sundays, 9:45 - 11:30. I hope you will make it a priority to take advantage of these ways of continuing your own spiritual journey. More details about all the series will be coming soon.
Questions? Talk to me! dan@stgregoryschurch.org
