Christ Church Cathedral An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
SEPTEMBER 2012 christchurchcathedral.org
Bible Study Fellowship to meet at Cathedral
special to the bulletin
The Ferris-Hughes family plays at home. Zoe (top right) is transitioning to the youth program at the Cathedral.
Growing up and moving on, together As a new school year begins in the fall, the new sixth-grade students make a transition from Sunday School classes to the Episcopal Youth Community, commonly called EYC. The move is a significant step for the kids as they are welcomed to a larger group and given more opportunities to take part in events. For the Ferris-Hughes family, it hardly seems possible that their oldest child, Zoe, is already 11. “I’m excited because I think it’s a really great program, but it’s also sort of a bittersweet time,” said Zoe’s mother, Robin Ferris, just before Zoe began dreaming out loud about being able to date boys in a few years.
“Oh, boy,” Robin sighed. Robin and her husband, David Hughes, clearly couldn’t believe Zoe and her 9-yearold sister, Brigid, were growing up so fast, but they were still thrilled for Zoe to move up. For Zoe, the transition seems natural. “I grew up with a lot of the kids in the youth group,” she said. “And I know the kids, so that helps.” In April, youth director Jeremy Bradley began incorporating the fifth graders into a few events. He brought them up to the third-floor youth room, which many call “the treehouse,” and showed them where they would learn
GROWING UP, inside
Renowned speakers visit the Cathedral this fall A national radio personality, a prominent neuroscientist, a Zen master. This fall, the Cathedral is proud to bring a succession of notable thinkers and speakers to our campus to provoke and enrich both our members and the community at large. Zen Master Miao Tsan will join Pittman McGehee on
SPEAKERS, inside
Beginning Monday, September 10, the Cathedral will host the Bible Study Fellowship's Houston Central Evening Men’s Class. The BSF program began 50 years ago, growing from the desire of a small group of women to deepen their faith through a weekly Bible study. ToThe Rev. Canon James M.L. Grace day the program includes men, women and children from around the world, all of whom share that same desire. The class that will begin meeting at the Cathedral on Monday evenings is one of several that meet throughout Houston. This class has been meeting at St. John the Divine for the last ten or so years, and the Cathedral was approached because of its natural proximity to the downtown business community and to many who are involved with this group. This particular BSF group has about 200 attendees, divided between men and children, who attend separate Bible study sessions. All teachers and instructors for BSF are trained in the Safeguarding God’s Children program. On Mondays beginning September 10 through mid-May, Reynolds Hall and most of the meeting rooms at the Cathedral (including the Ballard Youth Center) will be reserved, due to the size of this class. The Dean’s Conference Room will be available Monday evenings for council or other designated meetings. In one of our last staff meetings with Dean Reynolds, he empowered the staff of the Cathedral to do all in its power to host Bible Study Fellowship. That we are doing so, along with all the other citywide ministries with which the Cathedral is involved, is a testimony of Dean Reynolds’ leadership and vision for this place. To learn more about Bible Study Fellowship, please contact me at 713-5903309 or visit www.bsfinternational.org.