Parish of Manuka South Canberra
Study Groups, Seminars &
Christian Formation
Our Parish offers both ongoing and occasional study groups, as well as special seminars, lectures and mini-retreat / quiet days.
To be a disciple is to be one who learn. Jesus calls disciples to learn from him. Matthew 11:29
For Christians, discipleship is lifelong learning from Jesus.
Ongoing Christian study, formation and spiritual practices are important for our spiritual lives.
They support the nourishment we receive in the Eucharist and the life of the Church.
Closed-mindedness, complacency, pride, fear and the arrogance of thinking we have nothing more
to learn, can all make us reluctant to engage in further learning. Yet it is intrinsic in the spiritual
life and God always provides us with more to learn about this world he loves so much and his
love for us.
Our 2026 Continuing Christian Education programme is designed to help us all find ways of
learning that will help us stay close to God, learn more of God and ourselves, and more of the
faith which we share.
Lent study program
Lenten meditation: Based on Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina in the church sanctuary. The sessions are open to everyone including those who have never practised meditation or are relatively new to it. For more information and to register please contact Alice-Anne aamacnaught@gmail.com or 0414 790 201. Tuesdays 5.45pm, Thursdays 11am
The journey to the tomb: Journey to the Empty Tomb focuses on the events leading up to the first Easter – the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus that are at the very heart of the Christian faith. Beginning with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ending at the empty tomb, this series works through the NT’s language and culture, to reveal fresh and startling insights and to open up hidden depths in these familiar stories. Accessible and informed, it is aimed at all who wish to gain a fuller understanding of the Bible’s key themes and subjects. It is rooted in the conviction that greater understanding leads to deeper devotion. Tuesdays 7pm, Thursdays 11am
The art of Lent: Engage with famous and lesser-known masterpieces of Western art to lead you into a deeply prayerful response to all that these paintings convey to the discerning eye, to explore themes like sacrifice, joy, and courage, providing a concise, prayerful reflection for the eye and heart for the Lenten season. Wednesdays 11am
Christ-likeness in the liturgy: The seasonal liturgies at the heart of the Christian year have the ability to touch individuals and whole church communities in a way that changes lives. This companion to Lent, Holy Week and Easter offers advice on creatively experiencing the church’s most dramatic and transformative liturgies.
This series explores how commemorating Jesus’ death and resurrection is more than a reminder of the essentials of our faith, but also enables us to enter the familiar stories and discover their power to make us more Christlike in the painful events of life.
It stretches from the beginning of Lent to the end of the Great Fifty Days, with a particular focus on Holy Week. Sundays 3pm
If you are interested in any of these please email the office or use the signup sheets in the church