Continuing Education

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

This introductory course in Contemplation and Care for Creation is facilitated by members of the Center for Deep Green Faith who believe that the root cause of the environmental crises we face is spiritual in nature. When we are estranged from God’s presence in the world around us and from nature, we harm the planet we call home. This certificate course draws on the age-old resources of orthodox Christianity for the spiritual connections to God’s creation that heal and renew both humanity and creation. Using the contemplative exercises found in Living In An Icon (Robert Gottfried & Frederick W. Krueger), our cohort will gather via Zoom to share our experiences of growing closer to God and creation through time spent in contemplation of nature.

Instructor: Deacon Joey Clavijo

Day/Time: Every Other Thursday, 2:00p-4:00p CDT

Dates: September 12-November 21

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

This course is designed for priests and/or lay people serving in the primary role of leadership in a small congregation. This cohort will provide training in the ins and outs of running a parish liturgically, pastorally, and administratively as well as support and resources for ministry particularly focused on the church calendar in this season of the year. Participants will learn effective methods of church administration, basic principles in pastoral care, and helpful ideas for liturgy. Cohort members will explore both big-picture topics and practical details such as what organizational systems work best for their church, how to plan for the bishop’s visit, and/or what stewardship in a small church looks like. The content of the course will also be shaped, in large part, to the specific needs of members of the cohort.

Instructor: The Rev. Canon Leyla King

Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:00p-3:30p CDT

Dates: September 11-November 13

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

An open dialogue by and with deacons in the early stages of their ministry. Over ten weeks, we will hear each other’s stories of our personal faith journey, our calls to ordained life, and each other’s hopes and expectations moving forward. Together, we will explore the influences of Body-Mind-Spirit that attract us, engage us, and enable us. We will travel together to uncover our gifts and resources and acknowledge our challenges and limitations. By sharing our stories, we can more effectively integrate what we do with what we believe and what we say. We will learn how to encourage others by building healthy relationships with family, clergy, peers, and parishioners. Through these connections, we can discover untapped spiritual resources, such as irony, poetry, humor, and the creative spirit within.

Instructor: Archdeacon Roger Saterstrom
Diocese of Tennessee

Day/Time: Wednesdays, 4:00p-5:00p CDT

Dates: September 4-November 6

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

Please join us for a weekly Group Spiritual Direction. We will create a welcoming, safe space for lay leaders to share their awareness of God in their lives with others in a spiritual community. We will support and respond with prayerful listening to each person’s lay ministry through mutual agreement. This contemplative gathering of kindred souls will witness and discern God’s movement in each other’s ministry.

Instructor: Aneya Elbert

Day/Time: Mondays, 5:30p-6:30p CDT

Dates: September 9-November 4

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

After introducing the communal-contextual exegetical approach to Gospels that counters standard and problematic interpretations of Jesus, we will dedicate ourselves to an extensive comparison and contrast of how Mark and Luke tailor their retellings of the Jesus story in a way that addresses the pastoral needs or their respective communities, especially in light of how each community’s demographic make-up and social location is impacted by its relationship to the Roman Empire of the day. The aim of this course is homiletical and pastoral, and affords students the opportunity to analogize from the original Gospel communities and their concerns to our present communal contexts and issues, especially as it relates to how Christian communities ought to relate to the “polis.”

Instructor: Prof. Greg Zuschlag, MDiv., PhD, JD

Day/Time: Thursdays, 5:00p-6:15p CDT

Dates: September 12-November 14

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

As Christians, we can experience a different kind of hope and peace as we navigate the waters of death and the chaos that can often happen in families or relationships. The church has a history of writers who faced this dilemma of life and death with courage, and they left readers vast documents and texts to read and study. We will explore the works of these writers, and consider what they might mean for Christian spirituality. Short videos and readings will be supplied, and group engagement will be encouraged for the benefit of all who attend. Illness and death are difficult topics, but ones that all people will face when life comes to a close. Christian leaders can be skilled in gently carrying others during this crucial time with hope in the presence and peace of God.

Instructor: Sally Lombardo, DMinn., Chaplain

Day/Time: Mondays, 5:30p-6:30p CDT

Dates: September 9-November 11

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

There is no lectionary year that focuses on the Gospel of John, but passages from John are assigned at some very important points in the church year such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter day; and John lends its unique flavor to stretches of all seasons across the three year lectionary cycle. Passages from John can sometimes feel difficult to preach, because once John has spoken what else is there to say?  In this course, we will pay close attention to some of the key passages from John that shape the church year, and learn strategies for letting John’s Word speak anew to our present-day questions and predicaments.

Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Jane Patterson

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 4:00p-5:15p CDT

Dates: September 10-November 12

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

Join colleagues in ministry in honing your capacity to provide pastoral care for those entrusted to you. This course will review the basic skills needed for providing competent and caring pastoral care and focus on caring for the following populations: those experiencing Grief / Loss, Seniors, members of the LGBTQIA community, those with dementia or other memory loss, and caring for the Caregiver. We will review / engage Family Systems Theory and Trauma Informed Care. This course will focus on building students’ skill sets to help others effectively, ethically, and safely when providing pastoral care. This course is ideal for people who are new to or are leaning into their roles as providers of pastoral care.

Instructor: The Rev. Cindy Brickson, ECMN Southern Region Dean

Days/Times: Mondays, 7:00p-8:15p CDT

Dates: February 5-April 29 (no class Holy Week or Easter week)

Fall 2024 COURSE FULL

New and experienced liturgists will gather weekly to learn strategies for effective liturgy planning and execution. Several sessions will focus on planning for Holy Week and other important liturgical seasons. The rest of the course will be guided by your needs. In the first session we will complete a survey to discover what parts of liturgical planning feel overwhelming or for which you feel unprepared. Sessions will be created as we go to help liturgists feel confident and inspired. 

Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Nathan Jennings

Day/Time: Thursdays, 1:30p-2:30p CDT

Dates: February 1-April 25 (skipping March 14, 28 and April 4)