Spring 2012 Academy for Vital Christianity Class Offerings
Bible and Spiritual Growth
Congregational Life
- Arts in the Church, Cindi Beth Johnson - Mar 24
- How the Congregation Can Empower Its Laity for Ministry, Jean Morris Trumbauer - Mar 3 & 17
- Leading in a Time of Change, Jean Morris Trumbauer - May 10, 17, 31; June 7, 14
- Transforming Conflict: Dealing with Difficult People in Your Congregation, Mark Sundby - Mar 6, 13, 20, 27
Exploring Theology and Church History
Classes (from the above) that are offered online:
Class Details
 Arts in the Church
The arts can play an important role in the life of the church, from worship to education to outreach. They are lively and vital companions that help us tell the story of God’s presence in the world and in our lives and help us break open the familiar in new ways. With a particular emphasis on visual modes, this session offers participants an opportunity to learn about a variety of models to help them begin to think about new or additional ways to integrate the arts into their congregational setting.
Cindi Beth Johnson is the director of community programming in the arts, religion and spirituality at United and an ordained member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She is passionate about the arts and evangelism and teaches a course on Evangelism through the Arts at United. She is also interested in helping people reclaim the notion of evangelism in our contemporary world, thinking of it in terms of both radical hospitality and telling our story in the context of the Christian story of love, redemption, and forgiveness.
Date: Saturday – March 24
Times: 9:30 AM-2:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $80.00*
Location:
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ
900 Summit Ave
St. Paul MN 55105
(651) 224-5809
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 The Bible and Life Today
Marcus Borg's Reading the Bible Again for the First Time will provide background for our discussions about the ways we read and use the Bible. How do we understand what the biblical writings are, how they came to be, and why we read them, and how do we go about deciding “what they mean”? We will explore the Bible in our world and the world behind the Bible.
Neil Elliott holds a Ph.D. in biblical studies from Princeton Theological Seminary and serves as an Episcopal priest and scholar-in-residence at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on the Hill in St. Paul. He is editor in biblical studies at Fortress Press and the author of numerous articles and books in biblical studies, most notably Liberating Paul: The Justice of God and the Politics of the Apostle (1994) and The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire (2008). He is adjunct instructor at United and at Metropolitan State University.
Dates: Saturdays – March 24 & 31
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $196.00*
Location:
First United Methodist Church
813 W Myrtle St
Stillwater MN 55082
(651) 439-1880
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
Celtic Spirituality
Celtic spirituality calls upon a notion of the sacredness at the heart of all things. Many people today are drawn to its honoring of the earth, emphasis on arts and poetry, contemplative practices and weaving of liturgy throughout daily life. In this class you will be introduced to Celtic spirituality as lived out in the Iona Community of Scotland. You will become a pilgrim as you learn from history, take a virtual tour to the holy island of Iona, and participate in Celtic spiritual practices.
 Martha Postlethwaite serves as chaplain and director of spiritual formation at United. She is an ordained minister in the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and also has formal training as a psychotherapist and spiritual director. She often meets God in nature, music, poetry, and the stories of others.
Ramona Scarpace is a seminarian at United and a traveler to sacred spaces and thin places.
Date: Saturday – March 31
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $98.00*
Location:
Centenary United Methodist Church
501 S Second St
Mankato MN 56001
(507) 387-4074
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 The Church's Bible
In this class, we will explore the Bible’s central place in Christianity and learn how it came to be and when. Participants will consider what it means for Christians to have sacred, or authoritative, texts. Together, we will explore questions such as:
- How do I choose which Bible to read?
- What is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments?
- How do we read the Bible in a way that honors both faith and reason?
- Are some parts of the Bible more important than others?
Marilyn Salmon is professor of New Testament theology at United. She is an Episcopal priest and an associate at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul. Her book, Preaching without Contempt: Overcoming Unintended Anti-Judaism, invites Christians to read the New Testament with a more accurate understanding of Judaism.
Dates: Saturdays – February 11 & March 10
Times: 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $196.00*
Location:
St. Clement's Episcopal Church (this is a new location for this class)
901 Portland Ave
St Paul MN 55104
(651) 228-1164
Course Requirements:
- Participants will need a Study Bible, NRSV translation.
- Recommended versions: HarperCollins Study Bible, Student Edition; The People’s Bible NRSV with the Apocrypha, Fortress Press; or The New Oxford Annotated Bible, current edition. Available through United’s Cokesbury Bookstore and at other bookstores.
- Participants will need a personal computer and access to e-mail communication.
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 Controversies, Councils, and Creeds: Nicea Then and Now
We can sometimes approach the Niceo-Constantinopolitan Creed as if it were merely an abstract and highly speculative formulation about the nature of God, difficult to make relevant to the 21st century.
But what if we engage the Nicene Creed as the fruit of the Church’s grassroots encounter of God the Holy Trinity in Bible, life, and worship, and through the Creed seek intimacy with the God who is love, the God who is for the life of the world?
Participants will:
- explore Christian prayer and praxis as the most important context in which our forebears wrought the Creed.
- explore some of the geographical, social, and religious realities of late antiquity that rendered our forebears open to the Church’s relational experience of God.
- reflect on how worshiping the Triune God might make all the difference in how we live and act as the Church now in the world.
William L. Bulson has been an Episcopal priest for 15 years and serves as associate rector at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Minnetonka, Minn. He has served in a variety of congregations, including majority Hmong, Appalachian, urban, and suburban communities. Bulson is a co-translator of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer into the Hmong language, and he is a vowed oblate in the contemplative Order of Julian of Norwich. Bulson has a B.A., M.A., and two years’ doctoral work in Slavic linguistics and Russian literature. His M.Div. is from Virginia Theological Seminary. His ongoing study includes ecclesiology, politics, and Christian prayer.
Dates: Saturdays – May 5 & June 2
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $196.00*
Location:
St. David’s Episcopal Church
13000 St David Rd
Minnetonka MN 55305
(952) 935-3336
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
This class is offered in partnership with the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.
* * *
 Deepening the Spiritual Life of a Progressive Congregation
In every congregation there are competing needs, especially in a time of scarcity and change. We ministerial leaders must nurture the spiritual wells of our own lives and the lives of others in order to keep our call fresh and focused. In this one-day experiential class, we will be still before God and participate together in a variety of spiritual practices, old and new, designed to deepen the spiritual life of a congregation.
Barbara Anne Keely is Schilling associate professor of church and economic life, and leadership of the congregation, as well as faculty officer for master’s admissions, teaching in the areas of religious leadership, church administration, Christian education, and spiritual formation. A minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she is part-time co-pastor of Wahkon Presbyterian Church, Wahkon, Minn., and Calvary Presbyterian Church, McGrath, Minn. She is also an oblate of the Order of St. Benedict, affiliated with St. John’s.
Date: Saturday – March 17
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $98.00*
Location:
Christ United Methodist Church
400 Fifth Ave SW
Rochester MN 55902
(507) 289-4019
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
Dying Well: Honoring Choices**
As medical technology has advanced, decisions about end-of-life care have become much more complex. Individuals and families face profoundly difficult spiritual, medical, legal, pastoral, and ethical questions. How can faith communities help? In these sessions, we will hear from a variety of leaders in end-of-life care as they explore these questions and help us carefully and faithfully reflect upon them.
Instructors: Christie Cozad Neuger, director of the Institute for Pastoral Ministries at United Theological Seminary; Brian Rank, medical director for HealthPartners Medical Group; Rob Ruff, director of chaplaincy services at Regions Hospital; Greg Plotnikoff, medical director for Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital; Kent Wilson, medical director for Honoring Choices Minnesota.**
Dates: Tuesdays – March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 10
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Cost: $100.00*
Location
Plymouth Presbyterian Church
3755 Dunkirk Ln N
Plymouth MN 55446
(763) 559-2946
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
**Honoring Choices Minnesota is an effort of the Twin Cities Medical Society and its foundation to encourage families and communities to have discussions regarding end-of-life care choices. Twin Cities Public Television is supporting "Honoring Choices Minnesota" with efforts to reach and engage Minnesota citizens in this effort.
Twin Cities Medical Society (TCMS) is a membership organization representing over 5,000 practicing physicians, resident physicians, and medical students in the seven-county metro area. TCMS exists to connect, represent, and engage physicians in improving the practice of medicine, policy development, and public health initiatives. Honoring Choices Minnesota has been a key project since 2008.
One of the nation's leading public media organizations, Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) uses television, interactive media, and community engagement to advance education, culture, and citizenship. Based in St. Paul, tpt is one of the highest-rated PBS affiliates in the nation, reaching over 1.3 million people each month through multiple broadcast and online channels. The mission of tpt is to "enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media."
* * *
 Finding God in Everyday Life
What role does God play in our every day life? What language can we use to begin to describe and engage the presence of God in our world? In this class participants will develop a language for naming and reflecting on the presence of God in their lives. This class is especially ideal for persons who want to deepen their understanding of God and learn to articulate what that means for a life of faith.
Eleazar S. Fernandez is professor of constructive theology at United and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. He earned his M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines, his Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He is the author of Reimagining the Human: Theological Anthropology in Response to Systemic Evil.
Dates: Saturdays – April 14 & 28
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $196.00*
Location:
Wayzata Community Church
125 E Wayzata Blvd
Wayzata MN 55391
(952) 473-8877
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 Great Theologians of the Church Speak to Today: Reinhold Niebuhr
Reinhold Niebuhr has been called America’s greatest theologian of the 20th century. Starting out as a pastor in Detroit when workers first started fighting for their rights against car manufacturers, Niebuhr got a close-up look at the wretchedness of human existence. He eventually lost his optimism in the basic goodness and rationality of human nature. Melding his first-hand observations with classical insights from the Bible, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Kierkegaard, Niebuhr developed the most compelling Christian interpretation of human nature for our time.
Paul E. Capetz is a liberal Protestant theologian in the Reformed tradition. His research interests focus on the development of modern theology and its relations to the heritage of the Reformation. He has authored two books: Christian Faith as Religion: A Study in the Theologies of Calvin and Schleiermacher and God: A Brief History. With Brent W. Sockness, he is currently preparing a volume of newly translated essays on ethics and historicism by Ernst Troeltsch. Capetz is professor of historical theology at United and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Dates: Tuesdays – April 10, 17, 24; May 1, 8
Times: 7:00-9:00 PM
Cost: $180.00*
Location:
Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church
9920 Normandale Blvd
Bloomington MN 55437
(952) 835-7585
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 How the Congregation Can Empower Its Laity for Ministry
Churches struggle to find better ways to live out the priesthood of all believers. This class will offer an organized way to empower laity for ministry that goes beyond time and talent forms.
Jean Morris Trumbauer has provided leadership in establishing gift-based shared ministry systems as a consultant, trainer, and author, as well as in her roles of director of shared ministry in a Twin Cities congregation, executive director of an ecumenical agency, and lay minister in her own church. Jean also serves as director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at United and has made presentations at dozens of national and regional conferences of religious denominations and ministry professional groups.
Dates: Saturdays – March 3 & 17
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Cost (includes lunch): $196.00*
Location:
First United Methodist Church
230 E Skyline Parkway
Duluth MN 55811
(218) 727-5021
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Download a bulletin insert for this class.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
Leading in a Time of Change
Change is constant and increasingly more rapid and complex in today’s society and the church. One of the most important skills people can possess at this time is the ability to anticipate and deal creatively with change. In this online class participants will focus on the understandings, attitudes, emotions, and behaviors that will assist us and those we lead to move through transitions as creative and resilient change agents.
Jean Morris Trumbauer has provided leadership in establishing gift-based shared ministry systems as a consultant, trainer, and author, as well as in her roles of director of shared ministry in a Twin Cities congregation, executive director of an ecumenical agency, and lay minister in her own church. Jean also serves as director of the Doctor of Ministry program at United and has made presentations at dozens of national and regional conferences of religious denominations and ministry professional groups.
Dates: Thursdays - May 10, 17, 31; June 7, 14
Times: 7:00-9:00 PM
Cost: $180.00
Location: Online
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
* * *
 Transforming Conflict: Dealing with Difficult People in Your Congregation
Every parish has them – individuals who challenge our personal and professional skills to the fullest. This online class will help participants identify, analyze, and manage difficult personalities and behaviors. Participants will take the Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument to learn how different conflict-handling styles affect personal and group dynamics.
Mark Sundby is a licensed psychologist and an ordained pastor in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church. Sundby received his doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota and his masters of divinity degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has served in the local church, worked in university counseling centers, and taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Dates: Tuesdays – March 6, 13, 20, 27
Times: 7:00-8:00 PM
Cost (includes $16 supply fee): $124.00
Location: Online
Register: Proceed to online registration or Download a printable registration form.
You may also contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
*A multiple registrant discount is available for groups of two or more that register at the same time. To receive the discount, contact Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Academy FAQs
What will I get out of an Academy class?
Students in the Academy will gain confidence in their ability to work in the church, a deep and more vital faith, and the skills to enhance their congregational participation. If desired, students can earn a Certificate in Christian Studies with the satisfactory completion of a required amount of classes. (Other certificates will be available in time.)
What is the learning environment?
United is an ecumenical seminary of the United Church of Christ that offers a progressive, intellectually rigorous, and spiritually rich learning environment.
What is involved?
Academy classes total anywhere from 4 to 10 contact hours, depending on the class. A book list is provided prior to the first session. Written assignments may be given, but will not be handed in or graded. Dialogue and interaction are an integral part of each class.
Who are the teachers?
Instructors are recruited from United’s outstanding and dedicated regular faculty, adjunct faculty, and retired faculty, as well as well-known regional experts.
What does it cost?
Academy classes are designed to provide substantive educational experiences of the highest quality in affordable and accessible form. Fees range widely depending on contact hours. Registration fees do not include costs for reading materials (each class will have a recommended book list) or occasional incidentals. Early registration discounts and congregational discounts for multiple registrants from one church who register as a group are available. Scholarship funds may be available through your denomination or church.*
*For United Church of Christ clergy: Limited financial assistance for clergy continuing education is available through the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ. Inquiries should be sent to Rev. Dr. Karen Smith Sellers, conference minister.
For United Methodist clergy: Clergy can access their local church continuing education funds or their MEF funds through the Board of Ordained Ministry (MEF form is in the library on the conference Web site). Return the form to Sharon Hegele at the address on the form.
For United Methodist laity: Laity may request a 50% scholarship by contacting Vivienne Pierce, giving your full name and address, your local church, and the class you will be taking.
Who should attend?
The Academy classes are designed for:
- Individuals who want to deepen their faith and broaden their knowledge of Christianity.
- Church members eager to enhance their participation in their church.
- Religions leaders (clergy and lay) who want to expand or renew their skills for ministry.
Where do classes take place?
Classes are held at churches in convenient metro locations around the Twin Cities (north, south, east, west, and downtown) and in Alexandria, Duluth, Mankato, and Rochester.
How do I register?
Academy registrations can be completed online (if available) or via a printable registration form. To receive multiple registrants discounts, you must register with Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
Please check back for fall online registration.
Who do I contact for more information or to ask questions?
Renee K. Flesner, 651.255.6138. |
