EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

‘Ventures’ courses

The next offering from the Ventures in Christian Discipleship program will be “Peace, Violence, and Nonviolence” to be held online over two evening sessions, Thursday, Feb. 24, and Thursday, March 3, both at 6 p.m. Central. The course will be presented by Katy Gray Brown and Virginia Rendler, who direct the peace studies program at Manchester University, where peace studies began as an undergraduate field in 1948.

This course provides a groundwork for the central concepts in peace studies. It will consider definitions of power; different forms of violence and their interconnection, with a particular discussion of militarism and zealous nationalism as forms of fundamentalism; and central concepts of nonviolence (both principled and strategic). As a discussion-based course, there will be opportunity for participates to engage not only with the material but with one another as they explore examples of and alternatives to violence, nationalism, and militarism. Participants will leave with an understanding of the collaborative and community-building components of nonviolence.

The March offering from Ventures will be “From Tragedy to Community” to be held online Thursday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Central. The course will be presented by Andrew Sampson, pastor at the Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren.

Continuing education credit is available for $10 per course. During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to pay for CEUs and give an optional donation to the Ventures program. To learn more about Ventures in Christian Discipleship and to register for courses, visit www.mcpherson.edu/ventures.

Pathways for Effective Leadership

The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, through the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, is offering a two-part course for clergy. “Pathways for Effective Leadership, Part 1” will take place March 25-26 and April 29-30, taught by Randy Yoder. Topics included in this course will be the character and calling of a leader, recognizing servant leadership as incarnational ministry, reading a congregation and its missional context, conflict management, and nonviolent communication skills. The second part of the course will be in spring 2023. Registration fee for part 1 is $300; qualified clergy can receive 2.0 CEU’s for participating. Registration deadline is Feb. 25. Register at Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center offers TRIM Course: Pathways for Effective Leadership (constantcontact.com).

Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife

The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is offering Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife, April 27 – June 21, 2022. TRIM participants will receive one credit in Bible/Theology. The instructor for this online course will be Craig Gandy. EFSM students may create a Learning Unit for the course. It can also be taken for general continuing education or personal enrichment. The deadline to register for this course is March 23, 2022.

Participants will explore biblical and theological understandings of Heaven, Hell, and God’s judgment, examining topics including: Sheol and Gehenna, the destiny of the unevangelized, the parousia and day of the Lord, the restoration of creation, the resurrection of the body, and the New Heaven and New Earth. Special attention will be given to the Brethren debate over Universal Restoration. Online courses "meet" for 8 weeks in Moodle, a virtual classroom. Register and pay online at www.bethanyseminary.edu. There is a 3% service charge when registering online.

Questions may be directed to Academy Director, Janet Ober Lambert at oberlja@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1820.