EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

• Spring district pastors/ministers retreat: As noted above, the district’s Ministry Leadership Development Team has scheduled the 2023 spring retreat/continuing education event for clergy April 19-20 at the Bishop Lane Center in Rockford, with at least 0.5 CEU’s available. Watch for more details.

• Lands of the Bible study tour: In July 2023, Bridgewater College chaplain Dr. Robbie Miller will again lead a study tour of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The tour, conducted by the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem (https://uhl.ac/), will visit sites of biblical and religious importance including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, Capernaum, Caesarea, Masada, Qumran, Petra, and many more. The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership will provide 4.0 CEUs for the study tour. For an itinerary and more information, contact Dr. Miller at rmiller@bridgewater.edu or at 540-421-2720.

• The annual Festival of Homiletics is relatively close this year, in Minneapolis, and an online option is also available. The 2023 event will take place May 15-18 with an all-star cast of speakers and the theme “Preaching Hope for a Weary World,” which they note is a “response to the hardships and heaviness that have been our reality the last few years. In these wearying days, what is our call to preach? Hope. The Festival of Homiletics 2023 will inspire us to a renewed sense of our radical calling. Our weary world needs us, preachers.” Registration ($345 early-bird in person/$95 online) and further details can be found at: Registration and information here.

• The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program operated by McPherson College announced that the “Beyond Burned Out to Boundaries and Balance” event with Jen Jensen of the denomination’s “Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church” program, which had been scheduled for Dec. 6, had to be postponed, with details on rescheduling to come. The full spring 2023 schedule will be announced soon. To learn more about Ventures in Christian Discipleship and to register for courses, visit www.mcpherson.edu/ventures.

• The organization Faith+Lead (through Luther Seminary) has available on demand a 6-hour self-guided course called “Hybrid Ministry in a Post-Pandemic Church,” helping pastors and others think about ways to create a framework for church that engages and connects the entire community. Cost is $75. Learn more and register at https://t.e2ma.net/click/vfs32k/zarqt/3d8o7ab.

• Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is offering its one-day Healthy Congregations webinar (via Zoom) on Jan. 26 and March 22 (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central), as well as some additional dates in 2023. Cost is $99. A Restorative Congregations webinar will be presented via Zoom Feb. 23, May 23, and Nov. 2 (9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central). Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches will be offered via Zoom April 11 and Sept. 16 (9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central). For more details and registration information, and to see other events, go to https://lmpeacecenter.org/all-events/.

• Upcoming courses from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include “Wisdom Literature” by Steve Schweitzer March 15-May 9 (online); “Pathways for Effective Leadership Part 2” by Randy Yoder March 24-25 and April 28-29 (online intensive); and “What Brethren Believe” by Denise Kettering April 19-June 13. Registration deadline for the Wisdom Literature course is Feb. 8.

Register for courses and pay online at Brethren Academy Course Registration/Biannual TRIM Payment | Bethany Theological Seminary (bethanyseminary.edu).

• Strength for the Journey: A program from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, named “Strength for the Journey,” invites pastors and others serving in ministry to take part in cohort groups for support, encouragement, and accountability.

Three types of cohorts are being formed in 2023: one for chaplains in health care settings, one for those in interim ministry, and one simply for pastors interested in connecting with other pastors around ministry topics—especially pastoral care. Cohorts typically will have five to eight people and meet for 10 to 12 90-minute sessions via Zoom during the year. CEU credits will be available.

The Brethren Academy aims to form the groups by mid-December. Each group will be assigned a convener and will begin meeting after Jan. 1. There is no cost to participate; funding for registration, resources, and some travel assistance if needed is being provided by the David J. and Mary Elizabeth Wieand Trust.

For more details and applications, visit www.bethanyseminary.edu/brethren-academy.

• NCP Learning Tours: New Community Project will offer an educational trip to South Sudan May 11-22, to the Amazon region of Ecuador June 1-7, to Lybrook, N.M., June 22-28, to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons July 20-27, and to central and southern Alaska Aug. 7-15. These trips are open to all ages and explore the beauty of and challenges facing God’s creation and God’s children. Learn more at www.newcommunityproject.info/learning-tours.