EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Upcoming courses from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include “Polarization as an Opportunity for Ministry,” led by Russell Haitch April 13 in person at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., with a Zoom session before and after (registration deadline March 7); and “Cultivating an Everyday Faith,” led by Joan Daggett, April 17-June 11 online (registration deadline March 13). CEU’s are available for clergy taking the courses. Register for other courses and pay online at Brethren Academy Course Registration/Biannual TRIM Payment | Bethany Theological Seminary (bethanyseminary.edu)

McPherson College’s Ventures in Christian Discipleship program will offer the two-part course “Divine Creativity and Holy Imagination: Cultivating a Creative Church” Feb. 13 and 20, 7:30-9 p.m. Central each evening. The presenter is Liz Ullery Swenson, pastor at the Wild Wood Gathering in Olympia, Wash. Participants can receive 0.3 CEU’s. Register and learn more at Ventures in Christian Discipleship - McPherson College. Other upcoming courses include “Introduction to Afrofuturism and Theology,” with instructor Tamisha Tyler, on April 2, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Central; and the two-part “Becoming a More Loving and Inclusive Church,” with instructor Tim McElwee, May 7 and 9, 7-8:30 p.m. Central each night. Suggested donation is $25 per course.

“Church of the Brethren Polity” will be offered March 22-23 and April 26-27online via Zoom by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC). Randy Yoder will teach the course. Register by contacting Karen Hodges at karenhodges@svmccob.org. SVMC is also offering “Worship Models from Genesis to Revelation” led by Leah Hileman April 13, 8-11 a.m. Central, via Zoom and “Christian ID in an Age of AI” led by Bethany Theological Seminary Russell Haitch April 27, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Central, also via Zoom. Cost for either seminar is $45 including 0.5 CEU’s or $35 without CEU’s.

On Earth Peace is offering an overview of Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation at 1 p.m. (Central time) on Feb. 23 as an online event. “Kingian Nonviolence is an approach to conflict and community leadership that offers values and methods useful for anyone who wants to use conflict constructively in your personal life, in group settings, or in community issues and building a reconciled world,” said an announcement. The two-hour webinar will be co-facilitated by Sheila Burton and Cristobal Van Breen. To register, go to www.onearthpeace.org/2024_02_23_2hr_intro_kingian_nonviolence_20240223.

Video recordings of online events sponsored by the Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church program of the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry are available online at https://vimeo.com/ptpftcbrethren. Among the most recent is a webinar with Jon Ritner, author of the book Positively Irritating: Embracing a Post-Christian World to Form a More Faithful and Innovative Church, hosted by Ryan Braught, church planter and pastor of Veritas Community, a Church of the Brethren congregation. For more information contact Tabitha H. Rudy, administrative assistant for Part-time Pastor, Full-time Church, at adminptpftc@brethren.org.

Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is offering its one-day “Healthy Congregations” training March 5, “Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches” April 4, and “Restorative Conversations” April 17. For more details and registration information, and to see other events, go to https://lmpeacecenter.org/all-events/.

 NCP Learning Tours: New Community Project will offer an educational trip to Ecuador’s Amazon region May 30-June 5; to Lybrook, N.M., June 20-26; to the Denali/Kenai Fjords region of Alaska July 28-Aug. 4; and to Arctic Village, Alaska, Aug. 4-12. These trips are open to all ages and explore the beauty of andchallenges facing God’s creation and God’s children. Learn more at https://www.newcommunityproject.info/learning-tours.