Vibrant Fall, Winter Classes Enrolling Now at the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary

Decatur, GA—The Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary is offering variety of residential and online classes for church leaders. While a few classes remain open for enrollment for 2015, the roster of classes for 2016 continues to grow. Early registration discounts are available for most courses, and participants are encouraged to register in plenty of time to complete any pre-course reading and assignments.

2015 Classes Still Enrolling

Nov. 9-13 Ignatian Spirituality A retreat experience introducing the posture, elements and purpose of the Ignatian Exercises. This is an experiential learning context for persons to get a ‘taste’ of the exercises and discern if the exercises are a path they feel called to fully engage.  Details and Registration

Nov. 16-18 (and Mar. 7-9, 2016) Leadership in Ministry (Atlanta) Learn how the concepts of family emotional process can be applied to the practice of ministry, and explore the theological implications of these concepts. Details and Registration

Nov. 21 Simply Advent: A Half-Day Retreat Pause, pray, reflect, and ground ourselves in the love and grace of God to begin the Advent season.  Details and Registration

A Sampler of Offerings for 2016

January 19-21 Grounded: Exploring the Sense of the Sacred Within Us and the World featuring Diana Butler Bass. Workshop leaders include Jake Myers, Tim Hartman, Haruko Ward and William Yoo. Details and Registration

January 28-31 Metaphors, Imagination, and the Art of the Psalms Explore the metaphorical landscape of the Psalter and reflect on how this artful language functions to nurture our spirituality, and infuse our lives and ministries with imagination. Details and Registration

Feb. 29-Mar. 2 Finance for Churches For congregational leaders, lay, staff, and clergy, who provide leadership in the congregation’s financial ministry. The focus of this course is practical wisdom and best practices related to church finance. Details and Registration

Feb. 16-18 Spirituality in the Smart Phone Age Centered on developing a theological grounding to navigate the joys and perils of this continually-evolving digital age, and practical wisdom to apply in the context of various ministry settings. Details and Registration

Mar. 31-Apr. 3 Sacred Survival: Engaging African American Spirituality Engage lived-experiences, stories, songs and rituals, and trace questions of African American spirituality as a source of survival, healing and hope for oppressed communities. Details and Registration

April 4-May 6 Reading Contemporary Confessions with a Global Perspective (Online Course) This course offers an opportunity to review four contemporary confessions and the purpose and function of confessional statements in the life of a church. Details and Registration

April 11-13 Spiritual Formation for Older Adults Consider the journey of aging in the last third of life as a series of stable periods and transitions, each with spiritual, theological and ethical issues. Details and Registration

April 14-16 Theological Reflections and Affirmations in Older Adulthood  This course will explore a number of theological concepts, with a particular focus on how these relate to older adulthood. Details and Registration

April 26-29 Can They See Your Church: Evangelism in the Visual Age (Thompson Scholars 2016) with Pastor Keith Anderson, author of Digital Cathedral,: Networked Ministry in a Wired World, and Ralph Basui Watkins. To apply, see www.ctsnet.edu/thompson-scholars.

May 2-June 3 Thriving as a Church Ministry Staff Associate (an online course) The focus is on the role and function of pastoral and program associate staff in the congregational context. Understand staff relationships, staff functions, teamwork, personal professional skills, and relational intelligence in dealing with pastors, staff members, and congregational members.  Details and Registration

May 9-12 Being the Beloved Community: Welcoming Children of All Abilities to Church This conference will emphasize the theological and practical dimensions of this ministry;  participants will learn that every church can do something to transform relationships and practices. Details and Registration

Columbia Theological Seminary is committed to “educating imaginative, resilient leaders for God’s changing world.” The Center for Lifelong Learning offers courses and events as a resource for church professionals and lay people. For a list of classes offered by the Center for Lifelong Learning, visit www.ctsnet.edu/lifelong-courses-and-events.

Contact Information:

Sarah Erickson
Center for Lifelong Learning
EricksonS@nullctsnet.edu
404-687-4526