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Registration for any event can be done
by e-mailing Jacki Knapp-Raaen at knappraa@cord.edu,
by calling the CHARIS office at 218.299.3566,
or
by filling out our online registration form and sending it in.
If other registration procedures are used,
they are noted in the course description.
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March 5, 2009
“Building Caring Congregations:
Collaboration, Spirituality and Forgiveness”
with Janet Ramsey
What: This seminar will focus on congregational (team-based) care, the importance of facilitating spiritual resiliency in members of all ages, and the need for forgiveness and healing in communal life. Taking seriously the need for ministries what are proactive, vocationally clear, and practically informed, participants will begin by exploring how our faith communities might use theological and social science resources to envision the practice of ministry as a collaborative venture. A narrative approach to envisioning ministry with and by persons of all ages, including older persons, will be the basis for the second part of the day’s presentation. The seminar will conclude with a focus on the importance of deep understandings of the human and spiritual dynamics of the most difficult and important work for all religious communities in today’s world: forgiveness and healing.
Who: Dr. Janet Ramsey is Associate Professor of Congregational Care Leadership at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. A former parish pastor and a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, she is first author, with Dr. Rosemary Blieszner of Virginia Tech, of two books on aging and spirituality: Spiritual Resiliency in Older Women (Sage, 1999) and Aging and Spirituality (Baywood Press, forthcoming, 2009). She is also first author, with Dr. Lois Malcolm, of Discerning Forgiveness, a cross-disciplined book on the theology and pastoral care of forgiveness.
When: Thursday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Jones Conference C/D in Knutson Campus Center at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
Cost: Clergy - $95; Laity - $75; Fee includes lunch.
Group Rate (three or more): $55 each
Early Bird Discount (if paid by Feb 20): $10 off
CEUs: .4 (= 4 contact hours) - $5 admin fee
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April 27, 2009
“Tapping into the Hidden Assets in Rural Congregations”
with Luther Snow
What: When we look at the “half-full cup,” we recognize our assets and the abundance of God’s gifts. This is especially crucial in small rural settings, which often focus on the “half-empty cup.” This seminar will help you understand how a theology of abundance can bring renewal and hope to rural—or any—congregations. Practical steps for mapping assets and tools and techniques for reversing the negative cycles of need and conflict will be provided.
This event is co-sponsored by the Northern Plains Conference, UCC and CHARIS.
Who: A graduate of Harvard (BA) and the University of Chicago School of Business (MBA), Snow now lives in Decorah, Iowa. His focus is on abundance thinking rather than negativity and fatalism. To help shift congregations in that direction, he wrote The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Assets (Alban, 2004). Brother David Andrews, former director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, said of the book, “Action-oriented love can change things. That’s my conclusion after reading this how-to book that offers much more than instructions.” Snow has also served as director of the Congregational Asset Mapping Project for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
When: Monday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Maryvale Retreat Center, north of Valley City, North Dakota. An online map search (Mapquest or Google) will help you find this great place.
Cost: Because of the generous support of the Northern Plains Conference UCC, we are able to offer this at a very low price: a flat registration fee of $25, including lunch.
CEUs: .4 (= 4 contact hours) - $5 admin fee
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June 1 - 4, 2009
“Discernment and the Practice of Prayer:
A Retreat for Clergy”
led by Rev. Daniel Wolpert
What: This retreat for pastors will be an opportunity to learn about the practice of spiritual discernment within the context of a prayerful time of retreat. This four-day event will be divided between times of teaching, prayer, group reflection, and rest. Within a beautiful setting, pastoral leaders will have a time apart to deepen their understanding and experience of seeking the wisdom of God. Together we will address the question of how God speaks to us as individuals and in community. All of our reflections will be grounded in traditional forms of prayer practices.
Who: Daniel Wolpert is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Crookston, MN, and co-founder of MICAH: the Minnesota Institute for Contemplation and Healing. He is the author of Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership (Upper Room, 2006) and Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices (Upper Room, 2003). Dan has led retreats around the country, and has 20 years experience as a spiritual director.
When: Monday, June 1 beginning at noon; ending Thursday, June 4 at noon.
Where: Presbyterian Clearwater Forest, near Deerwood, Minnesota (not far from Brainerd). For directions, go to Google Maps or Mapquest.
The registration deadline
for this retreat is May 8, 2009.
Cost: Fee - $325. Early bird (if paid in full by May 1): $295.
Fee includes room & board; lunch not included Monday or Thursday.
Note: the minimum number required for this event to take place is 10; the maximum is 15.
CEUs: 2.3 CEUs (= 23 contact hours)
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June 8-11, 2009
“New Visions for the Long Pastorate”
with Roy Oswald
What: Longer pastorates can mean healthier ministries. The Alban Institute has studied long pastorates and identified key areas that need attention, including burnout of clergy and lay leaders; a gap between pastoral effectiveness and congregational expectations; and erosion in democratic decision-making. This seminar takes a fresh approach to the skills needed to minister effectively in the same location for a number of years. Participants will test proven theories and instruments within their personal and congregational contexts, and review growth prospects in staying or leaving their pastorate, including five major areas of ministry requiring vigilance for a pastorate to thrive. You will be encouraged to develop a long-range plan for staying healthy, vital, and fresh, including sabbatical planning. This workshop is one of the most powerful ones we have offered. It will be useful even if you have not been in your congregation long but would like to stay. Often, pastors have said: I wish I had learned all this much earlier!
Here are some comments by past participants: “I was on the edge of burnout when I arrived, and I leave with a sense of direction for myself and my ministry.” “Appreciated the many instruments which helped me affirm that I’m doing the right things in ministry, that I could probably do a long-term pastorate, and that I probably can’t do one in my present setting.” “Through the tools I am able to analyze more in-depth how I decide and act and think about ways to grow in my leadership.”
Who: Roy Oswald is a veteran Alban Institute consultant and workshop leader who is officially retired, but is willing to return to organizations with which he has a close association, like CHARIS. His numerous books include Power Analysis of a Congregation (revised and updated); Clergy Self-Care; Discerning Your Congregation’s Future; and a DVD on Why You Should Give Your Pastor a Sabbatical.
When: Starts June 8 at 11am; ends June 11 at 12noon (Call or go online for more details)
Where: TBD, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
Cost: $425. Does not include room or board.
Early Bird Discount (if paid in full by May 22): $30
CEUs: 1.6 CEUs (=16 contact hours)
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June 15-17. 2009
“Lighten Up!”
15th Nat’l Biennial Ecumenical Conference
for Church Staff Workers
with Pr. Glenndy Ose, Dr. Ted Bowman, Ernie Mancini, Nick Mezacapa, and Christian Comedian Ken Davis.
What: Every two years, CHARIS hosts a three-day conference for church staff workers. Inspirational speakers, nuts and bolts workshops, collegiality, and this year special entertainment by nationally known Ken Davis will make this an experience your church secretary and office staff should not miss!
Who: Pr. Glenndy Ose, Bishop’s Associate for the Minneapolis Area Synod (ELCA), will be our Bible study leader. Dr. Ted Bowman, author of Finding Hope When Dreams Have Shattered, will bring his inspirational message. Fr. Nick Mezacapa, an Episcopal priest in Rochester, Minnesota, is one of the all-time favorite speakers at these conferences, back again this year! And as a special treat, Ken Davis, nationally known Christian comedian, will lighten up the audience in both senses of that expression: humor and illumination. In addition, a number of workshops & breakout sessions will address practical issues that church staff workers with on a daily basis.
When: Monday to Wednesday, June 15-17, 2009
Where: Concordia College
Cost: $295 (includes on-campus room and board, banquet, and entertainment by Ken Davis)
Early Bird Discount (if paid in full by May 1)
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August 9-13, 2009
“Digging the First Christians:
Archaeology and the New Testament”
with Jonathan Reed
What: Through a series of slide-illustrated lectures and discussions, this course will explore the ways in which serious archaeology can be brought to bear on contemporary understandings of early Christianity. Using up-to-date information from field excavations and surveys, and in interaction with questions of relevance from faith communities, we will cover the following topics: The (Sordid!) Legacy of Biblical Archaeology; Galilee and Gospel; Death, Disease, and Demographics at the time of Jesus; and Paul, Politics, and Sex (yes, with pictures!).
Who: Jonathan L. Reed is Professor of Religion at the University of La Verne in California. He holds a doctorate from Claremont Graduate University, and has excavated extensively in Galilee. With John Dominic Crossan, he has published Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts and In Search of Paul: How Jesus’ Apostle Opposed Rome’s Kingdom with God’s Kingdom. His most recent book is The HarperCollins Visual Guide to the New Testament: What Archaeology Reveals About the First Christians.
When: Sunday evening, August 9 at 8 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, Aug. 10-13: 8:45 to noon.
Where: Thunderbird Lodge, on beautiful Rainy Lake, east of International Falls, MN (1-800-351-5133; www.thunderbirdrainylake.com/).
Cost: Clergy: $239; laity: 219. Early Bird Discount (if paid in full by July 24): $20 off. Fee does not include room and board. Group discounts (3 or more per parish: $179 per person.
CEUs: 1.5 CEUs (= 15 contact hours)
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Discounts
50% registration discount
(for retired pastors and pastors in their first three years of ministry).
25% registration discount
(for those 65 or older, interns, and students)
Group Discounts: Call the CHARIS office
Cancellation & Refund Policies
Participants who wish to cancel must provide notification
in writing by mail, phone, or email to receive a refund.
A 15% administrative fee will be charged for all refunds.
CEU Certification
A $5 administrative fee will be charged for CEU certificates.
We accept checks, Visa or MasterCard
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