Events currently on our schedule include Congregational Leadership Series, Sacred Practices Leadership Series, the Ankeny Forum for pastors and other rostered leaders, the School of Ministry for both lay and rostered members of the church, the 2010-2011 Lutheran Woman Today Bible Study overview, and an occasional Master's Level course. Continue to scroll down until you find the program that is of interest to you.
Congregational Leadership Series
The 2010 Congregational Leadership Series brings congregational leaders face-to-face with one of the church's foremost proponents of simple living. Bob Sitze, author of (Not) Trying Too Hard: New Basics for Sustainable Congregations (Alban Institute), brings the principles of simplicity to both individuals and congregational life. Sitze engages participants in straight talk about the viability of current lifestyles, congregational models, and styles of leadership. He offers a practical alternative approach: Simplifying the identity and behavior of congregations and their leaders to match their available assets. Using a whimsical, conversational style, Sitze draws together the insights of neurobiology, management theory, and decades of experience in and with congregations. To get a foretaste of Bob’s presentation, take a look at his recent article in The Alban Institute’s Congregations journal. (Note: The first four sections in his article are prelude to the sections “Why I Tell This Story,” and “Another Way of Thinking,” which point to what he will be doing when he is with us.)
The seminars will be repeated three times, in three locations across southeastern Iowa. The sessions are designed to engage both paid staff (pastors and program staff) and lay volunteers, especially those who serve on church councils, boards or vestries. Each session stands independently; together they form a practical approach to congregational leadership in changing and demanding times.
The series will be held April 26 (evening) & 27 (morning) at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. It will then move to First Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids on April 27 & 28. The final presentation will be held at Grand View on April 28 & 29. Evening sessions (Simplicity Begins at Home - a walk through the concepts and practices of simple living") are held 7 to 9 p.m. and morning sessions (Simplicity Goes to Church - rethink congregational life so that it's manageable and sustainable) are held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $125 for groups of 6 or more from a single congregation or $20 for individual registrations. Registration deadline is April 15. Go to the brochure for more information. You may register online, by email to jwhite@grandview.edu or by calling 515-263-6008. You may also mail the registration form and your payment to Center for Renewal, 1200 Grandview Ave, Des Moines IA 50316. The first 50 people to register will receive a free copy of the book, Church-going Insider or Gospel-carrying Outsider? A different view of congregations by Judith McWilliams Dickhart.
Sacred Practices Leadership Series
The Sacred Practices Leadership Series (SPLS) is a joint venture of the Center for Renewal at Grand View and the Alban Institute. SPLS (pronounced "splash") is designed for those who lead congregations, both in ordained and lay roles—in fact, we hope congregations will send both an 
ordained and a lay leader to the series to enhance the effectiveness of the series in the congregation. Six renewal events at the Sinsinawa Mound Center in Wisconsin from April 2009 through November 2010 will feature twelve prominent authors and theologians who will speak on sacred practices like prayer, discernment, and service. By applying what is learned at the six events to their context, participants will grow in their ability to use sacred practices as a means of shaping their congregation’s life and ministry. In short, participants will learn how to make God a more active player in the life of the congregation. For more information, click here. At this time, only a la cart (single session) registrations are being accepted on a space available basis.
Ankeny Forum
Monthly seminars for pastors and other rostered leaders are offered on the third Tuesday of the month, September-November and January–May. The Ankeny Forum provides rostered leaders with monthly interaction with theologians and other leaders of the church, as well as an opportunity to interact with colleagues.
The forum is held at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 914 NW Ash, in Ankeny, Iowa. Gathering time at 9:00 a.m. is followed by worship at 9:15. Sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. and end by noon, usually followed by lunch. Cost is $120 for active rostered participants and $80.00 for retired rostered participants for the series of 8 events. For those wishing to attend only occasionally, the cost is $20 and $15 respectively per session you attend.
You may register for the workshops online. Or e-mail jwhite@grandview.edu. To register by phone, please call 515-263-6008. You can also register at any of the forums.
The topics and speakers for the remainder of the season are:
February 16 Administrative Basics for Rostered Leaders
Beth Lewis, President & CEO for Augsburg Fortress, will help participants learn some “best practices” from business that can be applied to congregational leadership. These include hiring, setting team and individual goals, doing annual performance appraisals, team-building with staff and lay leaders, developing staff members, managing problem employees, and leading for change. Participants will leave with practical tools to use in their congregation.
March 16 The State of the Seminary Union, or...Reconciling Theological Education
Dr. Duane Larson, President of Wartburg Theological Seminary, will provide updates about our ELCA seminaries, the Covenant Cluster, emerging new models for church leadership formation, and, especially, the emerging missional ecclesiology implied in the transformation.
April 20 Seeing Change as Challenge and Opportunity
The Rev. Sarai Rice, Executive Director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, will use stories, metaphors, diagrams and charts in order to help participants learn about the different kinds of change and the large group processes with which to both respond to and achieve change.
May 18 Connecting Sunday to Monday through Vocation
Mr. Kent Henning, president of Grand View University, will bring experience in the Lutheran university setting to help pastors (a) recognize the calling that is present in their members’ everyday work life, and (b) suggest ways to relate the Gospel to their members’ vocations.
School of Ministry
The School of Ministry is a series of classes offered on Grand View's campus (Mondays, 7-9 p.m.) for members of Lutheran congregations as well as others who may be interested in the topic being presented. The variety of topics and speakers brings opportunities for people to learn more about the Bible, the Book of Faith initiative and the Lutheran understanding of topics like congregational change and vocation. We try to offer something for everyone's taste. Click here for a copy of the brochure which contains a registration form. Or click here to register online. You may also call 515-263-6008 or email jwhite@grandview.edu to register. (NOTE: the January through May sessions are held in the Rasmussen Center for Community Advancement Professions, Classroom 103.)
February 15 Book of Faith Initiative: Open Scripture, Join the Conversation
Beth Lewis, President & CEO for Augsburg Fortress, the ELCA's ministry of publishing, will share with you the latest information about the rapidly evolving, exciting, Book of Faith initiative of the ELCA! This is an exciting and energizing workshop for people who want to launch or extend the Book of Faith initiative in their setting.
March 15 The Role of the Seminary in a Rapidly Changing World
Dr. Duane Larson, President of Wartburg Theological Seminary, will provide updates about our ELCA seminaries and emerging new models for church leadership formation. Members from all congregations are invited to attend this time of reflection on the role of the seminary in our changing world.
April 19 Seeing Change as Challenge and Opportunity
The Rev. Sarai Rice, Executive Director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, will use three different stories/images for change—schools, squirrels, and improvisational theater—to help participants learn about the different kinds of change, how to respond to it, and how to work for it in a congregation.
May 17 Connecting Sunday to Monday through Vocation
Mr. Kent Henning, president of Grand View University, will bring experience in the Lutheran higher education setting to help participants understand their everyday work life as part of God’s calling and view their professional employment as another opportunity to fulfill Christ’s commandments to love our neighbors as ourselves.
2010-2011 Lutheran Woman Today Bible Study Overiew
We will host Pastors Linda Johnson Seyenkulo and Jensen Seyenkulo as they present an overview of their study, "The People of God: Unity in the Midst of Diversity" on Saturday, August 14. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Details are being worked out so watch this space for more information.
Master's Level Classes
Grand View, in partnership with Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, offers a master's level course on its Des Moines campus. The course is accredited by Wartburg Seminary and fulfills one of their course requirements. Interested? For details, please contact Dr. Ken Jones at 515-263-2826 or e-mail him at kjones@grandview.edu.
Credit earned for these courses will be transferred to Wartburg Seminary to meet requirements for the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, or Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry degrees.