Grand View University: liberal arts college, Des Moines, IA

Events currently on our schedule include Congregational Leadership Series, Sacred Practices Leadership Series, the Ankeny Forum for pastors and other rostered leaders, an upcoming trip to the Holy Land 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 Fall 2010 Congregational Leadership Series will explore incarnational ministry: helping participants transform ordinary activity and passions into spirit-filled ministry. Whether you are a teacher, in business, a homemaker, or a church professional, you have ministry. The evening session zeros in on the ministry that persons are already doing in their daily lives. The morning session will explore the incarnational nature of the church as the body of Christ.

Robert Martin is passionate about the church and the ministerial potential of each person. He strives to help persons grow as disciples and congregations become church. He began teaching at Yale Divinty School and is now the Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Associate Professor of Church Leardsthip and Practical Theology at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City.

Dr. Martin has posted a video on YouTube in which he talks about the workshop. Click HERE to watch a five minute video. You can click HERE to watch a shorter version of the video, but the longer version provides better insight into his intentions for the Series.

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 October 25 (evening) & 26 (morning) at Grand View University in Des Moines. It will then move to First Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids on October 26-27. The final presentation will be held in the Quad Cities area on October 27-28. Evening sessions are held 7 to 9 p.m. and morning sessions are held from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

You may register online or by contacting Jane White at 515-263-6008 or jwhite@grandview.edu. A .pdf version of the flyer can be printed if you would like a hard copy registraton form.

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 can register online, or by contacting Jane White at 515-263-6008 or jwhite@grandview.edu

September 21: Ministry Perspectives from Young Leaders

What role does technology play in your ministry? How do you interact with parents? When are you being inappropriately sexual with students? How can your church be about renewal? These and other relevant topices will be explored with a panel of Des Moines area youth ministers - Jake Bouma, Megan Clausen, Ellen Rothweiler, Erik Ullestad, and Anne Williams. Short presentations by each of the youth ministers on the topics listed will be followed by an opportunity to dig deeper into topics of interest with the youth ministers.

October 26: Congregational Leadership Seminar

The synod's Fall Conference overlaps the Ankeny Forum's usual third Tuesday schedule for October. The fall Congregational Leadership Seminar will be held the following week, and will be in Des Moines on Monday night and Tuesday morning, October 25-26, so the Ankeny Forum in October will be the presentation on Incarnational Ministry by Dr. Robert Martin, and it will be held at Grand View Univeristy. Pastors who pay for the Ankeny Forum's 'season pass' will be given free attendance at the Congregational Leadership Series.

November 9: Preaching the Christmas Cycle

With two wars, sagging financial institutions, and an oil soaked gulf, people wonder aloud if the world - or ar least life as we know it - is coming to an end. The message of Adven that the future is in God's hands and the Christmas promise that God is with us are especially poignant. Craig A. Satterlee, LSTC's professor of homiletics and dean of the ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program, leads us through the readings for the Christmas cycle from a homiletic perspective. You will come away with ideas for sermons from the First Sunday in Advent through the Epiphany of our Lord.

January 18: Reintegration, the Road Home

With all of the deployments of active and reserve military personnel in the last decade, the church has had to learn anew how to support both those who are deployed and their families. Support Chaplain for the Iowa National Guard Support, Major Gary Selof, will help us understand the effects of deployments on soldiers and families. This persentation will give participatns practical tips for supporting soldiers and their families as they come home from war.

February 15: Cross and Resurrection Theology for Lenten Preaching

Looking for a resource to aid your own Lenten journey and your congregation’s? German theologian Klaus Schwarzwäller’s book Cross and Resurrection deals with the contemporary significance of Jesus’ ministry and death, and it offers valuable insight and resources for Lenten preaching and devotion. Schwarzwäller contrasts Jesus’ ministry with the “powers that be” and shows how God has the final say with respect to these powers in Jesus’ resurrection. Ken Jones and Mark Mattes will share portions of their translation of Schwarzwäller’s book. Copies of chapters will be distributed to participants prior to the forum to aid the discussion.

March 15: Bishop Michael Burk

The Rev. Michael L. Burk, Bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, will reflect on his hopes for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, share faith stories from across the synod, and engage participants with his “Top 10 Questions for Missional Congregations.”

April 12: Steward Leaders as Catalysts for Generosity and Renewal

How does a healthy stewardship ministry build a foundation for congregational renewal? Keith Mundy, ELCA Assistant Director for Stewardship, will build on recent work in creating a culture of generosity and competencies of a well-formed stewardship leader. In the presentation and discussion of three approaches, participants will be invited to assess stewardship ministry in their congregation, and learn which approach might work best in their context.

May 17: The Genetic Revolution and the Church

Genetics is now at the cutting edge of science and technology. Its developments are bringing major changes in views of human nature, the practice of medicine, and our impact on the natural world, and they raise serious questions for the Christian community. Dr. George L. Murphy, an ELCA pastor and physicist who teaches the science and theology course at Trinity Seminary, will discuss the significance of genetics for theology, pastoral care, and the church's stance on public policies, with a view toward consideration of the ELCA's social statement on genetics at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly.

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.

Holy Land Tour

The Rev. Jack Mithelman, one of the campus pastors, will lead a tour through the Holy Land November 1-11, 2011. Spend time in Tel Aviv, Galilee, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Expected cost of the trip is $3499.Contact Pastor Jack at jmithelman@grandview.edu for more details. Group Travel Directors also has information (www.gtd.org) about this trip.