Sometimes church life is so divided up that the “mission people” and the “Christian Education people” rarely talk, which can make mission education a challenge. Learn how to bridge these two areas of church life and some foundations for beginning mission education and mission projects with children. Led by Christine Coy Fohr, Consultant for Mission leaders with Presbyterian World Mission, with guest Michelle Muñiz-Vega, site coordinator for the Young Adult Volunteer program in Miami, Florida.
Visit our Mission Education webpage for resources – Click here
Visit Presbyterian Mission Agency
Learn more about this course by Presbyterian Church USA
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Multicultural Ministry with Children (Unitarian Universalist Association)
This webinar will offer food for thought for religious professionals wondering how to affirm the worth and dignity of families and individuals from marginalized groups as well as tips for assessing curriculum and other classroom resources for their multicultural sensibility.
Presented by Patricia Infante, CERG Faith Development Consultant with guest presenters.
Learn more about this course and register (free login/account required to view materials)
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Introduction to Generational Theory (Unitarian Universalist Association)
The large population of Baby Boomers are heading toward retirement, but there are still many leaders from the Silent Generation. Generation X is hitting mid-life, and the new Millennial Generation has a high percentage of the religiously unaffiliated. This course gives an overview of the different generations so that today’s leaders can respond to these changes while honoring the gifts and passions of each generation.
Keynote on Generational Theory given by Kimberley Debus. Carol Howard Merritt, Presbyterian minister and author of The Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (see below) talks about reaching out to young adults
Learn more about this course and register (free login/account required to view materials)
Resources used for this on-demand webinar:
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Creating Welcoming Multicultural UU Communities (Unitarian Universalist Association)
Fulfilling the affirmation and promise of the second principle requires that we attend carefully to systems of injustice in our midst and the hurts those systems cause. It requires that we be prophets, daring to work in this life for a Now that gets us closer to fulfilling the promise of our sixth principle: the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all. Dismantling systems of privilege and oppression within our community faith allows us to co-create the Beloved Community of Love and Justice that we aspire to.
Dean: Rev. Alicia Forde, Program Coordinator for Multiracial Congregations, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
Learn more about this course and register (free login/account required)
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
The Difficulty of Being Just: Including Those with Disabilities in Congregational Life (Unitarian Universalist Association)
This workshop examines attitudes and practices toward people with disabilities and will offer strategies for greater acceptance and inclusion.
Presented by Mark Bernstein, CERG Growth Development Consultant
Learn more about this course and register (free login/account required)
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with Money (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
All sorts of questions come to mind when we start to seriously assess the place and importance of money in our lives. As Lynne Twist of The Soul of Money Institute has said, “Money is the most universally motivating, mischievous, miraculous, maligned, and misunderstood part of contemporary life.”
Practicing Spirituality with Money looks at the attitudes toward money that we have picked up from our birth families, culture, and religious traditions. Some of us carry large burdens over having wasted, lost, or overvalued money, and we suggest ways to deal with that. Our beliefs, habits, and ideals about this medium of exchange say a lot about our deepest longings, fears, and expectations. When we consider our money, we come smack up against consumerism, shopping, and our craving for possessions and status. All that is grist for our reflections and practices.
Spiritual teachers from all the religions have plenty to say about alternatives to market values — simplicity, thrift, generosity, charity, sustainable living, gratitude, and more. They also suggest ways that money can be a carrier of our best intentions and a spur to love, commitment, and service. And best of all, they challenge us to do more spiritual practices organized around our use of money.
Practicing Spirituality with Money consists of 40 emails, each with a short excerpt from a spiritual book, along with a link to our review. We suggest a way for you to practice that thought as you go about your daily activities.
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with Children (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
We all have been given a mission to be spiritual companions to our children, grandchildren, and young friends. There are many blessings to be shared across the generations. We also can do more to respect and cherish children’s spirituality. How do they express it? Through creativity, mystical experiences, questions, goodness, free spirit, and much more.
“Practicing Spirituality with Children” is a 40-part course delivered by email. Each email includes a short passage we’ve found in a book about children’s spirituality, or spiritual parenting, or a children’s book with a spiritual message. We’ve mixed it up and included a few passages just for your inner child. Following the quote is a practice suggestion, something you can do with children or in honor of those you’ve known, including yourself.
During this unique e-course, we explore the seeds of the sacred in a child’s everyday life; the rewards of play, humor, and joy; the pleasures of finding meaning; and the surprising rewards of attention and wonder. Being a supportive spiritual companion to a child entails setting aside our agendas; being empathetic listeners; modeling love, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness; trying not to be too controlling or protective; and being open to the mysterious movements of the Divine. And, too, we must be willing to let children be our spiritual teachers. As the late Gerald May put it, “We must trust that God’s activity in these small lives is not dependent on our interventions. God indeed has been present with these little ones all along, and with just a little encouragement, the children will gladly share that presence with us.”
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality at Work (Spirituality & Practice)
This e-course is specifically designed to help you practice your spirituality at work. Insights from the marvelous spiritual writers whose books we review have certainly helped us find meaning, purpose, and joy in our workdays.
In his fine book The Reinvention of Work (see below), Matthew Fox recalled the words of mystic Meister Eckhart: “The outward work can never be small if the inward one is great, and the outward work can never be great or good if the inward is small or of little worth.” This 40-part e-course is about doing the inner work necessary to make your outer work more meaningful.
Our teachers will be Matthew Fox, Lewis Richmond, Jeffrey Salkin, Frederick Buechner, Thomas Moore, Jose Hobday, Thomas Merton, David Whyte, Marsha Sinetar, Joan Chittister, and others. Each quote will be matched to a practice that you can do at work during the day. We’ll cover such common challenges as envy, comparisons, expectations, boredom, repetition, time, speed, and ambition, and we’ll suggest ways to practice presence, kindness, gratitude, silence, play, and joy in the workplace.
(6 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
Practicing Spirituality with the World’s Religions (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
In this 40-part e-course we will explore what Brother Wayne Teasdale named “interspirituality,” the sharing of ultimate experiences across traditions. Calling this the adventure of the 21st century, Teasdale observed that, just as a person isn’t truly educated until they know more than one language, “a person is not really fully educated, or indeed ‘religious,’ unless they are intimately aware of more than their own faith and ways of prayer.” We can deepen and enrich our own faith journey by gaining an knowledge of and appreciation for the many forms the spiritual life can take. We may even see ourselves as bees gathering honey from different flowers.
“Practicing Spirituality with the World’s Religions” includes teachings and practices from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, Taoism, and Native American spirituality. We draw upon the insights of interspirituality pioneers including Huston Smith, Bede Griffiths, Wayne Teasdale, Thomas Merton, and many others. Their vision of a universal commonality underlying all the religions is one we can affirm in our daily lives. The e-course illustrates it by presenting similar spiritual practices from different traditions.
The format of the e-course matches our other Practicing Spirituality programs — 40 lessons delivered via email. Each contains a short passage about the wisdom of the world’s religions as well as a way to practice that thought as you go about your daily activities. A second quote from a pioneer of interspirituality is included for you to reflect upon. Links take you to the reviews of the books where we found the passages.
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
The Blessings of Aging (Spirituality & Practice)
Source: Spirituality & Practice
There is a difference, Joan Chittister notes, between age, aging, aged, ag’ed, and ripened. Through this program, Chittister reframes aging and encourages us to discover through reflection and practice what new perceptions and attitudes about growing older can mean for our own lives.
Joan Chittister, now in her 70s, has been a Benedictine nun for 50 years and is the founder of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for Contemporary Spirituality. One of their projects was the basis of the S&P retreat Creating a Monastery of the Heart; this monastic movement now involves 7,500 seekers from around the world. Profiled as one of S&P’s Living Spiritual Teachers, Chittister is the author of 40 books, including The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully (see below). For this online retreat, themes she introduced in that book become the launchpads for further reflections by Chittister.
Universal themes to be explored include:
• common challenges such as regret and fear;
• the quest for meaning as the passageway from doing to being;
• time as the crucible of maturity and the advantages of having a beginner’s mind;
• the joys of appreciation, understanding, and choices;
• the satisfaction and serenity of tasting the spiritual dimensions of life;
• spirituality, wisdom, and legacy.
Participants receive:
• 12 emails with links to other course content.
• Video messages from Joan Chittister.
• Additional wisdom, spiritual practices, journal prompts, and creative exercises to ground the teachings in an elder’s everyday life.
This is a glorious spiritual workshop for elders who are ready to complete in themselves all that has been neglected and postponed when they were younger — and it is for anyone of any age who is ready to embrace a vision of elderhood as a blessed time to be fully alive.
(4 CEHs for Chaplains available.)
Learn more about this course and register on Spirituality & Practice
Disclaimer: Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) seeks to provide individuals with information about religious, spiritual, or faith-based online resources from a variety of sources. Sacred Space Online Learning does NOT claim ownership over this online course or online offering. Sacred Space Online Learning is also NOT responsible for the accuracy of the materials, the content, the way they are advertised or taught, or the costs associated with this online course or offering. The views and opinions expressed in this online course or offering are those of the creators and/or the persons appearing in the online class or offering. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SSOL, the OFLD, or MCC. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the creator(s) of the given online course or online offering.
