Jesus calls us to draw in people from the margins of our communities, but the attitudes in our congregations may communicate fear or pity rather than the welcome of true belonging. We have built ramps into our churches. Have we built inclusive relationships?
In this on-demand webinar we will talk about stages of changing attitudes. We will hear the story of a church making small changes that have made a big difference in the life of a family. We will see how making one church ministry more inclusive can become a gateway for people to experience the gospel. We will begin the conversation for you to continue that practice of invitation in your church and community.
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss attitudes in congregations that may be barriers to relationships with people impacted by disability.
- Explore adaptive practices in ministries of worship, learning, mission and fellowship.
- Identify an existing church ministry that could be adapted to include people with developmental disabilities.
- Use resources (in the community, online and in print) to help equip leaders and volunteers to include people of all abilities in congregational life.
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About the instructor: Evelyn Worth McMullen has more than 30 years of experience in Christian education ministry, with a special focus on reaching out to the special-needs community. She developed Bright Threads Ministries, an organization that shows churches how to weave people of all abilities into the fabric of congregational life.
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.
Songwriting with the Psalms (Presbyterian Outlook)
This on-demand webinar focuses on the spirituality of the Psalms and the value of sung prayer. Guided by psalmist Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, you’ll soak in three delicious Psalm texts and write a simple community song for each of them: a song of celebration, a song of wonder and a lament.
In this webinar, you will:
- Engage in a short study of Psalms 13, 100 and 23.
- Learn the value of the Psalms for your worship context and in devotional practice.
- Create three songs reflecting on your experience of the psalm texts.
- Be connected to websites and books for further creativity.
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About the instructor: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan is a full-time psalmist resourcing the wider church with adventurous community songs. His music has been published across denominations, including two pieces in the “Glory to God” hymnal. Richard lives in Strawberry Point, Iowa, with his wife Trish and teen son Sam.
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 Dazzling Tonic of Silence (Presbyterian Outlook)
This on-demand webinar is helpful to anyone who feels busy, overwhelmed or burdened. If you are feeling like you want more time and spaciousness, this is the webinar for you. Silence is, indeed, the most straightforward route to insight. We know insight to mean deep understanding, perception and acumen. But dig deeper and you discover that the word comes from the archaic Scottish insicht: furniture or household goods. It was legal terminology found in documents and records in Scotland’s archives. That’s amazing!
This on-demand webinar can help you recover the dazzling and amazing power of silence, and give cleaner access to your God-given insight.
In this webinar, you will:
- Be given practical steps to take in order to invite more spaciousness into stressful situations or interactions.
- Understand that the power of silence will actually “buy” you more time and an increased ability to achieve your goals, even when you feel barraged by too much media and too many obligations.
- Recognize the ways you may have avoided silence and acknowledge the cultural distaste for silence.
- Come away having learned and felt the necessity for silence in your life.
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About the instructor: Charlotte Matthews is associate professor in The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Program at The University of Virginia. She is author of three books of poetry including “Whistle What Can’t Be Said,” and is launching Whistle Words, which offers writing workshops in hospitals and churches to women impacted by cancer. She lives in Charlottesville with her husband Albert Connette (who is the pastor of Olivet Presbyterian Church), her two teenage children and a big galumphy black Labrador.
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.
Hark! Listening for the Surprises of Advent (Presbyterian Outlook)
Source: Presbyterian Outlook
This on-demand webinar is devoted to inviting us, again, into the surprises and wonders of Christmas. How do we listen afresh to a story we have long known by heart? What is it that surprises us? What content of the message can spiral us into wonderment? How are we surprised – and then changed – in ways that lean into showing love to the world?
Some of the things we will be surprised by are: the requirement of repentance (what does that look like in our world, in 2015?), the scandalous character of the cross (really? The Word became flesh in one particular individual?), and the promise that, somehow, meeting the babe-born-of-Mary will fill us again with the first love we had for God.
This webinar was lead by Cynthia Rigby. Prof. Rigby is professor of theology at Austin Theological Seminary. She is the author of “The Promotion of Social Righteousness” and co-author of “Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary.”
Learn more – and purchase – the 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.
Classical Lectio Divina as a Spiritual Practice for Advent (Presbyterian Outlook)
One of the most ancient Christian spiritual disciplines, lectio divina helps you find the Bible a reliable pathway to the presence of God. We need that in our day: many Christians think only a scholar can make sense of Scripture, and many others settle for superficial devotional reading. In classical lectio divina the whole of you engages the biblical text both intellectually and prayerfully.
This on demand webinar, Classical Lectio Divina as a Spiritual Practice for Advent – The Fresh (and Ancient) Way to Find Life in Scripture, will give a brief background on the ways lectio divina is currently taught, and then dive more deeply into the less-familiar classic form of the practice from the Middle Ages.
Source: Presbyterian Outlook
This webinar was led by Gary Neal Hansen. Mr. Hansen is the award-winning author of “Kneeling with Giants: Learning to Pray with History’s Best Teachers.” Formerly the associate professor of church history at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, he now lives in Pittsburgh working as a writer, consultant and speaker for conferences and retreats.
What will you learn?
1) The potential value of taking on the practice of lectio divina – and you will develop a game plan to do that for the coming season of Advent.
2) Three different ways lectio divina is practiced and their benefits.
3) How to practice the four steps of classic medieval lectio divina.
Learn more about – and purchase- this Advent 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.
