Presbyterian Heritage Tour: Georgia and South Carolina Lowcountry

On this 5-day "lowcountry"  tour, learn how a strong Calvinist and Presbyterian presence helped shape the religious, cultural, and social life and the economy of early South Carolina and Georgia.

   Visit rural churches, museums, cemeteries, former slave markets, historic homes, and gardens, with your guide Erskine Clarke, Columbia Seminary professor emeritus of American Religious History and author of "Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic."

   Price includes: 4 nights' lodging with breakfasts, 2 dinners, 3 lunches, luxury motor coach, en route lectures, locally guided tours, a harbor cruise, historic site entrance fees, tips to driver & local guides, and service & local taxes. Travel insurance is not included but highly recommended.

   NOTE: Fee is based on 30 participants; if fewer than 30 enroll, price will be adjusted.

Although the deadline for enrollment is past, a few spaces remain. If you are interested, as soon as possible, please confer with Kaye Carmichael about payments and refund policies - before you register. Ph. 770-941-0628 or email carmichaelks@yahoo.com. 

The Spiritualities of Creation: Knowing God and Self in a Broken World (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

This course will be held at the Montreat Conference Center. This very timely and relevant course will look at the various ways the Old Testament deals with creation, particularly in light of our broken world, a world that cries out for restoration and renewal. Texts ranging from Genesis 1 to Proverbs 8 and Psalm 104 will be explored theologically, ecologically, and experientially. Participants will have opportunity to develop their own spirituality of creation in conversation with these texts and with each other Class Instructor, Dr. William P. Brown has taught Old Testament literature and theology at Columbia Theological Seminary for five years. Before that, he taught at Union Presbyterian Seminary (formerly Union-PSCE) in Richmond, VA, for thirteen years. Bill has published widely on issues of creation theology, the Psalms, and the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. He is a founding member of Earth Covenant Ministry, an organization of several Presbyterian congregations in the Atlanta area whose mission is to provide theological and practical resources for churches to help them care for creation. His forthcoming book, The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder, is due out next year. There is a reading assignment for this course. Please contact the Spirituality Program Office (spirituality@ctsnet.edu) if you have not received the assignment by 01/31/2010. CEU credit is available for this course. Inquire upon registration.

Women's Contemplative Retreat: The Rule of St. Benedict: Ancient Wisdom for our (Troubled) Times (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

In this retreat, participants will be given a blend of prayer and study, work and rest, solitude and community--a rhythm patterned after the object of our study, the Rule of St Benedict.  Written 1500 years ago by a layman as a guide for his fellow monks, the Rule has continued to enlighten and challenge faithful Christians for centuries.  Its wisdoms--so clear, direct and practical--have much to offer anyone who is truly seeking God in the midst of a complex, confusing often hyper-busy life.

Benedict addresses a wide range of issues facing those who struggle to surrender themselves to God's call:  the primacy of Scripture as the living word of God ("Holy Scripture cries aloud!"); Christ as the beginning, the endpoint, and the way; the importance of community; the role of the leader not as infallible authority but as loving father guiding his flock with a firm but gentle hand.

He speaks about the lure of attachments, the high price of freedom, the challenge of the Gospel call; the endless need for God's grace and mercy.

We are fortunate to be able to hold this course at the beautiful Benedictine Spirituality Center on the grounds of Sacred Heart monastery in Cullman Alabama.  Participants will be invited to join the sisters for prayer; sisters will be available to speak with us about different aspects of their life as Benedictines.  You may even be invited to experiment with creating a simple "rule of life" for yourself, one that fits the circumstances of your own life.

Instructor, Lalor Cadley is a writer, educator, retreat leader and spiritual director who for the past 20 years has companioned people on the spiritual journey.  An Associate of Green Bough House of Prayer in Adrian GA, Lalor has spent many hours in the company of those who observe the Rule, has made a promise to keep trying to observe it in her own life, and welcomes this opportunity to share Benedict's profound wisdoms with others on the journey.

(Optional: Credit toward the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will be given upon completion of course and assignments.)

Evangelism for the Rest of Us (Thompson Scholars - Evangelism and Ministry)

• name of applicant, church name/denomination, preferred  mailing address, phone number and email address,


• a brief answer to two questions: 1) How would you describe the challenges of evangelism in your particular context and in general in our 21^st century context?  2) Why would you like to participate in this event? 


• Applications will be reviewed as they are received and accepted until the event is full or until April 1.

Learning Christ: Spiritual Practices in the New Testament (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

This course explores the spiritual disciplines and practices of the first Christians, including the theological, Christological, and eschatological convictions in which they were grounded. How did the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ shape Christian spirituality? Why was the oneness of God so important? What gave rise to the New Testament writers' sense that they were living in the "last days" and how did this notion of time shape their practices. Specific topics to be covered include hospitality, forgiveness, prayer, sharing of property, love, self-renunciation, reconciliation, bearing one another's burdens, and watchfulness.  

Instructor: Stanley P. Saunders

There is a reading assignment for this course.  Please contact the Spirituality Program Office (spirituality@ctsnet.edu) if you have not received the assignment by 4/18/10.

Journeys Through Revelation: Apocalyptic Hope for Today (2010 Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study)

Come explore the hope offered in the Book of Revelation, with Louise Lawson Johnson. An ordained Presbyterian pastor, Lawson Johnson has written the “Suggestions for Leaders” published in this study guide.

We will make personal connections with the themes and receive practical ideas for teaching this series. Designed for women who will be teaching this study, this workshop is open to anyone interested in this topic.

Deadline to register: August 2. Pay full fee or a non-refundable $25 deposit (to be applied to program fee).

NOTE: This workshop is the only PW Bible Study leader training course offered this summer by Columbia Seminary – so sign up soon!

Missional Spirituality (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

The Missional church has sparked great interest in the spiritual foundation needed to sustain mission to the world. As we grow and are shaped by the Holy Spirit, that same Spirit propels us into the world of need that surrounds us. This course is designed to explore the historic and contemporary links between mission and spiritual formation, the character of God, how spirituality calls us to ministries of compassion. We will study and practice spiritual disciplines needed to develop an understanding of how God is working in and through the church and individuals. Participants will develop a model for your church back home. The model of Pilgrimage provides a framework to explore the roles of spirituality and mission in today’s world.

Instructors: We are privileged to have Columbia’s new President and long time scholar of Evangelism and Mission, Steve Hayner, teaching this course. Jim Wood, Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian of Norfolk will also be teaching from his experience of pilgrimage and mission in Africa. He brings a powerful experiential component to this course

Immersion Experience: An Invitation to A Deeper Spiritual Life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

This course will explore the origins of the Christian Spiritual Tradition. Participants will study the formative elements of Biblical Spirituality, Monastic Spirituality, and Reformed Spirituality. Participants will also have the opportunity for personal reflection through guided meditative journaling, exploring their own unique journey with the living God. Community and practical application of acquired knowledge are also part of this experience. This course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. Occasional students are welcome.

There is a reading assignment for this course. Please contact the Spirituality Program Office (spirituality@ctsnet.edu) if you have not received the assignment by 7/1/10.

Liturgy of the Hours - An Old Practice for the New Church (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Location: Montreat Conference Center

In a time when Christians and the church are yearning to renew their spiritual vitality, and deepen their faith, Paul Lang recovers for the church the ancient but timeless liturgy of the hours.  The Liturgy of the Hours is a long-practiced discipline of the faith which countless saints have used to gently, patiently, and persistently reshape their lives before God.  This ancient Christian discipline is experiencing a revival of practice among Christians throughout the world.  This course will couple instruction about the Liturgy of the Hours with the daily immersion of praying the offices of Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline.  You will learn about the biblical roots and historical development of the Liturgy of the Hours, how to sing the psalms, about the theological themes and emphases associated with each office, and be given many ideas about how to take this practice home with you for personal use as well as how to introduce it in your own church.



Instructor: Paul Lang



There is a reading assignment for this course.  Please contact the Spirituality Program Office (spirituality@ctsnet.edu) if you have not received the assignment by 7/21/10.

 

Youth Ministry Leadership Initiative: Beginning Retreat

The Youth Ministry Leadership Initiative is a partnership between the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta and Columbia Theological Seminary. The program – a series of 8 courses - is designed for lay leaders and pastors who are committed to developing strong programs for youth within our churches.

This opening weekend will allow participants to ask important questions about their particular call to youth ministry and youth ministry as a whole. Successful completion of this course and seven others will lead to receiving the Certificate in Youth Ministry; all youth leaders are invited to attend.

Instructors: Rodger Nishioka, the Benton Family Associate Professor of Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary, author and nationally-known leader in youth and young adult ministry, and Neema Cyrus Franklin, Director of Youth Ministries for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta will lead this event.

YMLI Beginning Retreat HOUSING

To reserve a guest room, you must also register for the event itself, “YMLI Beginning Retreat,” October 22-24, 2010. Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy - if available).

If you have housing questions, call 404-687-4587 or email lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu

$64~ 2 nights (per person, double) arrive Friday – depart Sunday

$98 ~ 2 nights (single) (if available) arrive Friday – depart Sunday

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you must cancel your reservation, please notify the Business Office (404-687-4510) at least 48 hours prior to your schedule arrival to avoid a one-night penalty.

Thomas Merton and Contemplation (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Instructor: Ben Campbell Johnson

Course Details Coming Soon!