addressing the long arc of ministry >> Explore
"The gospel, spoken well" -- Augustine >> Explore
a new model for theological education in the 21st century >> Explore
learning to think theologically about new media >> Explore
By David Hayward, guest blogger | One of the most important aspects of community is strong leadership, or moderation. This is also true of an online community. If you are not involved with the leadership of the community, make sure someone is. Don't assume that it will run itself. With my online community, The Lasting Supper, I am not the only one involved.
By Robert C. Saler | We’re continuing our series of posts thinking about the spiritual sources by which congregations might think theologically about Sabbath and sabbatical. As mentioned earlier, one of the key realizations that comes with such a task is that Christians have often had a less robust appreciation of the theological importance of the Sabbath than have our Jewish sisters and brothers.
By Joyce Thomas | Pastors’ spouses really do have their own level of influence that is an attraction to many church members. Sometimes their influence is something that even they don’t understand, except that people often tell them how much they appreciate the way they carry themselves or do certain things. I remember when my husband demonstrated a level of excitement after a sermon that neither I nor the congregation had seen in him before.
In what ways might peer learning strengthen the teaching of preaching today so that preachers are better prepared for the opportunities and challenges facing the North American church? This was the central question that brought Chris Braudaway-Bauman and Lawrence Peers of the Pastoral Excellence Network (PEN) to the Colloquium on Strengthening Christian Preaching, which was hosted by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids on May 28-29, 2014.
Christian Theological Seminary and the Center for Pastoral Excellence are pleased to launch the newly named Academy of Preaching and Celebration. Led by Frank A. Thomas, the Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th Miller Professor of Homiletics at CTS, the Academy seeks to generate excellence in preaching and worship through deepened faith and biblical practice.
Christian Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the second cohort of students selected for The Discipleship Project, a groundbreaking experiment in theological education at CTS. All in their first year of the M.Div. degree program, these new “TDPers” hail from states as far away as California, Florida, and Colorado, as well as Indiana.
Introduction to The Five Most Common Preaching Mistakes series, by Frank A. Thomas. Watch on YouTube.
MLK Jr. “I have a dream” speech video: produced by Salt Project, WFYI, and CTS Watch on YouTube
Nadia Bolz-Weber, Eugene Cho, and Tony Lee share best ideas for social media (short) Watch on YouTube
Eleven noted contributors join a growing current that sees conversation as an image to refresh our thinking about the nature and purpose of the church. Read >>
This book examines the role of Martin Luther King Jr. as both thought-leader and activist and the convergence of ideas and action in his life. Read >>
Re-Storying Your Faith helps people discover multiple faith stories to give meaning to their spiritual journey. Read >>
Are you planning to retire from full-time ministry during the next two to ten years? This event will help you make these years a vital, intentional time for culminating your ministry and also a time of exciting preparation for what’s next. This experience will include not only your own preparation for the next stage of your life and ministry, it will also help you work and plan effectively with your congregation in order for you to finish strong and end well.
We will draw upon wisdom of clergy peer learning groups. What are the foundational practices and distinctive approaches for designing and sustaining clergy groups as communities of practice.