R E A C H	
Newsletter of The Religious Education Association: 
An Association of Professors, Practitioners, and Researchers in Religious Education	Winter 2005	
Contents	
Organizational News
REA-APPRRE 2005 Officers
	Annual Meeting
2005 Meeting Theme
Early Reminders	Networking & Resourcing
Request for Updates
Adult Education for the Laity
Children's Spirituality Conference
A Critical Partnership…
Position Openings	
IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND 
SPIRIT OF MARIA HARRIS (1932-2005)
The following are excerpts from a eulogy delivered by Gabriel Moran at St. Lawrence Church, Sayville, Long Island, on Feb.7, 2005 at the funeral of Maria Harris

If it were solely up to me I would prefer silence at this point, which is mostly what I shared with Maria during the last months of her life. However, for such an articulate woman some few words should be said on her behalf to her friends who are gathered here today. 

I know I am biased but I think that anyone who knew Maria would agree that she was an extraordinary person. So often I heard someone say: “Well, of course, everyone loves Maria.” Each time I heard that I would think: What an amazing thing to be said of anyone. People seemed to mean it. She evoked a reaction of joy, admiration and love from so many people - whether women or men, young or old, gay or straight, people in high office or people consigned to menial work. 

The reaction of women was especially noteworthy. They seemed to take pride in her accomplishments. I did not sense envy or jealousy. I think it was because Maria saw herself as surrounded by a sea of sisterhood within which and for which she spoke. Women sensed that and delighted in her talents. She treated everyone with respect, as if you were the most important person in the world. And it wasn’t superficial. If you were a friend of Maria’s, you were a friend for life. 

She could cry up a storm on sad occasions. But she had a sunny personality. Her mother called her Mary Sunshine which was very fitting. She brought a brightness and enthusiasm to every group she worked with. We often team taught. I could not duplicate her talent for bringing out the best in every group. But I did learn from her and I became a better teacher. 
Maria was a Sister of St. Joseph for 23 years. In the deepest sense, however, she never left the community of women; nor did the religious congregation ever exclude her. I was happy to share her with all the friends she had made, especially her dearest friend of 50 years, Joanmarie Smith. I only knew Maria for 39 years. The day she walked into my office I think both of us knew within five minutes that our lives would forever be entwined. How that would happen was not clear. She figured it out pretty quickly; it took me a lot longer. 

Her name in the religious order was Maria Crucis. She loved the name Maria and it seemed to fit her perfectly. I always thought that the name Crucis was ironic. She did not give the impression of carrying a cross through life. But in the last four years she earned that name. From the first moment when she was diagnosed, I never heard a word of self-pity or complaint. There was no “why me?” or “this is unfair.” I think it was because she viewed all she had as gifts. When she had to relinquish each of life’s powers, she could do so gracefully. 

In bearing with the disease, she had a strength that I had not known she possessed. And perhaps she herself did not know she had such strength. She had never had a serious illness in her life. When she would get an annual cold and be miserable for a day or two, she would warn me that she would make a terrible patient. As it turned out, she was completely wrong about how she would handle a terrible disease. 

In the late 1960s a group of seven older churchwomen gathered in Philadelphia. They decided that the image of the old in this country needed changing. The news media condescendingly called them the Gray Panthers, a name that they ran with. They succeeded admirably in what they set out to do. Maggie Kuhn, the leader of the group, said in an interview that she intended to continue the work as long as she lived. The interviewer said: “How can you say that with such certainty? Suppose you get sick and are lying flat on your back in a hospital?” Maggie Kuhn replied: “Then I will make that my work.”

I believe Maria did just that. While she was in the nursing home and the hospital she was still a dynamo of energy for many people in this country and beyond. And for those of us who believe in the Communion of Saints the work continues. 

In teaching about teaching, I have often cited a passage from a talk that Elizabeth Glaser gave at the 1992 Democratic convention. Glaser had become infected with the AIDS virus through blood transfusion and she had passed it on to her daughter who died. Glaser said: “My daughter lived 7 years and in the last year of her life she could neither talk nor walk, but her wisdom shone through. She taught me to love when all I felt was hate. She taught me to think of others when all I wanted to do was think of myself. She taught me to be brave when all I felt was fear.” When I had used that passage in the past, I never dreamed that it could apply to a 70 year- old woman as well as to a 7 year-old child. 

When we came to Maria Regina residence a year ago, I told friends that we were received like royalty. It was an unusual experience for anyone entering a nursing home to be surrounded by such warmth and love. She could not have received better care than she did here. When she returned from the hospital two and a half weeks ago, we received a second warm homecoming. She had come to die but it was the right place for her. 
Both times we were greeted with a large sign that said: Welcome to Maria Regina. I read that sign in two ways: It could mean: Welcome into the residence whose name is Maria Regina. It can also read: Welcome to the one who is named Maria; she will be treated royally. 

The disease that Maria had was a trial of both body and soul. It was truly a cross to bear. But purified by suffering she has finally transcended the Crucis in her name. No longer Maria Crucis, she is now Maria Gloria, Maria Regina. 

I conclude with an Irish prayer. I know she would love me to read this because she chose to read it at two funerals: that of her mother, Mary Tunny Harris, and that of her dear cousin, Brian O’Brien. The prayer expresses the sacramental principle that was the central theme of her writing, her speaking and her life, the belief that God is revealed in all the elements of ordinary life. I cannot read it as well as she could but I don’t think she would mind: 

“May the blessing of the light be on you, light within and light without. 
May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that strangers may come and warm themselves at it, and friends. 
And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you like a candle set in two windows of a house, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm. 
And may the blessing of the Rain be on you - the soft, sweet rain. 
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up, and shed their sweetness on the air. 
And may the blessing of the Great Rains be on you, may they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, 
And leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines and sometimes a star. 
And may the blessing of the Earth be on you - the great round earth. 
May you ever have a kindly greeting for them you pass as you’re going along the roads. 
May the earth be soft under you when you rest upon it, tired at the end of the day. 
And may it rest over you when, at the last, you lay out under it. 
May it rest so lightly over you, that your soul may be out from under it quickly, and up, and off, and on its way to God.”

______________
The following is a tribute written by Maria Harris’ friend and colleague, Gloria Durka, of Fordham University, New York City.

Maria Harris, internationally acclaimed religious educator, died on February 1, 2005, after a long illness.   She succumbed to pneumonia resulting from Lewy body dementia, a debilitating brain disease.

A member of the REA for more than thirty years, Maria has presented workshops for its membership throughout the US and Canada.  As a member of APRRE for equally as long, she served as its President and was a regular presenter of scholarly papers at its annual meetings.

Maria Harris received her doctorate in religion and education at Columbia University in 1970.  A native New Yorker, she worked with religious educators in the Diocese of Rockville Centre and was active in ecumenical religious education.  In 1975, she joined the faculty of Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, MA., where she was named to the Howard Chair of Religious Education. Later she taught at Fordham University, New York University, and Boston College.  She married Gabriel Moran in 1986, and together they collaborated in teaching, writing, and lecturing throughout the U.S. and the international community.  Maria was a member of the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV) for twenty-five years. 

Maria’s list of publications explore many aspects of religious education and the role of women in religion, artistry in teaching, religious imagination, educational and pastoral ministry, women’s spirituality, to mention but a few.  For many women in religious education, her work Women and Teaching became a pedagogic creed.  Her groundbreaking work, Dance of the Spirit, reached out to feed the souls of women in the broader community.  Author of a dozen books, more than a hundred essays, and scores of scholarly papers, Maria’s work has been read all over the globe.  She has held prestigious lectureships and was the recipient of numerous awards.  Her book Fashion Me A People, first published in 1989, remains a popular text in seminaries and theological schools. 

REA-APPRRE members will miss her physical presence, to be sure, but her spirit and work live on.  Now is the time for celebration and thanks for all she has given to us.  

ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS

Meet the REA-APPRRE 2005 Officers

PRESIDENT
Robert T. O'Gorman, Ph.D.
Professor of Pastoral Studies
The Institute of Pastoral Studies, 
Loyola University Chicago

Bob was awarded the Ph.D. in 1975 in religious education from the University of Notre Dame. He has been in professional graduate education since 1969 at the Divinity School of St. Louis University, St. Thomas Seminary, Denver, Scarritt Graduate School, Nashville (along with two previous APRRE presidents, Charles Foster and Jack Seymour) and since 1989 Loyola Chicago. His publications include The Church in the Education of the Public, Abingdon, 1984, with Seymour and Foster; The Church That was a School: Catholic Identity and Catholic Education in the United States Since 1790, (The Catholic Education Futures Project, Washington, D.C., 1987, the United States Catholic Conference; "Latin American Theology and Education" in Theological Approaches to Christian Education, Jack L. Seymour and Donald E. Miller (eds.), Abingdon, Nashville, 1990. “Religious Education as Community” in  Mapping Christian Education Jack L. Seymour and Donald E. Miller (eds), Abingdon, Nashville, 1997 and “The Concern for Theological Method in Basic Christian Communities,” in Small Christian Communities: Imagining Future Church - Notre Dame International Theological Consultation, Robert S. Pelton (ed), University of Notre Dame Press 1997). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism, (coauthored with Mary Faulkner, Alpha Books, Macmillan, New York, 2000. 2003 second edition). “Teaching From A Community Context: The Role of the Field Educator in Theological Education,” (coauthored with Kathy Talvacchia, published as a monograph in a Special Edition of Theological Education Vol. 37, No. 2, 2001).  Bob has served on the St. Louis Archdiocesan Board of Catholic Education, the Denver Archdiocesan Committee on Lay Ministry, and the Nashville Diocesan Commission on the Teaching Office of the Church. Additionally, in Nashville, he served as the Chair of the Diocesan Task Force on AIDS.  He served as a consultant to the St. Louis Region of the Sisters of Mercy Educational Association and has served on their Education System Board.  He was a member of the Gordon Technical High School (Chicago) Board of Directors and the Chicago Archdiocese’s Commission on Lay Ecclesial Ministries. Throughout the 90’s on the Steering Committee of the Association for Theological Field Education, and as Chairperson from 1999-2001. In 2003 he was recipient of Study Leave Grants for Faculty Members from the Wabash Center for Teaching in Religion “Teaching the Context of Theological Education: The Role of the Field Educator”

PRESIDENT-ELECT AND 2005 PROGRAM CHAIR
Ronnie Prevost,
Professor of Church Ministry
Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, Texas 

Dr. Ronnie Prevost is Professor of Church Ministry in the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University, where he teaches Christian Education, Christian History, a various other ministry courses . He is a graduate of Mississippi College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div, 1975; Ed.D., 1978; Ed.D. converted to Ph.D., 2004) The major area in his doctoral studies was Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education and the minor area was Christian History and Theology. His dissertation title: The Alexandrian Catechetical School: A Synthesis of Greco-Roman and Ante-Nicene Christian Education. Ronnie’s additional academic work include has taken him to the University of New Orleans,  Princeton Theological Seminary, the University of Alabama, the University of Kentucky, Southwest Baptist University, and Texas A&M. Ronnie has written numerous articles in professional journals and has frequently presented papers at professional meetings, writing primarily on religious education, Christian history, and the First Amendment. He has written two books (Introduction to Christian Education -- co-authored with James E. Reed -- and Evangelical Protestant Gifts to Religious Education) and contributed to two others (Mercer Dictionary of the Bible and Forging a Better Religious Education in the Third Millennium). Ronnie has served as pastor of churches in Mississippi and Alaska and has lectured in Nigeria, Russia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. His teaching career began in 1977 and has included faculty positions at Gardner-Webb College (now university), Samford University, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been in his current position since 1996. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Moscow Theological Seminary in Russia. Ronnie and his wife (of 32 years), Peggy are members of Lytle South Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas. He serves as a deacon, chairs the Missions Committee, and directs the Sunday School at the church.

VICE PRESIDENT AND 2006 PROGRAM CHAIR-ELECT 
Lucinda Huffaker, 
The Wabash Center for Teaching in Theology and Religion 
Wabash College 
Crawfordsville, Indiana  

Lucinda Huffaker is Director of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. to enhance teaching of religion in higher education. Her PhD is from Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver in religion and psychology, and she has authored one book, Creative Dwelling: Empathy and Clarity in Self and God, and co-authored another, Viewpoints: Perspectives of Faith and Christian Nurture. She authored the chapter on feminist theology in the forthcoming book, Handbook on Process Theology. She is co-editor with Charles Foster of the international journal Teaching Theology and Religion produced by the Wabash Center and published by Blackwell Publishers, UK. Lucinda has been a member of APRRE since 1990 and served on the Executive Board from 2001-2003. As Associate Director and now Director of the Wabash Center, she has hosted a number of Wabash Center programs for professors and graduate students in religious education, and dozens of APRRE members have participated in Wabash Center workshops, received grants, and written for the journal. Lucinda lives in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where the Wabash Center is housed on the campus of Wabash College. She is married, has two grown children, and has been active in the Presbyterian Church, serving as deacon, elder, and pastor's wife!
RECORDING SECRETARY
Kathy Winings 
Unification Theological Seminary 
Barrytown, New York

Kathy Winings, EdD. Dean of UTS-NYC, Dir. D. Min. Program, Assoc. Prof. Religious Education and Ministry at UTS (Unification Theological Seminary). I am also on the board of several international NGOs including serving as Vice President of the Board of IRFF - an international disaster relief and development agency working in association with the UN-NGO DPI, Board Sec. of the World Association of NGOs along with a few others. I have one book published: Building Character through Service Learning. I have also written numerous articles that have been published in a wide array of journals and publications. I developed an educational consulting agency, Educare, to improve the teaching methods and curricula of churches, faith communities, and schools. I also spend a great deal of time in Educare with the faith development of teens and young adults. My interests include reading, swimming, and service learning. My hopes for REA-APPRRE are: to see a revitalized organization with a devotion to the scholarly study and teaching of RE and a truly multicultural, multireligious membership that can bridge the divide between practitioner and scholar.

TREASURER
Diane Hymans,
Associate Professor of Christian Education
Associate Academic Dean
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Columbus, Ohio

I have served as Associate Professor of Christian Education and Associate Academic Dean at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, for nearly twelve years. My academic work was completed at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, now Union Theological Seminary- Presbyterian School of Christian Education, in Richmond, Virginia, where I received both an MA in Christian education and an Ed.D. in religious education. As a certified educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I worked in educational ministry in congregations for a number of years before and during my graduate study. That work still provides lots of food for thought and influences both my teaching and writing. Special areas of interest include educational theory and educational ministry with children, especially children and the Bible. I am interested in the role of play and the imagination in the educational process for children, and what that might also mean for older learners. This year I am trying out my theories by teaching the fourth and fifth grade Sunday school class in my home congregation. It is keeping me honest! My hope for our newly re-formed organization is that it will be a genuine forum where scholars and practitioners will stimulate each other through the particular interests and questions that each brings to the table. Though I work in the academy, my questions concern the forms of educational ministry that will help people in local congregations grow in their knowledge and understanding of the faith in a world growing increasingly complex. I value the work we can do together to discover new possibilities.

THE REA-APPRRE 2005 Board OF DIRECTORS

Officers (Steering Committee)
•	President and Chair of the Board Bob O'Gorman, Institute of Pastoral Studies, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois 2005
•	President-Elect/2005 Program Chair Ronnie Prevost Logston School of Theology, Hardin Simmons University, Abilene, Texas  2006
•	Vice President/2006 Program Chair-Elect Lucinda Huffaker, The Wabash Center for Teaching in Theology and Religion, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana 2007
•	Treasurer Diane Hymans, Trinity Lutheran Seminary Columbus, Ohio 2007
•	Recording Secretary Kathy Winings Unification Theological Seminary Barrytown, New York 2007
Members of the Board
•	Religious Education in Faith Communities Forum Team Chair Elizabeth Box Price 2005
•	Forum Coordination Team Chair Religious Education in Public Life and the Global Community Chair Roberta Nelson, Pastor Sedgwick, Maine 2005
•	Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions Forum Team Chair Yolanda Smith , Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut 2006
•	Member at Large Katherine Turpin, Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado 2006
•	Member at Large Kieran Scott, School of Religion and Religious Education Fordham University, New York, New York 2005
•	Member at Large José R Irizarry, McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois 2005
•	Doctoral Student Representative Richelle White, Union Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, Virginia 2005
•	Chair of the Publications Committee Leona English 2006
Ex officio Members 
•	Executive Secretary Lawanda Smith, Louisiana Sate University, Alexandria, Louisiana  2006
•	Networking Coordinator Randy Litchfield, The Methodist School of Theology, Delaware, Ohio 2007
•	Editor of Religious Education Jack Seymour. Garrett Evangelical Seminary, Evanston, Illinois 2007

Religious Education in Faith Communities Forum Coordination Team
I. Elizabeth Box Price - 2005 Chair / Board of Directors
2. Tony Vrame, 2006 Papers/Workshop Selection Committee
3. Nelson Strobert, 2007 Journal Board

Religious Education in Public Life and the Global Community Forum Coordination Team
	1. Roberta Nelson -- 2005 Chair / Board of Directors
	2. Thomas Groome, 2007 Papers/Workshop Selection Committee
	3. Mary Elizabeth Moore - 2006 Journal Board 

Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions Forum Coordination Team
1. Yolanda Smith - 2006, Chair / Board of Directors
2. Maureen O'Brien, 2007 Papers/Workshop Selection Committee 
3. Cathy Zeph, 2005 Journal Board

Chair of the Papers/Workshops Selection Committee: 
Leona English - 2006 Program Committee
1. Tony Vrame, 2006 Religious Education in Faith Communities Forum
2. Tom Groome, 2007 Religious Education in Public Life & Global Community 
3. Maureen O’Brien, 2007 Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions

Editorial Board – Chair Jack Seymour 2007
1.	Nelson Strobert Religious Education in Faith Communities Forum
2.	Cathy Zeph Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions Forum
3.	Mary Elizabeth Moore RE in Public Life & Global Community

Harper Committee: 
1. Peter Gilmour, Chair, 2007, Member of Program Committee
2. Nam Soon Song, Class of 2005
3. Kathy Winings, Class of 2006 Board Secretary
4. Evelyn Parker, Class of 2007

ANNUAL MEETING

2005 REA-APPRRE Annual Meeting
Delta Chelsea Hotel
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
November 4-6, 2005

Religious Education for Peace and Justice
2005 Program Theme for the Religious Education Association: 
An Association of Professors, Practitioners, and Researchers in Religious Education

We live in a world of violence and war.  The vast majority of the current wars around our world have, at their hearts, an undeniable religious dimension in which the focus has been differences among faith fellowships. (Arguably, this has been true for most of the last two millennia and not just in recent history.)  Further, the violence in our world reaches not only to the global arena, but even to local communities – to the streets and, unfortunately, even many homes.  Baptist ethicist T.B. Maston (whose first two graduate degrees -- including his doctorate -- were in religious education) wrote that violence can never be overcome nor war decrease until matters and issues of justice are addressed. Any objective assessment of the historical and current contexts will agree. 

The theme, “Religious Education for Peace and Justice,” is timely. It also has immediate practical dimensions that can enrich the faith communities we serve, the world(s) and communities in which we live, and the classrooms (of both academia and our congregations) in which we teach. It will also draw on the very character of REA: one that is both ecumenical and international. All major faith traditions call their respective adherents to seek peace and justice. And each major religious perspective has its factions, teachings, and history of varied approaches to justice, war and peace. Among the fellowship of REA are those whose respective faith communities have in their doctrinal system the belief in Just War. Others are better known as pacifists. There are also varying views, traditions, and practices among our diverse faith communities regarding myriad issues pertaining to and rising from the matters of justice (i.e. socio-economics, racism, etc.).  All struggle with these and other attending issues. This invites us to re-examine our commonalities and our particularities not only of theology and ethics, but also of our pedagogical theories and practices at these many points. That is, the theme calls us to examine how our respective faith communities can and should teach with peace and justice as among our primary goals.  Not that we, as religious educators, are the last and best hope (and certainly not the only hope), but if not we then who?  Who will teach our faith communities and our world not only the meanings of peace and justice, but also how peace and justice can be lived and achieved?

“Religious Education for Peace and Justice,” provides much grist for the mills of plenary sessions, forums, research groups, colloquia, task forces, faith community caucuses, and papers. It will require the consideration of the substance, components, and ethical dimensions of peace and justice. It is also vital that we examine how violence on the global and local scenes are connected and how pedagogies of peace and justice can address those connections. Further, we must examine how our common/particular curricula and pedagogies can address the content and methodologies that can be a part of the peacemaking and justice process beyond what some may call “political correctness.”  Finally, the title “Religious Education for and of Peace and Justice” will require consideration and exploration of religious education practices that are themselves inherently just and peaceful. 

Questions and comments about the theme and offers to assist in the design of the meeting may be directed to President-Elect, Ronnie Prevost. Email: rprevost@hsutx.edu.

Suggested Reading
Cram, Ron.  Bullying:  A Spiritual Crisis.
Conde-Frazier, Elizabeth, coauthor. A Many Colored Kingdom: Multiculturalism Dynamics for Spiritual Formation.
Welch, Sharon. After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace.

EARLY REMINDERS:
All conference participants who are not Canadian citizens will need passports. Everyone will also need Canadian currency.

THE CALL FOR PAPERS AND WORKSHOPS WILL APPEAR IN THE SPRING EDITION OF REACH

Websites of interest:
	Delta Chelsea Hotel:  http://www4.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotels.php?hotelId=10
	
	The Official City of Toronto Website http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/

NETWORKING AND RESOURCING

REQUEST FOR UPDATES
The Spring Edition of REACH will include professional and scholarly updates of REA-APPRRE members.  Please send information about accomplishments, promotions, publications, new positions, etc. to Lawanda Smith at rea-apprre@cox.net or lfsmith@lsua.edu

Adult Education for the Laity 
Call for Papers: Deadline 15 May 2005 (must be received by this date)
 
We are inviting submissions for a special issue of the Journal of Adult Theological Education that focuses on the education of laity. The Journal provides a refereed, scholarly, written forum for the dissemination of research on all areas affecting the education of adults. This issue will feature North American and Australian writers and will be published in early 2006. Education of the laity occurs in a number of formats:  formal for-credit programs, either in schools of theology or church sponsored diploma programs; nonformal seminars, workshops and retreats; and informally through homilies, dialogue, mentoring and self-directed learning projects. This issue focuses on the adult education questions that undergird this educational and learning experience. 
 
Topics for this special issue include, but are not limited to: 
•	Are distance education and faith development incompatible?
•	Relating transformative learning theory to lay education.
•	How do we know they know? Evaluation of lay education.
•	Supporting laity in their self-directed learning.
•	Are critical thinking and lay education compatible?
•	Is lay education making a difference?
•	Collaborating with clergy: Working together to make a difference.
•	Spirituality of the laity.    
•	Jewish and Christian perspectives on adult religious/ theological education.  
•	Faith development of laity – does education make a difference? 
 
All essays should be anchored in the literature of adult education theory and practice, and should make clear the research framework employed (historical, practical, qualitative research, quantitative research, model-building, comparative analysis, etc).  For more information about the journal and for style requirements go to: http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/main.asp?jref=4
 
Please send finished essays in English, of between 5000-6000 words, with 100 word abstract, to each of the following addresses by 15 May, 2005.  Please provide full contact details with your submission. Email copies are preferred and all submissions will be acknowledged. Inquiries and expressions of interest are encouraged.  

1. Leona M. English
lenglish@stfx.ca
Adult Education
St. Francis Xavier University
Antigonish, NS
Canada
B2G 2W5
Tel. 902/867-2459
Fax 902/867-3765
www.stfx.ca/people/lenglish
	2. Catherine P. Zeph, Ed.D.
cpzeph@loyno.edu
Loyola Institute for Ministry
Loyola University New Orleans
6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 63
New Orleans, LA 70118 USA
1-800-777-LIMX (5469), x 3251
(504) 865-3251
www.loyno.edu/~cpzeph

 

Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives 
Call for Papers: Deadline April 15, 2006--five page summary for accepted proposals

The second Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives will be held on the campus of Concordia University, River Forest, IL (Chicago) June 4-7, 2006. Papers may reflect qualitative, quantitative, historical, or theological research related to any of these topics:

Biblical/Historical
Theological perspectives and traditions
Biblical perspectives
Historical perspectives 
Denominational distinctives 
Research and theory
Definitions and theory regarding children's spirituality
Research models and methods
Current research
Psychological perspectives and problems related to spirituality 
Ministry models
Churches
Parachurch organizations
Church schools 
Parent education
Family education
Ministry by children	Social contexts and dynamics
Empowering the poor
Class inversion 
Urban ministries
Missions/cross-cultural ministry
Ethnic distinctives/multicultural ministries
Children in crisis 
Pedagogy
Curriculum/resource trends 
Vocational training
Courses in higher education
Evaluating methods of teaching/facilitating spirituality 
Experiential processes in spiritual formation
Religious imagination  
Liturgy and worship	

Time given to presentations is 45 minutes, with 15 minutes of discussion immediately following the presentation. A five-page summary of each presentation will be distributed to all conference participants, either online or in printed form, and full presentations may be considered for publication in a book subsequent to the conference. Proposals for conference presentations can be submitted using a form located on the conference web page (www.childspirituality.org). Additional details about the conference and contact information is also located on that web page. 

A Critical Partnership: Theological Educators, 
Publishers, and Congregations Nurturing Faith
NCC Education and Leadership Ministries 
2005 Consultation on Curriculum Research and Theory
April 21-24, 2005
Scarritt Bennett Center, Nashville, TN

The partnership among congregations, theological educators, and church publishers in spiritual formation is crucial, but sometimes not as strong or direct as it might be. Many dynamic congregations modify existing curriculum or produce and use curriculum they develop on their own. Publishers and theological educators have much to learn from local faith communities who meet their educational needs in this way. What can the academy and the publishing worlds offer these congregations to enhance and strengthen their Christian education programs? What can congregations offer publishers and the academy to enhance their methods and products? The annual Consultation on Curriculum Research and Theory engages scholars, publishers, editors, and practitioners in curriculum development for faith formation. This year, we will hear from a variety of local congregations in the Nashville area about how they address the educational needs of their churches through a range of approaches that incorporate such things as culturally specific programs, site-specific resources, and innovative approaches to curriculum.  Each presenting congregation will represent a distinct expression of church life in either its size, cultural orientation, or unique aspect of its ministry. The presenters will be invited to describe the content of their educational approach as well as their successes, learnings, and needs that might be addressed by publishers and educators. The conference offers ample time for reflection and discussion among presenters and participants. Full information and registration form are available at: http://www.religiouseducation.net/events/otherorgs.htm

For additional information, contact:
Patrice L. Rosner, Associate General Secretary for Education
475 Riverside Drive, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10115-0050
212-870-2738 – office; 212-870-3112 – fax; prosner@ncccusa.org

POSITION OPENINGS

Assistant/Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry

The Christian Formation and Ministry department at Wheaton College invites applications for a tenure-track position (assistant/associate professor) beginning in the fall of 2005. Ph.D. or equivalent by August 2005 required. The candidate should have a solid biblical and theological orientation toward the field, relevant ministry experience, and a demonstrated excellence in classroom teaching. This individual will teach primarily in the Christian Education and Ministry undergraduate program, with some graduate teaching in the Christian Formation and Ministry M.A. program. Preference will be given to candidates with proven ability to teach and conduct research in the areas of discipleship, spiritual formation, Christian spirituality, and/or theological foundations of educational ministry. Since the department is committed to educationally-informed spiritual formation, candidates are expected to be conversant with educational theory and its bearing on the processes of spiritual maturity. The candidate should have a demonstrated record of publications, presentations, and/or in-depth research in at least one of these areas. The person holding this position is expected to pursue research and writing in his or her field of specialty, to fulfill all responsibilities and duties of a member of the faculty, and to participate in the life of the church. Commitment to liberal arts education and to the preparation of students for ministry is essential. Review of applications will continue until position is filled.  Please send cover letter, full curriculum vitae, and list of three references to Dr. David Setran, Chair; Christian Formation and Ministry Department; Wheaton College; 501 College Avenue; Wheaton, Illinois 60187. Wheaton College is an evangelical protestant Christian liberal arts college whose faculty and staff members affirm a Statement of Faith and adhere to lifestyle expectations.  The College complies with federal and state guidelines for nondiscrimination in employment.  Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply. 

Iliff School of Theology

The Iliff School of Theology (Denver) seeks director to lead The Iliff Institute for Lay and Clergy Education. Will have demonstrated success in developing educational programs, supervising and evaluating all special programs for the school, as well as representing Iliff to various constituencies. Master of Divinity or other graduate degree in religion required. For information or to read full job description, visit: http://www.iliff.edu/jobs/index.htm

Internship for Ministry to Youth and Young Adults at The American Church in Paris

The American Church in Paris, an international interdenominational congregation in the heart of the city is seeking a seminary student or graduate to be the youth pastor intern for the 2005-2006 year (August through July).  Responsibilities are to minister to young people ages 12 to 29 through an active program which is in place, assisted by experienced volunteers and a pastoral team.  A fully furnished apartment including all housing expenses, a stipend and airfare are provided.  Additional financial support is required from the intern's own resources.  If interested, please contact the Chair of the Search Committee, Ursula Perrier, for further information.  Email: ursulaperrier@nerim.net

Full-Time Faculty Position in Practical Theology

The Institute for Pastoral Ministries and the Department of Religious Studies and History announce the opening of a full-time faculty position in Practical Theology at the Assistant or Associate rank to begin in the fall of 2005. Responsibilities include teaching in the undergraduate Religious Studies major, the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, and the newly inaugurated Ph.D. in Practical Theology. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Theology or equivalent degree; must demonstrate an active commitment to research, and to the University's mission as "an excellent Catholic university for diversity". Candidates should demonstrate familiarity and expertise with the field of Practical or Pastoral Theology as a discipline that seeks critical correlation and integration between the Christian faith and the "signs of the time" in the arenas of society and culture. Application process: Applications should include a curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, copies of post-secondary college transcripts and a sample of scholarly work in the field of practical theology to: Office of Human Resources, St. Thomas University, 16401 NW 37th Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL 33054 Fax:  (305) 628-6510 E-mail: facsearch@stu.edu

Phillips Theological Seminary

PHILLIPS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY invites applications for a faculty appointment beginning July 1, 2005, in the Practice of Ministry. The successful applicant will hold a Ph.D. or D.Min. degree, have an exceptional record of service in Christian ministry, and be prepared to provide energetic leadership as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. Tenure-track consideration is negotiable. Preference will be given to United Methodist candidates and those who have teaching experience. The search commences immediately and will continue until the position is filled. PTS is an ecumenical seminary affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church, and is committed to expanding the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of its faculty, staff, and student community. A curriculum vitae, a cover letter expressing interest in the position and detailing relevant professional experience, and the names and contact information of at least four references, should be sent to: Don A. Pittman, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, Phillips Theological Seminary, 901 North Mingo Road, Tulsa, OK 74116. EOE.