Meadville Lombard Theological School announces
Theological Leadership training for the entire congregation
For more than 160 years, Meadville Lombard Theological School has provided theological and leadership training for Unitarian Universalist ministers, but we know most of the congregations in our movement are led by teams that include the ministers, lay professionals, and lay leaders. What type of training is there for these leadership groups-especially those groups in our large congregations, and those that are on a growth curve?
With the introduction of "The Large Church: Praxis, Problems and Promise," Meadville Lombard hopes to draw groups from congregations along with seminary students to examine what is required to grow and sustain a large church. The week-long workshop will be held at First Unitarian Church of Dallas, July 9 through 13, 2007.
"We're very excited about this particular course," said Lee Barker, DMin '78 DD '01, President of Meadville Lombard. "We first envisioned this class as one for our seminary students, as a way to prepare them for the leadership and management roles they will have as ministers to large congregations. But, as a former minister of a large congregation, I know that these churches are never led by the minister alone. We want to encourage entire leadership groups to attend this workshop so they can begin visioning not just the nuts and bolts of running a large church, but the possibilities of creating change in a community inherent when Unitarian Universalist values are brought to and through the leadership of the church."
Taught at one of the most dynamic institutions in the Unitarian Universalist movement today, First Unitarian Church of Dallas, the course will examine applicable, dynamic approaches to three key elements of church life: worship, education, and public witness. Participants will be presented with a theology of religious leadership which is defined by integrity (ethical behavior), vision (capacity for enterprise), and devotion (service).
Workshop themes and instructors include:
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Worship in the Large Church, Laurel Hallman, DMin '81 DD '97, Senior Minister at First Unitarian Church of Dallas
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Theology and Practices of Leadership in the Large Church, Lee Barker, DMin '78 DD '01
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Piety, Prophecy and Pragmatism: Public Witness in the Large Church, Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa
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Education in the Large Church, John Tolley, Associate Professor of Arts in Ministry, Meadville Lombard and former Minister of Religious Education in a large congregation
To view a syllabus for credit-seeking students, click here; to view a syllabus for not-for-credit students, click here.
The fee schedule is as follows:
Tuition Credit: $1450.00 + $50.00 registration fee
Not-for-Credit: $ 725.00 + $50.00 registration fee
Team Rate (up to 5 registrants from a single congregation):
$2100.00 + $50.00 registration fee per team member.
For more information on accommodations, click here.
Registration opened December 1, 2006; register here, now.
For more information, contact:
Verlean Hollins
773.256.3000 x251
vhollins@meadville.edu
or Alice Yates
773.256.3000 x235
ayates@meadville.edu
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