UPDATE: ELMC Christian Formation Futuring Consultation--Friday, April 15 Hotel Room Block Closes

[Garland Pierce]

Dear Friends,

 

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to register for the Education and Leadership Ministries Commission's Christian Formation Futuring Consultation for April 27-29, 2011, in Evanston, IL.

 

The commission has agreed to a consultation to look at the future of faith formation, leader development, and education and advocacy in the ecumenical setting.  We think this is critically needed at this time, particularly among the member communions of the Council.  Internally, the consultation is one important way for us to fulfill some of the goals of the strategic planning (http://www.ncccusa.org/elmc/ELMCvision.htm#goals).  2011 is the 40^th anniversary of the World Council of Christian Education merging with the World Council of Churches.  We feel that this is an opportune time to commemorate the education/formation stream that has run through the life of the ecumenical movement by pausing to gather and do some "futuring" related to our shared ministry, particularly given the current religious landscape, which seems to be changing before our eyes and economic situations, to look seriously at the question, "What is the future of our work of Christian formation in an ecumenical context?"

 

There is growing excitement.  We hope that, in addition to our commissioners and those engaged in our program ministries, theological education and publishing partners as well as others engaged in formation ministry and congregational vitality will join us.

 

Our list of confirmed speakers include:

 

• The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC General Secretary--on "The Education Stream in the Ecumenical Movement"
• Father Dr. Ioan Sauca, Director of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, World Council of Churches--on Ecumenical Formation and Global Christianity
• The Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, Editor, The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches--on The Ecclesial Landscape of North America and the Implications for Ministries in Christian Formation
• The Rev. Dr. Joseph V. Crockett, American Bible Society--on The Bible and Christian Formation
• Dr. Marcia Bunge, Valparaiso University--on Childhood and Formation
• Dr. Julie Lytle, Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA--on The Media and Technology and the Implications for Faith Formation
• Mr. John Roberto, Lifelong Faith Associates--on The Future of Faith Formation
• Dr. Carmichael Crutchfield, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Christian Education Department--on Formation for Justice and Witness
• Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education--on Leadership Development and Formation in the Context of Religious Pluralism

Our preachers are:

• The Rev. Mayra Castañeda, former Associate Director of ELMC, National Council of Churches, USA
• The Rev. Dr. Daryl B. Ingram, African Methodist Episcopal Church Christian Education Department and Chair of ELMC, National Council of Churches, USA

The consultation begins at 3pm on April 27th and ends on April 29th at noon.  It promises to be a rich time of information and resource sharing, networking, deep engagement with biblical texts, small group discussions, fellowship and worship.  We gather to vision our future work together and strategize for the future of formation ministries.

 

Registration

 

You may register online for the consultation by visiting:  http://www.ncccusa.org/elmc/consultation/. 

 

Hotel Reservation

 

Reservations can be made by calling Hilton Central Reservations at  1-800-HILTONS  1-800-HILTONS ( 1-800-445-8667  1-800-445-8667 ).  When making your reservation, please identify the hotel block as National Council of Churches, USA to receive the group rate.  To confirm a guest reservation, Hilton Orrington/Evanston requires a guarantee of the first night’s room rate and tax, which may be provided by credit card.  This also guarantees the reservation for late arrival.  Reservations may be cancelled without penalty provided that the hotel is notified a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the confirmed arrival date, by 3:00PM, CST.

 

Consultation participants can also make their hotel reservations at the website:  http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/O/ORDOEHF-NCCCUS-20110423/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

 

Cut off Date for the Hotel Block is Friday, April 15, 2011.

 

Prayer and Reflection as Preparation for the Consultation:

 

Loving and Gracious God,

Our lips bless your holy name!

Our hearts bless your holy name!

Our minds bless your holy name!

Our souls bless your holy name!

With hearts and eyes not lifted up nor raised too high, help us not to occupy ourselves with things too great and too marvelous for us but to keep to that which you require of us in compassion and love.  Help us to calm and quiet our souls, like weaned children who grow and deepen our relationship with you and with each other. 

As we journey on the via dolorosa towards Your cross and unto glorious resurrection Sunday, we bless your holy name and acknowledge that we need to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into an Easter people who have Wonderful Words of Life to offer a lonely, anxious and hurting world.

We humbly ask that you bless all who will participate in the upcoming Futuring Consultation.  Bless us with renewed efforts, vision and compassion.  Bless us with a new song to sing and new eyes to see the fullness of your glory, for you must increase and we must decrease.  Amen.

 

Question to ponder:  What will it take for all of us to claim the words of Isaiah as our own?

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.  Morning by morning he wakes me—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.  The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Reverend Garland F. Pierce,
Associate General Secretary
Education and Leadership Ministries  
National Council of Churches USA
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 812
New York, NY 10115
(212) 870-2267
Fax:  (212) 870-3112
gpi...@ncccusa.org
www.ncccusa.org/elmc

 

***Called to:  equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.***

Ephesians 4:12 (NRSV)

 

Please join us for the Education and Leadership Ministries Futuring Consultation
April 27-29--Evanston, IL
www.ncccusa.org/elmc/consultation