What other courses and events has the Renison Institute of Ministry offered?
Renison Institute of Ministry offers a variety of courses and events each year (see current offerings), but there are other courses, not currently being offered, we want you to know about!
Let us know which ones you'd like to be offered next.
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Course Quick Finder
Course Descriptions and Information for other RIM courses
Great instructor made the course come alive; Eric has a passion for teaching and I learned a tremendous amount of history.
- Past Student
Course description:
-
examines the origins of Anglicanism in pre-Reformation England.
- looks at the Reformation and our protestant heritage.
- considers how the Anglican church has evolved, theologically and structurally, since the Reformation to its present state.
- participants will experience examples of the changing historical practices of the Eucharist.
Recommended texts:
The Study of Anglicanism, Revised Edition, edited by Stephen Sykes, John Booty, and Jonathan Knight, (London: SPCK & Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998) ISBN 0-8006-3151-X.
If you wish to begin reading prior to the first session, you may read John Jewell's Sermon at St. Paul's Cross, 1560, especially pages 21 to 23.
Additional reading material will be assigned throughout the course.
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Eric Griffin
Cost: $250
Completion of the Anglican Church History Course is required for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Apostles to Reformers: Church History
Course description:
In this course we will trace the growth of the Church, from its genesis in Jerusalem, up to the time of the Reformation. By the end of the course students should be able to:
- identify the cultural and philosophical currents early Christians had to contend with and were a part of
- understand key events in the life of the Church's development
- appreciate the conflicts within the Church itself from theological and historical perspectives
Required texts:
Class handouts
Recommended texts:
- Eusebius, The Church History, trans. Paul L. Maier (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2007)
- Henry Bettenson and Chris Maunder, eds., Documents of the Early Church (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
- Henry Chadwick, History of the Early Church (London: Penguin Books, 1993).
- Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 6th edition (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011).
Cost: $260
Instructor: Mr. Jeremy Frost
Completion of this course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Biblical Storytelling (half-course)
Course description:
Learning and telling Biblical stories by heart is an ancient-future art and transformational process for the tellers and for the hearers. This half-course is for everyone who wants to connect with God and others through sacred story - for personal growth, in preaching, in ministry with children, and so much more!
Instructor: The Rev'd Canon Susan Wilson
Cost: $130
About the presenter: The Reverend Canon Susan Wilson has been Incumbent of All Saints Anglican Church in Erin since 2010. She holds a Biblical Storytelling Certificate from the Academy for Biblical Storytelling, and is a sought after workshop and retreat leader.
Completion of the Biblical Storytelling Course can fulfil one-half of the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
Exploring Ministry Workshop Series
Workshop descriptions:
Journey with others as you explore together ways in which God invites you to serve God and others. You will meet together over three Saturdays to worship, listen, study, reflect, pray and engage with each other. Our goal is to assist those sensing a call to ministry to get a better handle on where God might be leading.
1. Laying the groundwork: Foundational issues in discernment.
- Explore the distinctiveness and interrelationships of the four orders of ministry in the church, and examine some of the spiritual practices of the Church as a servant community of word and sacrament.
2. Called, gifted, sent by the spirit: Discerning your servant role.
- Reflect on your response to how God has called and gifted you for ministry, and become acquainted with tools for discerning call in community
3. Walking in newness of life: Ministry as an expression of the baptismal covenant
- Engage in a panel discussion with a lay person, deacon, and priest about different ways of living out one’s baptismal promises.
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. ― Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A theological ABC
Leaders: The Rev'd Dr. Timothy Dobbin and Canon Marilyn Malton
Cost: $130. Individual workshops $30/person or $100 for a congregational group for up to 5 people
Completion of the Exploring Ministry Workshop Series can fulfil half the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An Introduction to his Life and Thought
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) is one of the most prominent and contested modern theologians. His courageous involvement in the German resistance to Hitler and consequent execution, combined with the penetrating insight of his writings have contributed to a widespread and sustained interest in his work. This course will give some attention to Bonhoeffer’s life, including his visits to America, his leadership in the Confessing Church, and his anti-Nazi activities in wartime Germany. The greater part of the course will be devoted to an appreciation of Bonhoeffer’s theology through selective reading of certain primary texts.
Required Text: The Bonhoeffer Reader. Edited by Clifford J. Green and Michael P. DeJonge. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013
Cost: $260
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Patrick Patterson
Completion of the Bonhoeffer Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Harry Potter and God: Love and Lumos
"This course was a wonderful experience! Very enlightening! Relaxed, good humour, great technology."
- Past Student
Course Description:
Are there connections between the Harry Potter books and movies and God? Come join the conversation. Here are a few questions to get you started!
- What do stories about sorcery and stories from the bible have to say to each other?
- Are Harry's adventures a Christ-like journey?
- What do the Harry Potter stories have to say about:
- the conflict between good and evil?
- the mystery of death?
- the dark night of the soul?
-
your questions?
This course will explore the common ground between the Harry Potter series and the theological foundations of the Christian faith. We will discuss subjects like Platform 9 ¾ and the leap of faith, Dobby’s sock and salvation, free will and the Sorting Hat, Harry Potter as a Christ figure, the universal struggle between good and evil, and the redemptive power of love.
Instructor: The Rev'd Victor Kischak
Cost: $260
Completion of the Harry Potter course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
Indigenous Theology: Master of Life and the Peacemaker
Course description:
This course will provide the participants with the opportunity to engage in indigenous wisdom and theology from the Haudenosaunee perspective as it relates to and negotiates Christian theology, ultimately asking the question: how do we locate ourselves in the pursuit of Christian wisdom while honouring the theology of the Haudenosaunee peoples?
Required texts:
Handouts for readings will be emailed prior to the first class, and handed out at the end of class for all subsequent dates.
Optional texts:
- Blair Stonechild, The Knowledge Seeker: Embracing Indigenous Spirituality. (University of Regina 2016)
- J. Havea, Indigenous Australia and the Unfinished Business of Theology: Cross-Cultural Engagement. (Springer 2014)
- Marcella Althaus-Reid, et al, Another World is Possible. (SCM, 2007)
- Stephen B. Bevans, Models of Contextual Theology. (Orbis Books, 1992)
- Gordon Kaufman, An Essay on Theological Method. (Scholars Press, 1995)
- Robert J. Schreiter, Constructing Local Theologies. (Orbis Books, 1985)
Cost: $260
Instructor: The Rev'd Rosalyn Elm
Completion of this course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Introduction to Christian Ethics
Course description:
How are faith and the moral life related to each other? What does it mean for us to make ethical and moral judgments informed by the Gospel? Are there non-negotiable ethical convictions? What place is there for diversity of opinion and practice in the moral realm? How does the biblical text inform moral judgment and action? What is the status of natural law and conscience for the moral life? How do the practices of the church influence the moral life?
These are just some of the questions which the course will address. Taking into account the history, theology, and practice of Christian ethics, attention will also be given to particular and current moral issues.
Required texts:
Christian Ethics: A Brief History, Michael Banner, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
New Dictionary of Christian Ethics & Pastoral Theology, editors: David Atkinson, David Field, Arthur Holmes, Oliver O’Donovan, Inter Varsity Press, 1995
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Patrick Patterson
Cost: $260
Completion of the Christian Ethics Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
The course material was very enlightening; has been a real challenge to stretch and grow; I would happily attend another course by Patrick. - Past Student
Course Description:
The Course is text-based. Doctrinal formularies and set texts together provide a map of the terrain of systematic theology – the main topics, debates, and terminology. The set texts offer different (though complementary) perspectives: the one, an ecumenical group of scholars reflecting on the affirmations of the Nicene Creed; the other, a contemporary moral theologian in conversation with the Anglican Articles of Religion (the so-called 39 Articles). Attending to Holy Scripture, Church Tradition, and personal experience and reflection, the course will pursue both dogmatic definition and the moral/pastoral implications of core Christian doctrines – with a view to a deeper understanding of what Christians believe.
Required texts:
Confessing the One Faith: An Ecumenical Explication of the Apostolic Faith, as it is Confessed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381), Revised Edition, WCC Publications, Geneva (Eugene Oregon: WIPF and Stock, 2010)
On the Thirty-Nine Articles: Conversations with Tudor Christianity by Oliver O'Donovan, SCM Press, 2011
Cost: $260
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Patrick Patterson
Completion of the this course is required for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
How has Jesus been understood through the ages? Both his divinity and humanity and his saving work?
Time travel with representative writers from the New Testament, 4th and 11th centuries, Reformation, and Modern periods.
- Gospel of John (New Testament)
- Athanasius and Anselm (4th and 11th Centuries)
- Luther (Reformation)
- Barth, Sobrino, Reuther (Modern)
Required texts:
- The Holy Bible
Instructor: Mr. Jeremy Frost
Cost: $260
About the instructor: Jeremy Frost is a PhD Candidate at McMaster University. We are delighted to welcome him as an instructor this year with the Renison Institute of Ministry.
Completion of the Jesus through the ages Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Workshop description:
All three workshops emphasize a faith-based model of servant leadership that encourages gift discernment and leadership development of oneself and others. Take a single workshop or two, or enrol in the series.
1. Skills for working with people in groups.
- Increase your understanding of group dynamics and development; develop skills for being a more effective group leader and member; and hone your skills for leading effective meetings.
2. Planning as a discernment process.
- Planning is a way to get from “here to there”. This workshop will help you acquire tools and develop a listening heart to assess where “here” is and to hear “where” God might be calling you or your group to travel. You will also develop skills for the journey such as setting goals, making and implementing action plans, evaluating actions taken, and involving other people in the process.
3. Conflict awareness and resolution.
- Conflict is inevitable, but it doesn't have to escalate. Learn to recognize stages of conflict, how to help avoid unnecessary conflict, and resolve disagreements before they turn into hostile disputes.
Instructors: Marilyn Malton and Rev'd Deacon Karen Kovats
Cost: TBD
Completion of the Leadership Development Workshop Series counts as an optional ½ credit toward a Certificate in Christian Studies.
Course description:
This 1/2 course consists of a series of one-day workshops on the topics outlined below. Participation in three workshops/conference will give participants a 1/2 course credit toward a Certificate in Christian Studies.
- Lectors and intercessors
- Music for small congregations
-
You'll sing sing hymns and songs in a variety of forms and styles, and consider how each one contributes something distinctive to the expression and formation of congregational faith. Resources will focus on what is doable in small congregations. A workshop for clergy, musicians, and folks in the pews.
-
- Lay eucharistic ministers
- Reflection and practical skill development for those who assist at celebrations of the Eucharist or share the sacrament with members of the congregation who are unable to attend public celebrations due to illness or infirmity.
Required texts:
Handouts from instructors
Instructors:
- TBD
- Dr. Ken Hull, Associate Professor of Music; Chair of Music Departmen; Director, Institute for Worship and the Arts (Conrad Grebel University College).
- The Very Rev'd Peter Wall, Dean of the Diocese of Niagara
Cost: TBD
Liturgy: How and Why We Worship
Course description:
Deepen your understanding of the nature, history, and practice of Christian worship and liturgy, with an emphasis on the Anglican tradition. Learn more about the elements of liturgy and how they can be combined to craft creative and meaningful worship for a variety of contexts and develop some practical skills for leadership or participation in liturgy.
Required and recommended texts:
- The Book of Common Prayer (1962) and The Book of Alternative Services (both can be downloaded as a pdf at anglican.ca)
- Make Preparation: Liturgy Planning Notes by Paul Gibson (available as a pdf at anglican.ca)
- Celebrating the Eucharist: A Practical Ceremonial Guide for Clergy and Other Liturgical Ministers by Patrick Malloy, 2007 (Paperback 2011): Church Pub Inc
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship (optional)
Instructor: The Ven. Tanya Phibbs
Cost: $260
Completion of the Jesus through the ages Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Mysticism: the People, the Experience, the Theology
Course description:
- the people - historical, biographical survey
- the experience - forms of mystical experience (e.g., ecstatic utterance, visions, poetry, song, music, sacraments) and mystical practice (e.g., fasting, solitude, chanting, prayer)
- the theology - the meaning of mystical experience and vision, including what is the relationship between the Church and the mystic
Come explore the challenges mystics and their experiences present to Church practice and community.
This course is a wonderful complement to the Spiritual Practice as Life-giving Pathway course offered in 2017 (you'll meet some of the same historical people but the focus is different). Didn't take the Spiritual Practice course? No problem! The Mysticism course stands on its own.
Instructor: Mr. Jeremy Frost
Cost: $260
About the instructor: Jeremy Frost is a PhD Candidate at McMaster University. We are delighted to welcome him as an instructor this year with the Renison Institute of Ministry.
Completion of the Mysticism Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
- A recommended, but not required, prerequisite is the Old Testament Course offered by the Renison Institute of Ministry or its equivalent.
- Participants will explore the major genres of Christian Scripture, in particular the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, the Pauline Letters, and the Revelation to St. John.
- The course will also feature some discussion of the figure of Jesus by theologians D. Crossan, M. Borg, and N.T. Wright.
Required text:
Introducing the New Testament, 3rd edition by John Drane
Fortress Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780800697501
Recommended text:
Oxford Annotated Study Bible (NRSV)
Instructor: The Rev'd Victor Kishak
Cost: $260
Completion of the New Testament Course is required for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
What makes the New Testament still stand as a major symbolic structure in the world which has radically shifted towards secularization? In the search for answers we will revisit the initial intents of New Testament authors: to select storytelling as a primary vehicle of relaying a religious message; and to create a story dependent on the content of another story (The Old Testament). Students will examine the role the New Testament played in establishing the dominance of the written word in our culture. While exploring the consequences of this shift they will also investigate the question of the New Testament’s presence in a digital age.
Instructor: Dr. Davor Milicevic
Cost: $260
Required Texts
- The Holy Bible, preferably the NRSV
- Class handouts
Optional Texts
- David Lyle Jeffrey, People of the Book: Christian Identity and Literature, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996, Chapter 2 – Scripture upon Scripture, p. 19-70.
- Catherine Pickstock, After Writing: On the Liturgical consummation of Philosophy, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
- Book Presence in a Digital Age, ed. by K. B. Wurth, K. Driscoll, and J. Pressman, New York: Bloomsbury, 2018 (PDF eBook).
Completion of this course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Victor always does an excellent job. Seeing his name as an instructor is a high recommendation for a course.
- Past Student
Course description:
-
explore the major themes of Hebrew Scripture as reflected in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.
- you are encouraged to read selected portions of Scripture between sessions and be prepared to discuss assigned passages.
- combination of lecture and discussion, utilizing the Hebrew concept of Midrash to interpret passages of particular interest.
- further explore the Dead Sea Scrolls and the value of Hebrew Scripture for Christians.
Required text:
Reading the Old Testament by Lawrence Boadt, Paulist Press, 1984, ISBN-13: 978-0-8091-2631-6
Recommended texts:
Berlin, Adele & Marc Zvi Brettler, ed., The Jewish Study Bible, Tanakh Translation (Oxford University Press, 2004) ISBN 0-19-529751-2 or Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV) ISBN 13 978-0-06-078685-4
Instructor: The Rev'd Victor Kischak
Cost: $260
Completion of the Old Testament Course is required for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Pastoral Care: Cultivating a Caring Community
Course description:
-
shared learning experience designed for lay people and deacons.
- learn how to practise and develop community pastoral care in a parish setting.
- explore the theological underpinnings of pastoral care, and cultivate the gifts and skills of listening, prayer, using Scripture, reflecting theologically and building a supportive community.
Required text(s):
Pray without Ceasing - Revitalizing Pastoral Care by Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger, Eerdmans, 2006, ISBN-13: 978-0-0828-4759-1
Instructors: The Rev'd Dr. Tim Dobbin and Ms Sandy Jardine
Cost: $260
Completion of the Pastoral Care: Cultivating a Caring Community course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
-
learn principles for interpreting Scripture and communicating its meaning for today.
- each participant will have the opportunity to write and deliver a sermon in a supportive setting.
Required texts:
Carmine Gallo, "Talk Like TED: The 9 public-speaking secrets of the world's top minds." New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-250-04112-8 (hardcover) or ISBN: 1-4668-3727-0 (e-book).
Instructor: The Rev'd Victor Kischak
Cost: $130
Completion of the Preaching Course can fulfil one-half the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
In this course we will investigate the ways in which nature and religion inform each other. We will explore the meaning of “spiritual experience” and its relation to nature. We will also be introduced to the phenomenology of religious experience through both modern and historical works of literature and art, accounts of contemporary “surfer spirituality,” as well as some key philosophical texts.
Instructor: Mr. Jeremy Frost
Cost: $260
Required Texts:
- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. New York: Harper Perennial, 2007.
- Further in-class readings will be taken from the Bible, John of Damascus, Dante, William Shakespeare, Giambattista Vico, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, William Blake, Novalis, William Wordsworth, and Rudolf Otto.
Suggested Readings/Resources
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 6th edition (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011) – only for students choosing to be evaluated
*Plus reading selections suggested for LTh students.
Completion of the this course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
You'll address six questions - but they are large ones!
- What is Christian theology?
- By what authority do we do theology?
- Who is God?
- Who is God's covenant partner?
- What has God done for us?
- Who and how is God with us?
This course assumes previous study - either Renison Institute of Ministry's Introduction to Theology or an equivalent.
Required texts:
Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine, ed., Colin Gunton, Cambridge University Press, 1997
Dogmatics in Outline, Karl Barth, Harper Torchbooks, 1959
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Patrick Patterson
Cost: $260
Completion of the Theology 2 Course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Course description:
"It is truth which we must look for in God's Word not cleverness. All Scripture ought to be read in the spirit in which it was written. from The Imitation of Christ.
A theological course about:
- what the Bible is
- the justification of calling it “the Word of God”
- how “authority,” “inspiration” and “infallibility” are understood
- the theology implied by the Canon of Scripture and in different lectionaries
- how Christians have used the Bible in the past 20 centuries
This is different from Scripture studies (see the Old Testament and New Testament courses) which examine the content of the Bible, what’s in it, how we got it, and how it has been interpreted.
You'll have a chance to make a brief presentation along with a brief written report but don't worry - this work won't be marked and the instructor will help by recommending readings, etc. Themes could include historical/critical method, inspiration, proof-texting, hermeneutics, infallibility, translations, or another topic you would like to learn more about.
Required texts:
The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It by Peter Enns. (New York: HarperCollins), 2014. Available as a hardcover, paperback, or ebook, (ISBN: 9780062272027, ISBN 10: 0062272020).
Recommended texts:
Opening the Bible by Thomas Merton, ISBN-13: 9780814604083 or ISBN: 0814604080
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Eric Griffin
Cost: $260
Completion of this course can fulfill the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Wisdom of the Saints: Readings in the Christian Spiritual Tradition
Course description:
How shall we then live? The course will glean answers to that question from a (very personal) selection of sayings and texts from within the Christian tradition. ‘Life in the Spirit’, ‘the obedience of faith’, ‘the life of grace’, ‘the way of holiness’, ‘spiritual formation’: all of these describe the Christian life – the life of faithful discipleship into which Jesus Christ has called us. From the 4th century Desert Fathers and Mothers to the 18th Century Hannah More, the course will offer opportunities to apprentice ourselves to a variety of mentors.
Required texts:
Texts will be made available to each participant as the course unfolds.
Instructor: The Rev'd Dr. Patrick Patterson
Cost: $260
Required Text
- Handouts from the instructor including from the Desert Fathers and Mothers; early monastics (e.g., John Cassian and Benedict of Nursia; saints of the Middle Ages (e.g., Bernard of Clairvaux, Clare of Assisi, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Sienna); Reformation and Counter-Reformation Resources (e.g, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross; and early modern resources (e.g., George Herbert, Brother Lawrence, John Newton, Hannah More)
Completion of this course can fulfil the optional course requirement for the Certificate in Christian Studies.
It can also be taken for credit for the Licentiate in Theology (LTh) program offered in partnership with Huron University College; an additional $85 fee applies.
Past Events Quick Finder
Past event descriptions
Creating space with daily prayer
Event description:
“He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6:31)
How can we nurture a rhythm which renews our spirit and sustains our lives? Together we will explore a wide variety of resources that can be used for daily prayer, including ancient traditions as well as apps on your phone.
Cost: $20 (individual rate), $50 (congregational group rate), HST included.
Leader: The Ven. Megan Collings-Moore
Following Jesus Together as Anglicans and Mennonites: Kimchi Workshop
Imagine the church as a jar of kimchi (some Canadians think of kimchi as a Korean sauerkraut). What if we spend a day as a group of Anglicans and Mennonites making kimchi, and exploring what it means to live as Christians who are as different from one another as cabbage is to garlic? This workshop involves making kimchi (no experience required) interspersed with prayer, learning activities, and discussions about how to understand and embrace diversity. How can we follow Jesus when we follow His teachings with such variety? How can Christians live in unity even while they worship and believe in many different ways? At the national level, Anglican and Mennonite theologians are engaged in an ongoing dialogue. Meanwhile, at the local level, this workshop will bring participants together in two churches across the street from each other – starting in one church and finishing in the other. A day for kimchi-making and community-making!
Leader: Pastor Pablo Hyung Jin Kim Sun
Locations: Church of the Holy Saviour (33 Allen St. E., Waterloo) and Waterloo-Kitchener United Mennonite Church (15 George St., Waterloo)
Cost: $10
Offered in partnership with Anabaptist Learning Workshop.
Mary the Mother of Jesus Workshop
"A fantastic workshop. The time passed in a blink of an eye because of the engaging, knowledgeable and passionate leadership of The Rev’d Dr. Eric Griffin."
- Past Participant
Many Christians, often at Christmastime, become uncomfortable when thinking about Mary the Mother of Jesus. Non Catholics or non-Orthodox especially are often left puzzled by those who have great devotion to her. Whether one calls her Our Lady, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Blessed Mary Ever Virgin or Ever Blessed Virgin Mary, her reply to the Angel “I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to what you have said” is nevertheless the pattern for all Christian life and discipleship.
This workshop will present the Scriptural witness to Mary, the theological significance of how she is presented, and in what ways the “virgin birth” is an article of faith. We will discuss how the teaching of the Church developed and diverged over the centuries, and examine topics such as:
- the Immaculate Conception
- the Virginal Conception of Christ
- Mary’s Perpetual Virginity
- and titles such as “Theotokos,” Mediatrix of all Graces, and Co-Redemptrix.
Questions, discussion, devotion and scepticism are all welcome.
Participants may prepare by:
- learning the second verse of the hymn “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones”
- reading up on the Council of Ephesus, 431 c.e.;
- and reading about the devotion known as “The Angelus.” (hint: it is evangelical).
Leader: The Rev’d Dr. Eric Griffin
Cost: $30
Prophetic Voices: Israel’s Prophets and the Struggle for Justice
The rabbi, theologian, and activist Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world…God is raging in the prophet’s words.” It is no surprise then that movements for justice in every generation have looked to Israel’s prophets to give voice to both their struggle and their vision for a new future. We need only call to mind Martin Luther King Jr.’s frequent citation of Amos 5:24: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-following stream.”
But Israel’s prophets still remain some of the least understood characters in both the Old and New Testaments. Our popular culture often imagines them as fortune-tellers, preachers of fire and brimstone, or social outcasts. All of these caricatures, however, fail to capture the complexity of the prophets and the function of prophecy in Israelite society.
In this workshop, we will situate Israel’s prophetic tradition within its ancient context, drawing on the best of biblical scholarship. We will also look at how the church can learn from the voice and the witness of the ancient prophets when addressing the injustices plaguing our contemporary society.
Cost: $20 (individual rate), $50 (congregational group rate), HST included.
Leader: Mr. Robert Jones
Solitude, Social Media and the Church
Explore and reflect upon the impact that technology and smartphones are having on the church.
Morning session
- examine the current reality of our society, including the impact of being connected 24/7, the rise of anxiety and the interest in mindfulness, and explore ancient practices the church might draw on in response.
Afternoon session
- explore creative and practical examples of approaches churches can take in using the technology and social media.
Choose:
- the morning session
- the afternoon session
- or both! Bring your lunch or purchase one in our cafeteria
Leader: The Rev'd Canon Megan Collings Moore
Cost: $15/morning or afternoon session or $25 for the day: $75/parish team up to 5 people; $15/additional team member.
The Trinity in Plain English: A Workshop on the Doctrine of the Trinity
The most distinctive Christian doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity, that we believe in One God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We may feel conflict between knowing the doctrine of the Trinity is important and anxiety that it might be too hard or abstract for the average person to understand or explain.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity as it is set forth in the Nicene Creed is not so much a confession of faith as it is a map around a minefield, pointing out hazardous places when thinking about the relationship between God and Christ. You are invited to be part of the exploration.
The workshop will include some:
- historical theology
- taming of scary words
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examination about why the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is important
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exploration of how the Trinity has been explained (some of considerable humour!).
There will be a lot of room for questions and answers, discussion, and a specific exploration of the concept of "spiritual mystery" which is not (as Mr. Dawkins has said) simply a cheap escape from clarity of thought.
Bonus: For those who are interested here is a response by theologian Alistair E. McGrath to Richard Dawkin's criticisms of religion.
Leader: The Rev'd Dr. Eric Griffin
Cost: $30
Waiting is a Wondrous Gift: An Advent Quiet Day
In the midst of all the rush and stress that the ‘holiday season’ seems to bring, you are invited to receive the gift of retreat. Take a day to yourself for yourself. Through contemplative prayer, we will rest in the hope that lingers in our waiting, uncovering the gifts of grace that come to us when we are waiting for something else to happen.
Canon Susan Wilson will lead a quiet day of prayer, music and creative contemplation. Canon Susan is a priest in the Diocese of Niagara who enjoys learning scripture by heart and teaching others how to engage with this profound spiritual practise. She will use insights gained through this practise as a basis for this quiet day.
Leader: The Rev'd Canon Susan Wilson
Cost: $30
When Skywoman Fell: Cosmology and Theology in the Haudenosaunee Tradition
Creation stories tell about the origins of the moon, the sun, the stars and human beings. What else do they tell us of our human condition? We will look at the Genesis and Haudenosaunee (people of the longhouse) creation accounts and explore the different understandings of separation from God.
Leader: The Rev'd Rosalyn Elm
Cost: $30
