A Message From the Acting Dean
Dear Friends of the Maine School of Ministry,
Welcome!
MESOM currently offers affordable fall and spring courses taught by highly qualified faculty which are designed for adult students who are exploring their own spiritual formation, exploring a call to ministry, as well as ordained clergy seeking quality continuing education, and open to all persons seeking spiritual and educational and enrichment. In addition, as both the vision and reach of MESOM expands, shorter courses will be offered in collaboration with local churches and other justice seeking organizations here in Maine and beyond.
Please feel free to contact me directly for further conversation abut MESOM. I’m always excited to hear about your interests and your ideas about possibilities for future offerings.
Many blessings,
Ron Baard, Acting Dean
June 2020 Online Workshops
with Margaret Benefiel, PhD, Executive Director of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington D. C.
Workshop Description:
“Soul of Leadership -Taste and See” is an inspiring and enriching 1-day event (mornings and afternoon- ) on ZOOM for anyone in a clergy or lay leadership role who wishes to deepen their inner resources to lead with long-term effectiveness and integrity.
When: Thursday, June 11, 2020; 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: $25
Workshop Description:
“Resilience for Activists – Taste and See” offers inspiring Leader-ship Training for those engaged in Social Justice Projects.
When: Saturday, June 13, 2020; 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Cost: $10
Spring 2020 Semester Courses
Course Description:
This course surveys some key topics in systematic (or “doctrinal”) theology: the nature of God, God’s relationship to humanity, and the saving work of Jesus Christ. The scholarship on each topic is vast and often highly technical, so this course will focus on the intersection between theoretical and practical concerns. Each class meeting will rely on foundational readings from Daniel Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology, and bring them into conversation with other, sometimes conflicting, views. At the forefront will be questions about why bad things happen to good people, and which theological formulations respond adequately to that challenge.
Written assignments will be required before each class meeting, in response to prompts distributed in advance.
Class Meetings:
Saturdays, 9:00am – 3:00 pm at the Maine Conference UCC Office
January 25, February 22, March 28, April 25
Course Instructor:
No results.
Course Description:
In this course we will engage the practice of theology in the context of the church’s community life, ministry, mission, and devotional life, with the purpose of claiming our common vocation as theologians, practitioners of “faith seeking understanding”. Class discussion, assigned readings, and written work will focus our theological reflection through two sets of perspectives: (1) The theological concepts of the Triune God; the Incarnate Christ; and the Redemptive action of death and resurrection; and (2) The ministry practices of worship/prayer; pastoral/spiritual care; mission and service. The outcome of the course is for students to articulate the integration of theological concepts with the practice of ministry in our contemporary context.
For students who are Members-in-Discernment this course is designed to demonstrate understanding, skills, and experience under the “Participating in Theological Praxis” rubric of The Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Minister of the United Church of Christ.
Class Meetings:
Saturdays, 9:00am – 3:00 pm at the Maine Conference UCC Office
February 8, March 7, April 4, May 2
Course Instructor: