Committee Training for Having and Leading Difficult Conversations, Especially Focused on the Recent Omaha Decision
In response to the recent conversation regarding Omaha we will have another discussion with the seminary community on November 12th. Before this, NPTS is inviting Dr. Mary Trujillo, a communication arts professor focused on intercultural communication and conflict transformation, to assist us. She will be on campus on November 8th to hold a two-hour training from 10:30am to 12:30 pm in N20.
One purpose of the training is to prepare a “committee” or small group of interested and committed community members who:
- will develop an agenda for the year which determines the nature, objectives and goals of the ongoing conversations
- will create protocols/expectations for the conversations and those who lead them
- are committed and interested in making changes over the” long haul”
- will be involved in the facilitation of the conversation on November 12
If you are interested in being a part of this training, or are looking for more information about it, please contact G&D members, Mike Walker, Seanna Wong-Nyaku or Dave Kersten. You may also reach out to Deb Auger at dauger@northpark.edu with questions.
Globalization and Diversity (G&D) Committee is Looking for New Members!
North Park University’s Seminary is on-boarding members for the Globalization and Diversity (G&D) Committee. The G&D Committee strives to be an advocate and resource for the values of inclusion and diversity within the Seminary community, while also giving consideration to the larger North Park, Albany Park, and surrounding Chicagoland communities.
For the 2019 – 2020 academic year, the G&D aims to prioritize the facilitation of student- and faculty-centred conversations on both global and local diversity, especially where it concerns ethnic, spiritual, lingual, cultural, and social differences.
The G&D is currently seeking individuals able to volunteer for the following positions:
- Media & Communications Editor
- Secretary
- Program Manager
- Relational Coordinator
Those interested can contact G&D’s Student Chair, Seanna Wong at Sawong-Nyaku@northpark.edu, for more information on the aforementioned positions.
Unsettling Truths Book Launch
Wilson Abbey and InterVarsity Press are hosting a book launch on November 4th (TONIGHT!) from 7-9 pm for Dr. Soong-Chan Rah’s new book: Unsettling Truths.
Injustice has plagued American society for centuries. And we cannot move toward being a more just nation without understanding the root causes that have shaped our culture and institutions.
In this prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah reveal the far-reaching, damaging effects of the “Doctrine of Discovery.” In the fifteenth century, official church edicts gave Christian explorers the right to claim territories they “discovered.” This was institutionalized as an implicit national framework that justifies American triumphalism, white supremacy, and ongoing injustices. The result is that the dominant culture idealizes a history of discovery, opportunity, expansion, and equality, while minority communities have been traumatized by colonization, slavery, segregation, and dehumanization.
Healing begins when deeply entrenched beliefs are unsettled. Charles and Rah aim to recover a common memory and shared understanding of where we have been and where we are going. As other nations have instituted truth and reconciliation commissions, so do the authors call our nation and churches to a truth-telling that will expose past injustices and open the door to conciliation and true community.
For more information, please visit this link.
Interfaith Dialogue: Cardinal Blase Cupich, Rabbi Wendi Geffen, Eboo Patel
Fourth Presbyterian Church downtown will be hosting an Interfaith Conversation with Cardinal Blase Cupich Archbishop of Chicago, Rabbi Wendi Geffen Senior Rabbi at North Shore Congregation Israel, and Eboo Patel Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core.
It will be on November 5th, at 7:00 pm, in the sanctuary of the Fourth Presbyterian Church (across from the Hancock).
Parking is available for $8 at the 900 N. Michigan garage (enter at Rush or Walton) for those entering the garage after 5:00 p.m. A validation ticket for that rate must be picked up at Fourth Church at the time of the event.
For more information please visit this link.
Victor Frankl: From Death Camps to Century 21
The Sukkat Shalom Synagogue and the First Congregational Church in Wilmette are presenting three open sessions exploring the influence of Viktor Frankl and his book Man’s Search for Meaning, which was published nine days after the Holocaust ended.
Part 1: Victor and Elly Frankl: Their Love and Lifework
Sunday, November 3, 7-8 pm
Part 2: Holocaust: The Frankl Story and Controversies
Wednesday, November 6, 7:30-9
Part 3: Collective Guilt, The Mystery of Faith, and Prayer
Wednesday, November 13, 7:30-9
All sessions are free and open to all, at the Sukkat Shalom Synagogue,
1001 Central Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091
Christianity Thinks Within Judaism- Fall Shapiro Lecture Hosted by the Catholic Theological Union
From their earliest origins to the present moment, the followers of Christianity and of Rabbinic Judaism have given shape to their faiths by interacting with and thinking about each other. How has that long history of thought shaped relations between faiths? We’ll ask that question with a particular focus on how Christianity has thought with Judaism. How has that thinking contributed to Christian Anti-Judaism? And what can the study of that history offer the future of Christian-Jewish relations? This lecture will be presented by Dr. David Nirenberg, from the University of Chicago.
The lecture will be on Monday November 4th at 6 pm. (TONIGHT!)
Location: Catholic Theological Union, Room 210,
5146 South Cornell Ave, Chicago IL, 60615
Register for this lecture by visiting: https://ctu.edu/events/
We are Resurrecting the Prayers: Joys and Concerns Page
We are bringing back a page dedicated to joys and concerns connected to the seminary. https://nptsnyvallnews.com/community-prayers/ .
As a community dedicated to serving Jesus and each other, it is our privilage to lift each other up in prayer. If you have a joy or concern you would like to add, there is a place at the bottom of the Prayers: Joys and Concerns Page.
Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne and Iona 2020
The Center for Spiritual Direction will host its next pilgrimage May 27 to June 8, 2020. We will immerse ourselves in Celtic spirituality through participation in The Abbey on Iona and an historic tour on the island of Lindisfarne. There is also time in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. For more information contact Ellen Kogstad: ekogstad@northpark.edu.
Don’t forget to check out our Job Board, Digital Archive, and Community Prayers page for updates weekly!
Submit an entry for our weekly notes by filling out this form by 12 pm on Wednesday