Educational philosopher John Dewey, an intellectual hero of mine, wrote, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” The lifelong learning organization I support, ALLLM, recently produced stickers that riff on this: We learn across the whole arc of our lives in both formal and informal ways. Higher Ed – indeed, any formal […]
Not long after becoming a lifelong learning director, I ran across a lively Facebook clergy group dedicated to all the ways seminary didn’t fully prepare them for the demands of ministry. Members use the group to (of course) post questions about things they didn’t learn in seminary and need to know. But in and among
With so much recent press coverage sounding the alarm about pastoral attrition, resignations, and transition, a short shelf life as a ministry professional might seem to be the unfortunate norm. But it doesn’t have to be that way! A long-lived and fulfilling vocation in ministry is possible, and the secret to this is quite ordinary.
Who are you, and where are you working from these days?I’m Tay Moss, Director of CHURCHx and Coordinator of the Innovative Ministry Centre at TUCC. I live and work in Toronto, Canada, on the traditional territories of Anishinaabe and Wendat nations which are governed under the Toronto Treaty of 1805. I’ve been an ordained Episcopal
Who are you, and where are you working from these days? Kia ora, my name is Glenn Melville, and I am the Director for the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning at Carey Baptist College in Auckland, New Zealand. I am married to Kelly, and we have three beautiful daughters: Emma, Grace and Lily. Before working for Carey Baptist, I completed
Every so often, I am reminded of the joy and deep value of gathering with one’s people. I was reminded of that just a few weeks ago, when members of your ALLLM exec and additional lifelong learning leaders gathered for the second of three community of practice gatherings here at Columbia Theological Seminary. In late 2023, ALLLM received generous
Who are you, and where are you working from these days? I’m Jodi L. Porter, Ed.D., and I’m serving at Acadia Divinity College (in Wolfville, Nova Scotia) as Director of Education for Ministry Innovation and Adjunct Faculty. I help lead our Futuring Lab, a recent initiative that we started with Phase 2 Pathways funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. I also collaborate with
We are delighted to announce the opening of applications for a new grant opportunity funded through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER). Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing (SECF) will supply $10,000-25,000 to continuing education and/or lifelong learning providers to develop activities that introduce Christian church
Happy summer, colleagues! I’ve recently returned from Washington, DC, where I met with some of the good people at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Their Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) recently received a $1.2M grant from the Lilly Endowment Thriving Congregations effort to support science education for congregations and
“The relational is transformational.” This bit of wisdom is one of many shared by Elizabeth Conde-Frazier in a conversation about the purpose and future of theological education. Speaking with a global audience of leaders in lifelong learning for ministry who gathered via Zoom on May 8, 2024, she offered reflections on misión integral (integral or holistic
