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A Transformative Moment Workshop: Keynote Talks with Gil Dueck (video)

Transformative_outlineHeld on February 25, A Transformative Moment was a ecumenical gathering of pastors and lay leaders to think creatively with one another about young adult ministry. Discussion considered new ways of understanding young adult faith transitions based on  varied experiences with young adults, and reflecting on on ways of talking with young adults about topics like prayer, baptism, Jesus, and sex.

Keynote Speaker: Gil Dueck

Gil Dueck serves as Program Director at Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Previously he spent 12 years at Bethany College in a variety of teaching, mentoring and administrative roles. He is currently in the final stages of doctoral work through the International Baptist Theological Study Centre and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. His research focuses on a theological and transformational reading of faith development among young adults. He and his wife Shelley live with their three daughters in Hepburn, SK.

Discover how Gil sees unique opportunities for faith growth in the midst of young adult transitions.

Keynote #1:
“At the Edge of the Inside: Young Adults and the Reassessment of Adulthood”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbjSZB3Hlcw[/youtube]

Keynote #2:
“To Know and be Known: Toward a Christ-Shaped Vision of Christian Maturity”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeKddshvHfg[/youtube]

 

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Events News Releases

Pastors, lay leaders invited to explore the transitions of young adulthood at conference at CMU

Canadian Mennonite University is inviting pastors and lay leaders to come together and think creatively about young adult ministry at a one-day conference later this month.

A Transformative Moment: Seeking God in the Transitions of Young Adulthood takes place from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on Saturday, February 25 at CMU. The event will feature a variety of talks, a panel discussion, and keynote addresses from Gil Dueck who has expertise in the area of young adults and the church.

“CMU is eTransformative_outlinexcited to provide resources to people in the church, no matter what their denomination is, who work with young adults,” says Peter Epp, Church Engagement Coordinator at CMU and one of the conference’s organizers. “I haven’t found a lot of conferences in Manitoba geared specifically toward working with young adults, so I’m looking forward to this event.”

Currently serving as program director at Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Gil Dueck previously spent 12 years at Bethany College in a variety of teaching, mentoring, and administrative roles. 

He is currently in the final stages of doctoral work through the International Baptist Theological Study Centre and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. His research focuses on a theological and transformational reading of faith development among young adults.

Dueck’s two keynote speeches will bookend the conference.

During the morning, conference participants will have the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions looking at a handful of topics including prayer, baptism, Jesus, and sex.

The afternoon will include a panel discussion revolving around stories about young adults and churches searching for and finding each other.

The panel will include Janessa Giesbrecht, Pastor of Youth and College and Career at Fort Garry MB Church; Jamie Howison, Anglican priest and founding pastor at saint benedict’s table; Hilde Marsch, Young Adult Ministry Director at the Meeting Place; and Katrina Woelk, a University of Manitoba student.

“From young adults, to academics, to pastors from different denominations, I’m thrilled to have a variety of people involved in this conference,” Epp says, adding that he hopes people who attend will walk away with an enriched understanding of young adult ministry.

“I’m excited for us all to come together and bounce ideas off of each other,” he says. “I think the networking and discussion that will happen at this conference will be extremely valuable.”

For more information and to register, visit cmu.ca/transformative.

 

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB  R3P 2N2

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Events News Releases

Planning Well: A Workshop for Worship Planners and Leaders

Workshop to be held January 30 at CMU in Winnipeg

Worship orders—every congregation has one. Many churches have inherited them from past generations of worship planners. Other churches have thrown out traditional worship orders and simply invented their own. But how effective are our worship orders at bringing us into conversation with God and with one another?

PlanningWell“Many congregations invest a lot of time and energy in song leading, worship leading and preaching,” says Christine Longhurst, who teaches worship and music at Canadian Mennonite University. “But far less time is often spent thinking about the worship order itself.”

According to Longhurst, “Without a good worship order, even the most thoughtful worship leading and song leading can have difficulty connecting people with God and with one another.”

Talking about worship orders can be very difficult in some congregations,” she acknowledges. But, she suggests, it is critical work.

“We have to be willing to discuss it,” she says. “It’s important to ask: Does our worship order help bring us into conversation with God, or does it come off feeling more like a program about God?”

“People today are hungry to know God and experience God’s presence,” she adds. “A thoughtful worship order can make a big difference in helping create a beautiful space where that encounter can take place.”

Helping pastors and worship leaders plan worship more effectively is the goal of Planning Well: A Workshop for Worship Planners and Leaders, January 30, at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. The session runs from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.

Cost is $35 per person, and $25 for two or more people from the same congregation. Students are $10.

The workshop will explore a range of historical and contemporary worship patterns, and offer practical ideas for worship planners who want to help lead their congregations into meaningful dialogue with God.

Topics will include:

  • Where do our worship orders come from?
  • How did we land up with the order we are currently using?
  • How well does our current worship order bring us into conversation with God?
  • What might be missing?
  • How effectively does our worship order engage people who come to worship?
  • Are there ways in which we could strengthen congregational involvement?

The workshop is geared toward pastors, worship planners, worship leaders, song leaders, and all those who have an interest in strengthening congregational worship.

For more information or to register, contact Cori Braun at Canadian Mennonite University: 204.487.3300 or cbraun@cmu.ca, or register online at cmu.ca/leadingworship.

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Menno Simons College hosts insight mediation workshop

Addressing the complexity of conflict

The workshop “Practicing Insight Mediation: Helping Conflicting Parties Make Wise Decisions” will be led by Dr. Cheryl Picard, professor emeritus at Carleton University and principle of Cheryl Picard & Associates.

The workshop will take place May 6-8, 2015 at MSC and will be available for university credit or professional development.

Insights Workshop PosterInsight mediation is a style of conflict intervention that was developed as a result of collaboration between two Canadian scholars, Dr. Picard, Carleton University and Dr. Kenneth Melchin, Saint Paul University. They extensively studied successful mediation practice and applied ideas from Bernard Lonergan’s theory of insight to develop the insight approach to conflict resolution and mediation.

The insight approach addresses the complexity of conflict, including the role of emotion and the importance of values, through the integration of theories of social action with micro communication skills and conflict resolution strategies.

Participants in this workshop will be encouraged to re-think traditional ideas about conflict and conflict intervention as they are introduced to the idea that conflict resolution involves the production of new understandings that help conflicting parties identify and understand the threat experiences and defense responses that create and sustain conflict.

Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills to de-escalate threat narratives through the mediation dialogue as this can change problematic patterns of interaction and enable parties to find ways to either resolve their differences or to live more peacefully with them.

Dr. Picard is an educator, mediator, and conflict coach specializing in interpersonal, workplace, and community-based conflict for over 35 years. Dr. Picard brings a relational ideology to her teaching and conflict resolution practice, which means she views people as connected to each other through complex webs of relationships, patterns of interaction, and meaning-making.

For more information or to register visit www.mscollege.ca.

About Menno Simons College
Menno Simons College (MSC), a part of Canadian Mennonite University and affiliated with the University of Winnipeg, has been offering programs in International Development Studies (IDS) and Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS) since 1989. MSC fosters a vibrant undergraduate learning community in its newly renovated facility at 520 Portage Avenue. It offers 3-year and 4-year majors and a minor in IDS and CRS, an honours program in IDS, and an extensive practicum program. MSC has over 1,000 students and hundreds of alumni working in the development and conflict resolution sectors in Manitoba, Canada, and internationally.

For additional information, please contact:

Joel Marion
Menno Simons College
204.953.3844
jo.marion@uwinnipeg.ca

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Events News Releases

Leading Well: A Workshop for Song Leaders and Worship Leaders

Workshops to be held Jan. 24 in Winnipeg, Jan. 31 in Winkler

When most Christians think about ways to improve worship, they often think about music—changing the musical style, adding a praise band, singing new songs.

Worship music is important, says Christine Longhurst, but it’s not the only thing.

“In recent years, many churches have invested significant time and energy in the leadership of worship music,” says Longhurst, who teaches worship and church music at Canadian Mennonite University.

“Less attention has been given to the role of spoken worship leadership—the comments and prayers that move a congregation through the worship order.”

In many churches, song leaders are expected to do both musical and spoken worship leading, she notes. But the two require different skills.

Leading WellHelping worship leaders and song leaders lead congregations in worship is the goal of Leading Well: A Workshop for Song Leaders and Worship Leaders. Scheduled dates are January 24, at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg and January 31 in Winkler at Covenant Mennonite Church. Both sessions run from 9:30 AM to 12:15 PM.

Cost is $35 per person, and $25 for each additional person from the same congregation. Students are $20.

The first part of each workshop will explore the challenges and opportunities worship leaders face, offering practical ideas for leading congregations into meaningful encounters with God. 

The second part will explore the role of spoken and sung prayer in worship services, offering suggestions for effectively engaging people in conversation with God.

Topics that will be addressed include:

  • What kind of personal preparation is needed before leading others in worship?
  • How can we begin and end worship well?
  • How can we create a helpful flow when moving from song to song, or from song to prayer?
  • When can comments be more disruptive than helpful?
  • How can song leaders and other worship leaders work together more effectively?
  • How can we more effectively engage the whole congregation in prayer?
  • What kinds of resources are available to help us?

The workshops are geared toward pastors, worship leaders, song leaders, and all those who have an interest in strengthening congregational worship.

For more information or to register visit www.cmu.ca/leadingwell or contact Cori Braun at Canadian Mennonite University: 204.487.3300 or cbraun@cmu.ca.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences and social sciences, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry. CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury Campus and in its Menno Simons College and Outtatown programs.

For information about CMU, visit: www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:

Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB  R3P 2N2

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Events News Releases

Helping Worship Leaders Find New Songs Goal of CMU Workshop

New Songs for Worship to be held November 2; will also address issue of musical style

WINNIPEG, August 15, 2013 – With so many new songs in so many different styles being written for worship these days, how can worship leaders even begin to sort through them all?

“Some people suggest that more songs have been written for worship since 1970 than were written in the two thousand years prior,” says Christine Longhurst, who teaches at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).

“We can’t know if that’s true, but it often feels like it. There’s a steady stream of new songs coming at today’s song leaders and worship leaders. It’s tough to keep up.”

 

Helping worship leaders discover the best new songs is the goal of New Songs for Worship, to be held Saturday, November 2, 9:30 AM – 12:15 PM at CMU’s Chapel, 600 Shaftesbury Boulevard in Winnipeg.

Led by Longhurst, a former worship pastor and author of the popular re:Worship blog (re-worship.blogspot.ca), the workshop will also address issues of musical style.

“We’ll look at new music in a wide range of styles—new contemporary hymns, Praise & Worship, and everything in between,” says Longhurst. “The goal is to help leaders find ways to bridge the stylistic gaps that often exist in congregations.”

This year’s workshop will also include a look at the recent resurgence of traditional hymnody.

“Many of today’s contemporary songwriters are drawing from traditional hymn sources for their inspiration,” Longhurst says. “We’ll take time to look at these new trends.”

The workshop is also “a chance to interact with song leaders and worship leaders from other congregations who face similar challenges and opportunities,” she adds.

New Songs for Worship is presented by CMU, with sponsorship from the Mennonite Brethren Church Manitoba, Go Mission!/EMMC, and Mennonite Church Manitoba. Cost of the workshop is $35 ($25 for additional registrants from the same congregation). Students and seniors are $20. For more information, or to register, contact Cori Braun at cbraun@cmu.ca or 204-487-3300.

A second New Songs for Worship workshop is planned for January 25, 2014 in Winkler, MB.

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Faculty - David Balzer

To Tweet or not to Tweet: Social media workshop

A timely workshop specifically for non-profit, NGO and faith-based communicators in the Winnipeg area.  This workshop is being coordinated by the team that puts together the Going Barefoot Communications Conferences.

To Tweet or not to Tweet: Developing a social media strategy for your organization
Presenter: Susie Parker, Sparker Strategy Group
When: February 17, 2012 (Friday), 10 am – 1 pm, lunch included
Where: Canadian Mennonite University, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd (South Campus, southwest corner of Grant and Shaftesbury) Conference Room, main floor
Cost: $25/person. (Payment at door.)
RSVP: By February 3, 2012 to  John Longhurst, Longhurst4@shaw.ca
Description:
Using social media to raise awareness of your organization comes naturally to some, and is a mystery to others. For many this communication channel raises questions we’ve not been asked to think about before: What does your organization want to achieve on social media?
What’s your social media message? How do you attract friends/followers? Twitter, Facebook, Google+ – how many channels are enough/too many? Who is the ‘face’ of your social media presence? What are the rules: Content? Frequency? Relevance? Repetition? Tone? How do you measure success in social media?