First Week 2009 ― Real World Issues for Doing Theology

The time spent in your small group during the core of each day is designed to:

• Connect you with a small group which includes faculty, staff and peers.
• Introduce you to life in a seminary community.
• Envision the mission of the church and seek God's activity in the world.
• Build a foundation of resources for success in seminary.

The topic or theme of your group is not the only part of the discussion, but rather serves as a framework for taking up these other tasks. We hope you will learn something about your topic, but only as it provides a forum for discovery of your vocation and an opportunity for your theological voice to begin to grow.

Education (SORRY - This topic group is full. Please select another topic.)

If we say education is important to democracy, is education also important to the mission of the church? Does it matter what school you attend? Community vs. Magnet? Is there equal access to education? Public vs. Private... Who pays the bill? Join us in exploring education from elementary through graduate school as it connects with God's mission through the church.

 

Military

In every generation Christians have wrestled with the demands of citizenship and their calling as followers of Jesus Christ. What draws Christians into military service? What role do chaplains play in the National Guard? How do veterans make sense of their faith and how do they view the church? How have experiences of military service shaped new immigrant communities in the Twin Cities? Join us in digging more deeply into these contemporary questions of faith and God's mission in the world.

 

Sports

So many people have deep loyalty to a particular professional sports team that the rhythms of athletic championships define the most durable liturgical seasons and many would call going to a game a religious experience. But what's behind this love of teams and contests? How have sports teams and facilities reshaped the landscape of the Twin Cities? Can anything of God's mission be discovered by looking at sports in our culture? Come and see.

 

Housing

Foreclosures and the bursting of the housing bubble are common talking points in the news these days. Owning a home is the great American dream. But what about the millions in the US and across the world who live in substandard housing or who have no housing at all? What should the church's voice be in the midst of this? And what are people of faith doing to ensure adequate housing for all and support in the midst of living transitions?

 

Immigration

Who are immigrants? Most people in this land have ancestors who are immigrants, yet often we react to immigrants with fear, walls and deportation. Who is the face of our neighbor? Explore the many ways people of faith are engaging immigrants among us, as well as those that are working to change the welcome people receive as they reach our shores.