Mission and Ministry (M&M) Forums

Typically, each Thursday lunch hour during the academic year, in the Olson Campus Center, the Global Mission Institute partners with Cross-Cultural Education to provide special discussion forums. These lunchtime forums are informal gatherings where the seminary community can learn about and discuss various topics, including cross-cultural ministry, missiology, opportunities for involvement in the global church, and issues of peace and social justice. Faculty and other knowledgeable presenters lead discussions, and attendees are welcome to come and go as needed. 

 

Spring 2013 Mission & Ministry Forums

Thursday Feb 7th: Understanding Taliban – Strategies for Peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Join us for a special presentation by Dr. Andrew Jilani, visiting scholar and social justice advocate from Lahore, Pakistan.  He will discuss the roots of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the current state of the US war, and the tensions between the US and Pakistan.  Dr. Jilani offers concrete responses to these circumstances in the task of creating a lasting peace in the region.

Dr. Jilani has worked in 14 different countries, working with with Afghan refugees and promoting education for girls in Pakistan. He has an MA in Theology from Christ The King Seminary in Pakistan and a certificate in Liberation Theology from Maryknoll School of Theology. His doctorate is in International Development Education and Social Justice. He is currently teaching at St Thomas University and working with immigrants from East Africa in Minneapolis.

11:50 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. (After Convocation)
OCC Auxiliary Dining Room

Thursday Feb 21st & Feb 28th: January in The Holy Land

Join us for a special two-part forum presented by participants of the 2013 J-Term course in Israel/Palestine. In Part I, we will hear the itinerary of the course including what they did, where they went, who they met, and what they learned. This will highlight some of the major themes of the course.

Part II will focus more on the impact of the course on students: What has the experience come to mean for the participants? What has now changed for them? What will stick with them? Where might they go from here?

Part I (Feb 21st) 11:40 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
OCC Lecture Room (Downstairs)

Part II (Feb 28th) 11:40 am – 12:20 pm
OCC Dining Room C 

Thursday March 7th: Celebrating UN International Women’s Day

This forum will showcase some of the contributions to ministry and theology made by women at Luther Seminary:

  • Dr. Lois Malcolm, ”Retrieving Wisdom in Theology and Life”
  • Dr. Gracia Grindal, ”Thea Rønning: Young Woman on a Mission"
  • PhD candidate Dynna Castillo Portugal, “Pastoral Care with Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Mexico"

This is a gender-inclusive event! Every body is welcome! And there will be cake! Check out the International Women's Day web page here. And click here to watch some videos that illustrate what this is all about.

11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. (After Chapel)
OCC Auxiliary Dining Room.

Thursday April 4th: Mission of the Church in Tanzania, with Bishop Alex Mkumbo

This M&M Forum will feature Bishop Alex Mkumbo, the Bishop of the central diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Bishop Mkumbo will present the history and current form of the ELCT. How did German mission efforts impact the form the Church has taken in Tanzania, and how does the ELCT understand and live its mission in the world today?   Join us!

11:40 a.m. -12:20 p.m. (After Chapel)
OCC Auxiliary Dining Room.

Tuesday April 16th: Pedagoy of the Poor, with Willie Baptist & John Wessel-McCoy

 Join us for lessons from Antipoverty grassroots organizing and social theory for building a movement to end poverty. Guests Willie Baptist and John Wessel-McCoy will engage in conversation with local Lutheran anti-poverty leaders: Vivian Jenkins Nelson (Augsburg College), Rev. Patricia Lull (St. Paul Area Council of Churches) and Dr. Gary Simpson (Luther Seminary).

Additional MN Pedagogy of the Poor tour events on April 15 & 16 at United Seminary, New Brighton, MN: www.unitedseminary.edu. Follow their book tour here: http://pedagogyofthepoor.tumblr.com.

7:00 - 9:00 PM OCC Lecture Room (lower level)

Thursday May 2nd: Evidence of Hope, film screening & talk back with Director Chad Amour)

"Discovering one’s calling is an organic and sometimes mysterious process.  However, the conversations with Peter, Tania and Oscar unearthed some truths about the journies that led to them finding their callings." Join us for an evening film screening and Q&A with Evidence of Hope director, Chad Amour. Click on the title for more information on the film.

7:00 - 9:00 PM OCC Lecture Hall (lower level)

Purpose

  • The forums are to connect the seminary experience to wider contexts by bringing to campus resource people in cross-cultural, global mission, and peace & justice areas of interest.

  • The program is to highlight the diversity and expertise of our students, staff, faculty, and community resources by creating times for sharing stories and experience.

  • The forums are to function as a vital link between the Global Mission Institute and the Cross-Cultural Education Program as well as the Mission and World Christianity emphasis.

Immediate Goals

  1. To promote conversation with people in faith, mission, and peace & justice work.

  2. To provide opportunities for learning which have a multi-cultural focus.

  3. To increase the visibility of the seminary's own cross-cultural resource people.

  4. To better connect the campus with other global contexts.

Long Range Goals

  1. To foster a spirit of cooperation and community among those interested in cross-cultural mission, ministry, and learning.

  2. To augment implications of Christian faith and seminary learning.