Reading Week
April 14, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMThe Seminary will be closed in advance of Easter Sunday to observe Maundy Thursday 4/17, Good Friday 4/18, and will reopen on Monday, 4/21 at 8:30 am.
April 17, 2014 12:00 AM - 8:30 AMThe Good Friday service will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Santee Chapel in the Lark Building on campus. This “Seven Last Words” service will include homilies from prominent area preachers, including Dr. Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament at the Seminary.
The exciting 2014 Leadership Series for clergy and lay leaders, in partnership with the Samaritan Center, continues this Spring featuring our renowned Professor of Old Testament, Dr. Julia O'Brien.
The four-part Thursday series kicks off with breakfast and discussion on April 24 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church. The topic is What the Bible Really Means (To Me). In the series, Julia will explore:
-- how people's experiences have shaped how they interact with the Bible,
-- why some are resistant to new ways of reading the Bible, and
-- what's at stake for them and the church in the way they interpret the Bible.
Don't miss Julia's subsequent 3 presentations in the series, held on the Lancaster Seminary campus, Room 109, Richards Hall, from 8-9:30 am.
May 8 - Finding Ourselves in the Bible
May 15 - The Bible & Trauma (Part 1)
May 22 - The Bible & Trauma (Part 2)
For more details on each of the four presentations, click here.
To register for one or all parts in this series, print out and complete the Samaritan Center Registration Form.
Questions? Please contact Dianne Renfro at drenfro@scclanc.org or call (717) 560-9989 ext. 13.
April 24, 2014 7:30 AM - 9:30 AMJoin us as we welcome the Rev. Bob Molsberry who will speak on "Disability, Inclusion, and the Heart of the Gospel" from 11-Noon on April 24 in Santee Chapel.
Bob, injured in a bicycle accident in 1997, uses a wheelchair for mobility. He is the author of two books that explore the concept of disability, “Blindsided by Grace: Entering the World of Disability,” and “Tour de Faith: A Cyclist’s Lessons for Living.” He also has published several dozen articles. Active in wheelchair sports, he completed an Ironman-length triathlon in 2010, and competed in the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Trials leading to the London Paralympics, where he captured first place in the breast stroke events in his disability classification.
Bob was active in planning and leading three annual Widening the Welcoming Conferences on disability inclusion in St. Louis and Columbus in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and has served on the UCC Disabilities Ministries Board. His most recent position was as Conference Minister for the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ from 2007-13.
Currently Interim Senior Pastor at Peace United Church of Christ in Webster Groves, Missouri, Bob has served in a variety of settings across the United Church of Christ. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Bob has served churches in Illinois and Iowa, including an 11-year tenure at the congregation where he was baptized and raised in Grinnell, Iowa.
He and his wife, Ann, were Peace Corps volunteers for three years in the highlands of Guatemala, and then with their two children in tow, served for three years in Nicaragua with the Mennonite Central Committee, doing training in church-based community development.
Bob's appearance is sponsored in part by the Disability Awareness Committee.
The Spring 2014 Academic Lecture Series is free and open to all.
April 24, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMThe Gathering Storm: Averting a Crisis That Could Kill the Church
A conversation regarding the impact of student debt on ministry will be rescheduled to later in the year.
For more information, contact Cheryl DeMarco, Lilly Student Debt Project Coordinator, cdemarco@lancasterseminary.edu
May 1, 2014 8:30 AM - 12:00 PMFree and Open to the Public
Presenter / Facilitator Fe Anam Avis (aka J. Russell Crabtree), author and consultant.
Suicide is not a personal issue; it is a public health issue/wellness issue. Statistics suggest that as many as 8 of every 10 people will consider suicide at some point in their lives. Beyond the obvious (although often not talked about) effects on the family and friends of a person who completes suicide, suicidal thinking affects our workplaces, our places of prayer, and our communities at large.
SuicideTALK - Hope and Connection: A Suicide Prevention and Awareness Presentation addresses the two most important ways of preventing suicide: sustaining a sense of hope and supporting social connections. In a presentation open to the public and free of charge, participants will gain an awareness of the prevalence of suicidal thinking, improve skills for talking about suicide and develop practical and immediately applicable tools for suicide prevention.
A program of the Samaritan Counseling Center.
For information and registration, contact the SCC.
May 6, 2014 7:00 PM - 9:00 PMA program from the Samaritan Counseling Center
$50 - For Those in MInistry and Professionals
Suicide is not a personal issue; it is a public health issue/wellness issue. Statistics suggest that as many as 8 of every 10 people will consider suicide at some point in their lives. Beyond the obvious (although often not talked about) effects on the family and friends of a person who completes suicide, suicidal thinking affects our workplaces, our places of prayer, and our communities at large.
LifeTALK Hope and Connection: A Suicide Prevention and Awareness Workshop addresses the two most important ways of preventing suicide: sustaining a sense of hope and supporting social connections. In two sessions geared toward professionals and those in ministry, participants will gain an awareness of the prevalence of suicidal thinking, improve skills for talking about suicide and develop practical and immediately applicable tools for suicide prevention.
For more information and to register, visit the Samaritan Counseling Center's website.
May 7, 2014 9:00 AM - 4:00 PMSenior grades are due today.
May 9, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMRetreat held for graduating seniors
May 9, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMFaculty Workshop
May 13, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMThursday, May 15 is the deadline to submit entries for the $750 2014 Roth Prize for the Best Student Paper on Any Topic in Mercersburg Theology.
See the news item here.
Entries should be sent to Dr. Anne Thayer, Lancaster Theological Seminary, 555 West James Street, Lancaster, PA 17603. Queries to athayer@lancasterseminary.edu.
May 15, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMOn Saturday, May 17, Lancaster Seminary will hold 189th Commencement exercises at Church of the Apostles UCC in Lancaster.
The Commencement address will be delivered by Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan Baxter, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, who will have received the Moss Award the previous day.
During Commencement, members of the Class of 1964, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their graduation, will be invited to stand as their names are called.
May 17, 2014 11:00 AM - 1:00 PMRegister now for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a Master Class from
REV. DR. JEREMIAH WRIGHT, Pastor Emeritus, Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago
A renowned man of faith who is praised as a
HOMILETIC GENIUS THEOLOGICAL SCHOLAR THE PASTORS’ PASTOR
The Master Class provides a survey and analysis of the many different theologies preached and practiced by the Black churches in the Diaspora from the days of the European enslavement of Africans through the 21st Century, comparing and contrasting the broad range of theologies found in Christian congregations and denominations in Africa with Black Christian churches in the Diaspora.
The course will take seriously the four Black Americas in the U.S. described by Eugene Robinson and the issues of class as explicated by Kerri Day, examining the reality that there is no monolithic Black church or Black theology. Two Continuing Education Units (2.0 CEUs) offered.
WHEN: 8:00 a.m. - Noon, Monday through Friday, May 19-23, 2014
WHERE: Hafer Center located on the second floor of the Schaff Library
COST: $250 per person, or $200 per person if 10 or more register & pay together
May 19, 2014 8:00 AM - 12:00 PMEvangelical & Reformed Historical Society Book Sale - Day One
Several thousand books from the 19th - 21st centuries. Most paperbacks will be 50 cents, most hardback books will be $1.00. Specially priced and antiquarian books.
Subjects include: theology, Bible, fiction, cookbooks, gardening, art, foreign language, science, self-help, Christian living, devotional, social issues, preaching and lectionary aids, VHS tapes, DVDs, several boxes of free items, picture frames.
For more information, contact the Philip Schaff Library, (717) 290-8707.
May 22, 2014 1:00 PM - 5:00 PMEvangelical & Reformed Historical Society Book Sale - Day Two
Several thousand books from the 19th - 21st centuries.
Snag a bag of books for just a buck. Specially priced books at 50% off.
Subjects include: theology, Bible, fiction, cookbooks, gardening, art, foreign language, science, self-help, Christian living, devotional, social issues, preaching and lectionary aids, VHS tapes, DVDs, several boxes of free items, picture frames.
For more information, contact the Philip Schaff Library, (717) 290-8707.
May 23, 2014 9:00 AM - 3:00 PMGrades are due for the 2014 Spring Semester
June 2, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PMFor complete details: http://library.lts.org/mercersburg/index.html
June 2, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMSummer academies at Lancaster Theological Seminary provide a stimulating mix of classes, workshops, and worship services that offer learning, inspiration, and renewal to participants. Whether your goal is to delve more deeply into theological reflection or to enhance your practical skills for ministry, you will find multiple ways to pursue your goals in these week-long classes and workshops. You can live on campus or commute. Either way, this program offers you the opportunity to explore your Christian faith within a learning community that supports creativity, transformation, and wholeness.
The Summer Academy is designed for those:
Through daily study, reflection, worship, and conversation, we offer participants the opportunity to interact with one another and seminary professors. Participants are free to choose from a variety of morning and evening classes in theology, biblical studies, pastoral care, church history, spirituality, ethics, and Christian education. In addition, they may select from among our afternoon workshops in sacred movement, artistic exploration, technology, digital imagery and spiritual practices. Each day begins and ends with time for prayer.
July 14, 2014 12:00 AM - 12:00 PM