Discipleship Commons

Best Practices: a popcorn of institutional ideas promoting faith and work

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

While the primary focus of today’s sessions at the Oikonomia Network retreat revolved around the state of theological education, there were moments of interaction about faith and work among the participants. One of the best aspects of the day were short sessions with current colleagues as we heard and discussed in small groups some of the challenges and best practices in fostering a environment at seminaries that supported faith at work. The themes included introducing administrative change in the institution, soliciting faculty awareness and support, encouraging ongoing research and modeling good practices around coursework with faith and work.

Some of the ideas included the following “pop corn” of observations and reflections

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Posted in Economics, Practical Theology, Scholarship, Theological Education, Work | Leave a comment

Building Capacity to Navigate Change through Shared Governance

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

After a morning of challenges, Robert Cooley reconvened the group to discuss a conceptual framework that would position theological institutions with a leadership strategy to address change. While a comprehensive presentation (with many layers) Cooley’s major role was to help participants think about the nature of the structure of our organizations, the respective roles and authorities, and the resources needed to make the kind of decisions that could guide seminaries into the future. While primarily a conceptual presentation (as these notes reflect), Cooley’s passion remained oriented in helping living communities of theological education navigate, steward, and even flourish in the future. To understand the presentation, Cooley started with one key premise.

Governance is an artifact of culture.

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Posted in Economics, Practical Theology, Theological Education, Vocation, Work | Leave a comment

Dropping the Gauntlet, the Changing Face of Theological Education

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

The Oikonomia Network began it’s retreat in earnest through a video presentation by Paul S. Williams, the David J. Brown Family Associate Professor, Marketplace Theology and Leadership at Regent College, that, in essence, dropped the gauntlet on theological education in general. The video was arranged by Greg Forster not to chastise but to set a reflective theme of the challenges we face.

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Posted in Clergy, Discipleship, Economics | 1 Comment

Imagery to Address Change and Rekindle Passion

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

Is theological education merely an attempt to develop a series of “new tricks” or is it more about changing our attitude to foster change in the church? Getting to that answer from the standpoint of faith, work, and economics became the task of Reverend Kevin Mannoia, who served as keynote speaker this evening for the Oikonomia Network retreat.

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Posted in Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Practical Theology, Theological Education, Vocation | Leave a comment

Love God, Love Neighbor

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

This evening marked the first presentation of the Oikonomia Network gathering sponsored by the Faith, Work and Economics initiative at the Kern Family Foundation. The Oikonomia Network represents a group of scholars and educators engaged in seminary education around the United States, all working on projects to prepare seminarians to take seriously the place of work and economics as part of their ministry. Greg Forster, the Program Director of the Faith, Work and Economics initiative at the Kern Family Foundation, shepherds this network. Forster opened the gathering this evening reminding scholars that in our world where there’s never any shortage of greed, materialism, sloth, pride, envy.

Yet seminaries remain called to educate pastors:

just to teach God’s people that God is with them in their work
to make disciples who do fruitful work that blesses our communities;
to make disciples who can point our communities to hope and economic wisdom in the midst of so much despair and unwisdom;
above all, to love our communities.

As redeemed people in Christ, we live for the love of God and neighbor, not for ourselves.

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Posted in Clergy, Economics, Leadership, Pedagogy, Practical Theology, Theology, Vocation | 1 Comment

Okonomia Network in Tempe AZ

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Dean G. Blevins

It has been a while since I last posted on Discipleship Commons. To be honest I have been focused on a new blog celebrating discipleship at Kansas City First Church and excited to share the stories in that congregational context. You can read about it on KCFCDiscipleship. Yet travel tends to shake me out of my “doldrums” particularly when you leave -12 degree weather in Kansas City for 68 degrees in Tempe Arizona (yes, an 80 degree swing after a three hour flight).

The reason for coming to Arizona, like this time last year, is to engage in a serious yet exciting conversation on faith, work and economics courtesy the Kern Foundation’s Oikonomia Network. The Faith, Work and Economics initiative at the Kern Family Foundation has funded several projects readers have encountered on this blog. Vocational Discipleship, a course I just finished teaching this past fall, the Preaching Faith @ Work class with Dan Boone and Merritt Nielson, a course of vocation and discernment taught by Doug Hardy, and a number of excellent presentations and consultations at NTS courtesy the Foundation. So, beyond the weather, there was ample reason to be in Tempe.

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Posted in Culture, Economics, Practical Theology, Vocation | Leave a comment

Leadership and Learning together in Australia

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

Field Strategy Coordinator John Moore invited both David and I to participate in a day of learning through the region’s Leadership Development Initiative. This event combined both established pastors and rising young leadership such as Brett Crowther, Aaron Park, Emily Po Ching, Chang Po Ching, Charity Kelegai, Watson Po Ching, Cameron Batkin. Many of these young adults pair with established leaders in mentor/protégé’ relationships. John started this initiative as a way of cultivating and empowering young leaders in the region through relationships.