In the Spirit of Saint Patrick

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

DSC00328Part of our 365m trip included our participation in the North British Isles District minister’s retreat in Newcastle. Driving through the DSC00246hedgerows of this lovely country, we decided to stop by the town of Downpatrick where the Holy Trinity Cathedral on a ridge above the town.  Our entourage included David and Glynda Wesley, Norm Henry, and missionaries Stephen Morley and Ted Voight. Continue reading →

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Church Planting in North Ireland

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

DSC00211We drove to Millbrook in North Ireland this morning for worship in a new church plant in that community. The drive took DSC00210around thirty minutes from Belfast, and I was glad it was Norm Henry and not myself driving (and David providing navigation when we returned from service). DSC00132 DSC00131The church meets in a community center flanked by apartments and homes of people from all walks of life. The center itself serves the young and elderly alike.

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Posted in Children, Clergy, Discipleship, Family, Leadership, Mission, Practical Theology, Preaching, Theological Education, Women | Leave a comment

365m Ireland Training Day 2

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

Irish teamDSC00102Day two of the 365M training in Belfast was dedicated primarily to Norm Henry and myself covering some of the basics behind our classes with students in the program. These sessions were designed to orient both current and future mentors in the program.

Henry TeachingReverend Henry, a licensed clinical counselor, provided a masterful overview of the need for self care even by the mentors. Self care includes multiple dimensions but Norm focused primarily on the spiritual. With busy lifestyles, finding time for spiritual refreshment, as well as physical renewal, remains a crucial challenge for mentors as well as students. Henry discussed the need to moderate stress in the lives of ministers, the place of Sabbath, and the need for personal spiritual practices. All of the ideas were well received by the them.

Blevins TeachingMy focus included adapting mentoring roles based on the need of interns, who often possess diverse experiences in ministry and bring different needs to the mentor relationship.

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365M in Ireland

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

DSC_1679Arrived this morning in Dublin (after a sleepless flight) and, after a quick shower, joined David and Glynda Wesley, alongside Norm Henry, for a trip to Belfast for 365M training with pastors and supervisors from Northern Ireland and Ireland. The trip was a bit harrowing traveling on the “wrong” side of the road but thanks to Norm Henry for getting us to the hotel safely.

DSC00003
DSC00016We walked downtown to have lunch. Walking reveals an interesting city of old and new architecture, even in the restaurant. We are close to the Titanic “quarters,” home of the original docks where the fateful ship was built.

DSC00018David opened our training providing an overview of 365 M, the program at NTS that provides students approximately a year in a global setting where they learn, minister, and gain 24 hours of graduate theological education toward a certificate. I was present as one of the teachers of the three “signature classes” that prepare students to enlist partners for their year of ministry, explore their personal development DSC00060in the midst of the journey, and engage in contextual learning that insures that content and context merge for an authentic learning experience. David explained to more than a dozen ministers how the program works, answering specific questions concerning program design, and policy.

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Posted in Clergy, Continuing Education, Mission, Theological Education, Young Adult, Youth | 1 Comment

Eventful Moments at D6

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20131017_152444_147This is my first trip to the D6 conference, a gathering of ministers and laity focused on family ministry.  It’s been an interesting trip. The overall theme was “impress” drawing from the Deut 6 emphasis on “impressing” on children’s hearts. Overall the presentations (all in general session) reflect varying theological traditions, embracing particular emphases within the challenges of family ministry: particularly parenting.

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Posted in Children, Clergy, Discipleship, Family, Leadership, Spiritual Formation | Leave a comment

Preaching Holiness online and face to face

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

I hosted the first NTSx open online course on Preaching Holiness in a Pluralistic Society as a pre-conference class based on resources from The Preacher’s Magazine. 

While the online class did not formally meet the criteria for a “MOOC” (MASSIVE open online class) we had 70 people register and ten complete the course (actually a better completion statistic than most MOOC classes). I was deeply appreciative of the solid commitment of the pastors who took the class. online. The course included podcasts, written sermons, as well as “student” reflection over holiness, preaching, and even sermons created by the course participants.

The conference itself was equally awesome! I am including a video overview Grace & Peace Magazine. Hopefully we will offer the online course again in the future and combine the best of both the print and video resources on hand!

Posted in Clergy, Continuing Education, Leadership, Practical Theology, Preaching, Social Media, Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resource in Neuroscience and Youth

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins


Brain on AdolescenceI am going to be presenting a new article at the National Youth Workers Conference in dialog with Mark Oestreicher’s (Marko) article “This is Your Brain on Adolescence: A Pushback on Accepted Views of Underdeveloped Brains” published in Immerse Journal. Mike King, editor for Immerse, was gracious enough to let me post the original article on my blog site.  This-is-your-brain-on-adolescents

Posted in Children, Discipleship, Neuroscience, Pedagogy, Practical Theology, Young Adult, Youth | Leave a comment