Continuing Ed.

Union Presbyterian Seminary, with campuses located in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina, offers a Master of Arts in Christian Education degree as well as an M.Div./M.A.C.E. dual degree. The M.A.C.E. degree is also available through the innovative Extended Campus Program, in which students complete much of their academic work from home and attend classes on campus for intensive 9 or10 day sessions offered twice each year. For more information, visit http://www.upsem.edu

Lay Institute of Faith Exploration (LIFE) is a program of retreats that invites lay men and women to study scripture and explore Christian faith and life. Each LIFE retreat offers two courses. Participants must register for one course or the other as they are offered simultaneously. The 15 Certificate Courses are offered on a three-year cycle (five courses a year). Persons who complete all 15 Certificate courses receive a Leadership Certificate.

The other course will focus on a topic of current interest in Christian faith and church life. For more information, visit http://www.lifeateden.com.

Local Education and Renewal Network (LEARN) provides local access to the learning resources of the Andover Newton community. LEARN is a partnership initiated by Andover Newton Theological School in order to provide education and renewal experiences for both laity and clergy. It tailors its offerings to meet specific needs related to both topic and delivery. Partnerships with high quality institutions, such as The Alban Institute, allow the LEARN program to feature instructors who are well versed in their areas of expertise. For more information, visit http://www.ants.edu/learn.

The Design for Leadership Program at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio is a Distance Learning program created in 1971 to serve persons who seek a career in religious education, but whose geographical location makes it impossible for them to pursue studies in a college offering a major in religious education. The Design for Leadership also serves persons already employed in religious education, but needing formal education in the profession. Most students in the Design for Leadership are re-entry or non-traditional students; that is, they are beyond the traditional college age of 18-25. Design for Leadership offers both certificate and degree programs. Certificate programs available include the Church Education Certificate, the Youth Ministry Leadership Module, and the African American Ministry Leadership Module. Degree programs include an A.A. in Religious Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education. For more information, visit http://www.defiance.edu/pages/design_for_leadership.html

Academy for Vital Christianity, in partnership with the Minnesota Conferences of the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church, offers a wide variety of classes designed for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Christian tradition.

For more information, visit http://www.unitedseminary.edu/Communityprograms/academy.asp.

Seminars being offered this year include:

Going Deeper/ Reaching Wider: Theological Convictions

Empowering Congregational Vitality

with Tony Robinson, author of What's Theology Got To Do with It: Convictions, Vitality and the Church

Why is It So Hard to Preach about Money?

with Craig A. Satterlee, author of Preaching and Stewardship: Proclaiming God's Invitation to Grow

Friends among Colleagues: What We All Need to Survive and Thrive in the Parish with Melissa Lynn DeRosia, Marianne J. Grano, Amy Morgan and Amanda Adams Riley, authors of The Girlfriend's Clergy Companion: Navigating Live in the Parish With Style and Grace

The Art of Managing in the Church

with John Wimberley, author of The Business of the Church

Leading Strategically amid Change

with Ken McFayden, author of Strategic Leadership for a Change: Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future

Click here for course information and registration deadlines.