Exploring the Connections

Continuing Forward: Unity in Diversity

 A Sunday Morning Class at Christ Church Cathedral

In October 2010, Christ Church Cathedral hosted “Moving Forward: Exploring a New Path to Full Inclusion,” a conference about LGBT inclusion in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The Cathedral’s Justice and Peace Council is hosting this adult education class as a means to continue the conversations initiated by that event. The class will work from Christian Holiness & Human Sexuality: A Study Guide for Episcopalians, published by the Chicago Consultation. The goal of this effort is to have a time for shared conversations in light of the resolution at the 2010 Diocesan Council that calls for “unity in the midst of our diversity through the gifts of our shared Baptismal Covenant and our common conviction and proclamation that Jesus is Lord.” 

 The class meets 10:00-10:55 AM in the Mellinger Room at Christ Church Cathedral. The Mellinger Room is on the first floor of the Latham Building. If you are unfamiliar with the Cathedral campus, you can find a site plan here. You will see the Latham Building at the bottom right-hand corner of the site plan.

The class is facilitated by Michael DeVoll and Morris Taggart. We will use the Exploring the Connections blog to bring additional material to the attention of class members. 

Creating Compassionate Community

This is a follow-up to - "Addressing the Mental Health Needs of the Street Community - posted on Tuesday last. Below is a link to an article which is a description in detail of Dr. Craig Rennebohm's vision and method in helping local congregations develop programs of pastoral care in relation to the homeless. As announced in the previous post, Dr. Rennebohm will conduct a training workshop in Conference Rooms A & B of the John S. Dunn Center, 1:00-4:00 PM on Saturday, Nov 3, 2007. If you are already a volunteer at the Dunn Center, or have thought of joining up, you will benefit from the workshop and from this greatly expanded description of of Dr. Rennebohm's thinking on the topic.

The paper is:

Rennebohm, C. Creating compassionate community. Journal of Social Work, Theory and Practice, Issue No. 1, 1998/1999.

It may be downloaded from the link that follows:

Download creating_compassionate_community.pdf

As noted earlier, space for the workshop is limited to the first 50 who apply. To reserve your place, contact Paul Mandell at:

pmandell@christchurchcathedral.org or call 713.590.3321 by 5:00 pm Monday, October 29, 2007.

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of the Street Community

Please be sure to mark the date of Saturday, November 3, 2007on your calendar.

You are invited to attend a workshop by Dr. Craig Rennebohm in Conference Rooms (A & B) at the John S. Dunn Center from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm The workshop will teach about the companionship model he has developed to addres the mental health needs of the street community

Craig graduated from Carleton College in 1966 and Chicago Theological Seminary in 1970. He was ordained in the United Church of Christ and served in the parish ministry for sixteen years, eleven of them in Seattle. In 1986, Craig entered the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, where he concentrated on pastoral care and received the Doctor of Ministry degree. He returned to Seattle in 1987 and founded the Mental Health Chaplaincy.

Under Craig's leadership, the Chaplaincy has grown to serve families, create mental health ministries in local congregations, and advocate for an effective and readily accessible community mental health system. Craig has taught and presented in a variety of local, national, and international settings, and served for ten years with an international, interfaith working group on Spirituality and Social Work active during and after hostilities in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

He has received numerous recognitions for his Chaplaincy work, including the Tipper Gore Award of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, a Carleton College Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, and a Seattle Post-Intelligencer Jefferson Award.

To reserve a seat, please contact Paul Mandell, at pmandell@christchurchcathedral.org or call 713.590.3321 by 5:00 pm Monday, October 29, 2007.

Reservations are required. Seats are limited to the first 50 people to reserve!

This is an event that no Beacon volunteer will want to miss!

New class starts Sunday, March 4, 2007

This Sunday, our Exploring the Connections class will a start a 4 session study on CHRISTIANS AND POVERTY. We will be using material pulled together by Jim Wallis's Sojourners group. A .pdf file of this material can be downloaded here Download DG_poverty.pdf

Read the 3 articles on "The Bible and Poverty" for this first session.

Hope to see you in the Brides' Room on Sunday moning!

Tee Shirts for the Beacon

A week ago we collected $85 in our Exploring the Connections Sunday School class.  After matching that amount from my company, we were able to purchase 200 white, 100% cotton t-shirts for The Beacon.  Prices vary weekly from $.87 to $.93 and we will match whatever we collect.  There is a need for other underwear, but this is the only one we can get at such a great price.

Yesterday, we collected $60 and we will chip in another $60 and buy some more t-shirts this week.

Thank you!

Patty and Bill Turney

Thanks to all who have supported this venture, and especially to Patty & Bill for their generosity in matching dollar amounts given by members of the Exploring the Connections class.