Bring a lunch or snack, we will take very short breaks
This Institute is part of a sequence of four Institutes that will be offered each year in History, Polity, Theology and Ministry of the UCC by the Potomac Association, following the guidelines prepared by History, Theology and Polity teachers on the essentials of a basic one semester course. (see the complete Essentials list). The Institute format is designed to serve the needs of persons who cannot enroll in a regular semester length seminary course to cover this material. The Institutes normally meet from 10 am to 4 pm on a Saturday, with the exception of the Polity Institute which meets on Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and requires Saturday attendance at the Central Atlantic Conference Annual meeting at the University of Delaware. HOWEVER: On October 21 the Institute will begin at 11 a.m.. The first hour will be a speech by UCC General Minister and President John Thomas during the fall Potomac Association meeting.
Participants seeking formal evaluation for authorized ministerial standing are expected to do pre-Institute reading and assignments before coming to the Institute (all readings are resources posted here or linked to the web). Several weeks after each Institute participants seeking formal evaluation submit answers to a set of follow-up questions and participate in a 45 minute conference telephone evaluation with members of the Committee on Church and Ministry. Observer participants (those not seeking evaluation) are strongly encouraged to do the advanced reading and assignments.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Required reading assignments may be downloaded from this website or from other websites on the worldwide web. Some materials are pdf files and you will need a reader to access them. The reading for this Institute is extensive. In some cases optional articles are suggested, but not required. Practical field assignments require personal activities/preparation before October 21. Short presentations are involved. These UCC Institutes are enrichment opportunities for all members of the UCC who want to learn more about the history, polity, theology and ministry of the UCC. Everyone is welcome. No fees and no pre-registration is required. If you come, however, please make a commitment to the whole time.
INSTRUCTORS:
Barbara Brown Zikmund, retired UCC historian/minister who has written extensively about the United Church of Christ.
Nathan Harris, pastor of Lincoln Temple UCC, Washington, DC
Sid Fowler, consultant, writer for the UCC Congregational Vitality Initiative, editorial director of Out in Scripture, Washington, DC
Goals for the Institute: (from the Essentials document)
THEOLOGY Participants will obtain knowledge of . . . ----Theological documents and texts (e.g. Statement of Faith, Basis of Union, Prism articles, various working papers of the national setting, ecumenical documents, pronouncements of General Synod, etc. ----Worship (including Book of Worship, New Century and other hymnals) ----Ecclesiology (the nature of the church) ---- Creeds and confessions ("testimonies, not tests" of what is commonly held among us)
Pre-Institute Assignments:
1. Learn more about the pre-1957 theological traditions that inform UCC theology?
3. Review materials that show the theological and multiracial multicultural diversity of UCC theology Select several to read in depth, skim some of the others:
4. Interview a UCC lay person about what they believe. Ask that person what is central to his or her faith (e.g. God, Jesus, church, Bible, tradition, ethnic identity, etc.), what concepts are important (e.g. justice, forgiveness, eternity, justice, peace etc.) and what it means to them when we say "God is Still Speaking?" Come prepared to make a 3-5 minute oral report.
5. Come to the Institute with your own theological questions. Be prepared to write on small post-in notes two or three serious "theological" questions that are important to you, or bother you. The questions (post-it notes) will be shared anonymously so be absolutely honest. You may have a question because you don't know the answer, or because you don't even understand the meaning of the question. You may have a question because you know the answer (or think you do) and you don't like it or have difficulty accepting it. During the Institute we will put all of your questions on the wall and reflect together about the ways in which the UCC wrestles with theological questions. [NOTE: Participant observers should be prepared to participate in this exercise.]
6. Learn about worship traditions and practices within Christian history and the UCC?
7. Write one paragraph about a particularly important personal worship experience. Was it a "special service" (e.g. wedding, funeral, Easter, at camp), or was it an ordinary Sunday service? What made it so important to you? Be prepared to read your paragraph to the group.
8. Go to http://www.ucc.org/justice/index.html and click on the drop down menu and choose one of the topics related to UCC peace and justice work. Read the text of what you selected and answer the question: "What theological belief or concept underlies or informs the UCC witness in this area?" Another way to put the question is to say, "Why do we do that, or why are we concerned about that?" How are UCC motives different from those of other social activist groups? Come prepared to tell the other members of the Institute the topic you chose AND the theological rationale behind UCC involvement in that issue.
9. Read about the "theology of the church" (ecclesiology). Consider how the UCC motto and logo express that theology. How does a "comma" expresses our ecclesiology? Be prepared to discuss.
SUMMARY OF PRE-INSTITUTE ASSIGNMENTS: 1. Read information about pre-1957 theological traditions 2. Read formal UCC theological statements since 1957 3. Read materials on theological diversity and multicultural multiracial traditions in the UCC 4. Interview a lay person about his or her theology, prepare for a 2-3 minute report 5. Prepare two or three theological questions to put on post-it notes 6. Read materials about worship 7. Write one paragraph about an important personal worship experience, prepare to share 8. Visit the UCC Justice website, choose an issue, determine its theological rationale 9. Read about UCC ecclesiology 10. Read about centrist Protestant theology and the future theological stance of the UCC
Click here for a plain printable pdf file of this Syllabus
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