Upcoming Classes and Seminars.

In the next few months I am planning to take in several classes and seminars.  First off in March on the 14th and 15th Cotner College is hosting at First Christian Church in Hastings, a session entitled "Ministry from the Pews".  There are four different subjects being offered at this session and I am still trying to decide which of the four I wish to attend.  

Next in April from the 28th to the 30th, there is the annual "Prairie Pastors Conference" in Bellevue.  This is a gathering of American Baptists Pastors from a four region area; ABC of the Central Region, ABC of the Dakotas, ABC of Nebraska and Mid-American Baptist Churches.  I am very much looking forward to this event as it will be a great chance to meet the various Region's Executive and Associate Executive Ministers.  Some of whom I have visited with on the telephone but who I have not had the pleasure of meeting in person.

In May on the 7th and 8th at Hastings College, there will be a continuing education class through Cotner College on "The History of Hell".  This class I am very excited about and I have already been corresponding with the instructor Dan Deffenbagh.  Dan is a professor of New Testament Theology at Hastings College and was one of my favorite teachers during our ELM program.

The last thing I have planned (thus far) this year for classes will be the ELM class on "Disciples of Christ History & Polity" that will be offered in August at Saint Benedict's Catholic Retreat near Schuyler.  I've already taken the Polity Classes for the American Baptist, United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church, so this class will give me a background in all four denominations included in the ELM program.

In preparation for the May class on the "History of Hell" I have already purchased the textbook that Dan will have us use "The History of Hell" by Alice Turner.  In addition Dan recommended to me the book "The Formation of Hell" by Alan Bernstein.  The book by Bernstein is a more scholarly book and Dan thought it would be of more use to me in researching for the book that I'm trying to write.

I started this week reading the book by Turner and I am switching back and forth between reading it and the book "The Origin of Satan" by Elaine Pagels.  The evolution of Satan through and outside of scripture is a fascinating phenomena and definitely a subject that very few note nor consider.

Yesterday, I was asked by one of my past students if I would consider putting together and leading a new Study Group.  I told her that I would ask around and try and determine if there was enough interest to put together a new group. One of the biggest hurdles to putting together a good group is finding a mutually workable time to hold the class.  I also need to try and figure out where the class might meet.  Interestingly one of my friends that lives in the United Kingdom has expressed interest in joining the group via Skype.  It would be great to work that out if we can but I'm afraid the time difference may be too great of a hurdle to overcome.

If any of you would like to participate (even remotely as it seems we may make the leap into using Skype, something I've never done but Maddie uses it daily so I'm sure she can teach me in short order) in a Study Group please contact me at either my e-mail address (roykarlen@juno.com) or call or text me at 402-740-4875.  I've already started thinking about what the first book should be that we might use for the study.  Generally in the past I've come up with 4 or 5 suggestions and let the group decide which they find the most interesting.  For this new study (if it comes to pass) I plan to put together an outline and a set of study questions.  These I will give to the group a week in advance so they have time to prepare for the next class.

Doing these studies takes a bit of work on my part but it has been my experience that if you really want to learn a topic, then set about teaching it and you'll ultimately be the one that learns the most.

Again if you or anyone you know might have an interest please let me know, also let me know what your schedule is and what days and times would work for you.

I have more I want to discuss this week but I'm going to let that go for another post so with this I will bid you all farewell for today.

May you all be blessed and enriched in your journey.

In His Unending and Ultimate Grace & Love,
Roy