The diakonia Florida Self-Study program, the Florida-Bahamas School of Lay Ministry, is a two-semester theological education and spiritual formation program. Comprised of twelve, six weeks classes allowing the student the freedom to view and review a given week’s course materials at their own pace. By attending the weekly video gathering, students and their coach discuss that week’s readings and any written assignments that may be part of the course.
Students will be introduced to key themes and issues in the study of the New Testament. They will focus on interpreting New Testament texts using a variety of strategies and tools for understanding the message of the New Testament in their ancient, social and religious contexts with a view to relating them to contemporary ministry contexts.
Students will see how the drama of the early ( first 400 years) church's formation has direct connections to their life of faith today.
This practical theology course will explore the meaning of Christian discipleship in everyday experiences. Students will explore connecting faith to daily life. How do we live with our faith at the center?
This course surveys significant aspects of the Sacraments, Lutheran liturgical worship, and the seasons of the church year, emphasizing the cultural settings in which worship occurs.
The course provides a practical understanding of the words, actions, and items involved in the services by closely examining what is in our service books and ties the content of the services to their Biblical roots. This course also explores the diversity of Christian worship practices within the ELCA.
This course introduces students to concepts and systems by which the Christian tradition has taught personal and public morality, for example, the “Deadly Sins” and “Cardinal Virtues,” the “Just War” theory vs. Christian pacifism, human nature and human sinfulness, and Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” theology.
Additionally, the course provides the opportunity for disciplined reflection on vexing ethical issues such as sexual ethics, the sanctity of life, political witness, and economic justice.
Students will be introduced to key themes and issues in the study of the Old Testament. They will focus on interpreting Old Testament texts using a variety of strategies and tools for understanding the message of the Old Testament in their ancient, social and religious contexts with a view to relating them to contemporary ministry contexts. Special attention will be given to the covenant theology and to relating Old Testament theology and history to our understanding of the New Testament.
The Lutheran story characterized by the tension between honoring the European roots of the church and adapting to the new realities of American life. The Lutheran church, from its earliest days, faced religious pluralism, intolerance, racism, war, lack of state support and diversity of languages and traditions. It wasn't easy then, and it isn't easy now. Understanding American Lutheran history can change the way we see ourselves and our future.
This course will help identify foundational doctrines, give an understanding of orthodoxy and heresy, gain an understanding of the communal and historic nature of doctrines and their spiritual foundations, and to help students understand and express why disciplined thought and faithful confession is crucial for church leaders.
In the Lutheran tradition, Christian doctrine is mostly a question of how to interpret the Bible and what arises from that, although Lutherans arrive at different results than some other protestant traditions that claim to do the same thing. What gets complex is what is at stake in these doctrines, the assumptions that we bring as modern learners, and the needs and issues that we must address today.
Students will consider the implications of Biblical Images for the life of congregations and their ministries. These concepts are related to the ongoing work of preaching, teaching, counseling, worship, social ministry and acts of mercy carried out individually and corporately by the Church and her servants. They are studied in their interrelatedness, all centered in the “Great Commission” given to us by Christ.
This course has two components. First, students will be provided the opportunity to make at least one supervised visit in an institution and/or to the homebound. Class sessions will deal with understanding the needs of patients and loved ones, as well as issues such as grieving and patients’ rights. Second, besides a sharing of practical issues relating to this ministry, this course will also provide opportunities to relate visitation ministry to the theology and worship life of the Church.
The focus of this course is to look at opportunities within the parish for communicating the gospel (Bible studies, teaching, youth ministries, preaching, etc) as well as in the community (various forms of evangelism, welcoming visitors and new members, etc). The course will help students explore a Christian way of doing functional theology and ministry, “at that exciting point where Word, world, and baptized servant converge.”
* Foundational Course for Faith and Service Path
** Foundational Course for Faith and Service Path and Faith Formation Path
*** Practical Ministry Courses - $75 each
diakonia or other program graduates may take any/all Foundational Courses for a one time registration fee of $35
Continuing Education Courses (Non-Foundational) are $60 each
The seeds for this course were planted by a group of lay and professional Christian educators sitting around a table, late at night during an ELCA Lifelong Learning Partners gathering in Carefree, AZ. Their passion and concern for 'teaching the bible with children, youth & their families' is the heart of this series.
The seeds for this course were planted by a group of lay and professional Christian educators sitting around a table, late at night during an ELCA Lifelong Learning Partners gathering in Carefree, AZ. Their passion and concern for 'teaching the bible with children, youth & their families' is the heart of this series. This course is designed for parents, grandparents,
Christian educators, Sunday school and adult education teachers, pastors, youth ministers, Book of Faith Advocates, caring adults
The Unit 2 in this series focuses on encountering scripture through the call to serve our neighbor as Christ loved and served us. Service and Learning comprises five sessions plus a bonus session:
Rainer Maria Rilke wrote in Letters to a Young Poet, “Try to love the questions themselves... At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.”
In the seven segments of Good God Questions Vol 1, four Luther Seminary professors share their thoughts on questions arising from the complexities of life and faith. You are invited into their dialogue. Rolf Jacobson, Fred Gaiser, Carol Miles, and Alan Padgett share the wisdom of their faith and life experience.
In this second installment Good God Questions, four Luther Seminary professors share their thoughts on questions arising from the complexities of life and faith. You are invited into their dialogue. Rolf Jacobson, Lois Malcolm, Janet Ramsey and Walter Sundberg share the wisdom of their faith and life experience.
These six sessions are in no particular order. You may watch them in any order. They are all about 5 minutes in length and each session is focused around the question posed in the title.
In this Select course in systematic theology, you will be hearing from twelve theologians of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The decision to have a diversity of voices has been a deliberate one. Having several presenters reminds us that the unity all Christians share in the gospel of Jesus Christ does not call for a uniformity that denies or rejects the welcome truth that theology is best done in dialogue and conversation. Theology is a communal enterprise in which we listen to and d
In the United States the polity of the Lutheran churches is congregational, but in a complex form in which congregations yield some authority to synods on regional and national levels. The ELCA uses the term bishop for its 65 synodical leaders. It also has a “presiding bishop,” elected to a six-year term, who guides churchwide activities and initiatives. An assembly of all member churches meets every two years and is the legislative body of the ELCA.
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