Upcoming online courses from The Upper Room

We are very pleased to be partnering with The Upper Room to bring great courses provided by some of their book authors into an online setting. You may read about the wonderful work of the Wesley Ministry Network on their website: www.upperroom.org. You may find their bookstore at www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Companions in Christ Small Group Leader Training -- May 7-11, 2012 -- $45

Are you considering leading a Companions in Christ small group? This training opportunity will help prepare you. Leaders who guide Companions in Christ small groups well have practiced the art of listening well (to God, themselves, and others), act as facilitators rather than teachers, and fully enter into the struggles and joys of walking with God along with the members of the group. Through this course, we will prepare to lead well.

The training is 5 days in duration and asks for about 1 hour per day of involvement. Participants will need to purchase copies of the Companions in Christ Leader’s Guide and the Companions in Christ Participants Book. A 20% discount is available when these books are purchased through the Upper Room online bookstore. Information including the discount code will be emailed to you during daytime hours following the receipt of your enrollment.

Access to all BeADisciple.com courses begins at noon Central Time of the publicized start day. You will receive an email containing web location and login information that morning, so please be sure to add the email address BeADisciple@sckans.edu to your list of approved senders. If you have questions about how online workshops work, please check our FAQ's page.

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Reaching Toward Easter: A Lenten Retreat -- February 22 - April 8, 2012 -- $40

The season of Lent is about Preparation. It is about getting ready to "enter [God's] gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4). Easter celebrates the victory of light over darkness and the reality of the kingdom Christ invites us to explore. Join author Derek Maul and retreat guide Sharon Conley as we prepare for Easter with John's Gospel as our framework.

This Upper Room eRetreat offers:

* a daily scripture, devotional, and prayer to guide you through Lent
* the option of a group discussion weekly with others involved in this eRetreat
* audio and video recordings of scripture readings and insights from Derek Maul

It is essential to have a copy of Derek Maul's book, Reaching Toward Easter, for this eRetreat. A 20% discount is available when these books are purchased through the Upper Room bookstore (via phone or online). The discount code will be emailed to you during regular business hours once enrollment has been processed.

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Retirement Matters: Transitions, Opportunities, Challenges -- January 30 - February 10, 2012 -- $50

This seminar offers those approaching retirement with a better understanding of the personal transitions experienced in this phase of life. Led by Jack Hansen and Jerry Haas, participants also explore the unique opportunities of retirement, which can easily be missed. And finally participants will talk about the important challenges faced as persons age.

The insights offered in this seminar are based upon extensive, in-depth interviews of retired professional men and women from all parts of the country and a wide variety of professional backgrounds (e.g., professors and teachers, business and government executives and professionals, pastors and denominational leaders.) At the end of the course, participants will be able to discern a sense of "next steps" as they move into a retirement life of significance.

The text for the course will be "Shaping a Life of Significance for Retirement," by Jack Hansen and Jerry Haas. The seminar is designed for women and men preparing for retirement, for those in the first few years of retirement, and for professionals helping people plan and prepare for retirement (investment counselors, pastors, social workers, etc.) Participants will need to purchase the book separately.

The course will be covered through six online assignments given on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week beginning Monday January 30, 2012.

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Meditation on Both Sides of the Camera -- January 30 to February 10, 2012-- $105

This class, taught by Val Isenhower, explores the idea of photography as a spiritual practice. Photography is a path to stilling the heart and soul to hear God and to sense the presence of God in the beauty of God’s creation. Meditation behind the camera focuses on how our spiritual lives can inform our photography as we learn to pay attention, to be patient, to center and to focus our eyes in a new ways. Meditation in front of the camera is the act of focusing on the pictures we take to see how they speak to your souls. This course is experiential. We will read materials and discuss ideas on-line. You will also be asked to spend time taking photographs, sharing them with the class and reflecting on the experience.

Participants will have the opportunity to sample pre-publication content from Val's forthcoming Upper Room Books ebook, Meditation on Both Sides of the Camera.

This course is for anyone interested in learning how to include photography in their spiritual journey. Any type of camera will work, although digital cameras will make uploading pictures easier.

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