AUDREY HOLLENBERG-DUFFEY will be the instructor for AUDREY HOLLENBERG-DUFFEY: “Listening for the Sound of Genuine” offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. This study examines the book, “The Like to Never Quit Praisin’ God: The Role of Celebration in Preaching,” in which Frank A Thomas reflects on the power of a sermon that facilitates the experience of the assurance of grace. When the hearers of such a sermon truly experience the good news of the Gospel, genuine praise follows. After extensive research into the power and genius of African American preaching, Thomas identifies several key components of preaching that can inspire such genuine praise.

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY MINISTRY CENTER is offering a robust schedule of Educational Opportunities for clergy and interested laity in 2024. Ranging from Christian ID in the Age of AI, Worship Models, Grief Literacy, Suicide and your Congregation, Luke and ACTS, Autism and the Church, and Why Leadership Matters, everyone will find a topic of interest. While credentialed clergy can receive Continuing Education units which are needed for ordination renewal in 2025, laity will also benefit from these topics. Please be sure that deacons and other interested folks receive information on these topics as everyone is invited to register. The ordination renewal for ordained clergy is coming quickly in 2025, so be sure to register for these excellent sessions and bring other interested persons from your congregation. To register, click on the event Title for each event and follow the registration links, or email KarenHodges@SVMCcob.org, or call 717-361-1450.

OFFICE OF MINISTRY: Join us for a 10-week discussion of Matt Bloom’s Flourishing in Ministry, as we dig a little deeper into the things that contribute to pastoral wellbeing. Sessions will begin January 16th, 2024 and be held on Tuesday evenings beginning at 7:00 ET. It’s no surprise to pastors, but ministry can be challenging. Ministry work is complex, continuous, and diverse and the demands pastors feel can be overwhelming. Yet we also know that pastors who are spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy are better able to serve their congregations. Registration is limited, so sign up as soon as you can. Books will be provided by the Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program, and CEUs will be available. Register at brethren.org/ministryoffice/part-time-pastor/

JOSH BROCKWAY: The Brethren Academy will offer an 8-week online course, From Reformation to Today, from January 24 until March 19. The director of spiritual formation for the Church of the Brethren, Josh Brockway will be the instructor and TRIM students will receive one Biblical/Historical/Theological credit upon completion. EFSM students may create a Learning Unit for the course. This course will focus on the history of Christianity from the 1500s up to the present day. Beginning with the decades just prior to the Protestant Reformation, students will explore how Christian belief, practice, and organization took multiple forms in Western Christianity.

DEB OSKIN: CLERGY Tax Seminar is being offered January 27, 2024, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (EST). This will provide 0.3 CEU’s (for first 2 sessions only). During this 5-hour webinar, you will learn a great deal about clergy tax law, tax preparation, and clergy compensation. It will be a resource-full day, so plan to take care of yourself as you learn. Eat when you're hungry. Get a drink when you're thirsty. Stand up and walk around when you need to. But most importantly, ask questions! If you have a question, Deb Oskin guarantees at least 6 other people are wondering the same thing! Registration deadline is January 19, 2024 and the cost is $40.00 per person. Continue visiting the Brethren Academy for additional seminars or workshops, most of which will also be posted here.

RUSSELL HAITCH: The Brethren Academy will offer the online course, Polarization as an Opportunity for Ministry, from April 11-13, 2024. Russell Haitch is the Professor of Theology and Human Science at Bethany Theological Seminary. His books include Eyes of the Heart: Seeing God in an Age of Science and From Exorcism to Ecstasy: Eight Views of Baptism. He earned his PhD at Princeton Theological Seminary and is ordained in the United Methodist Church. This course looks at both problems and solutions. We will examine ways that politics, evolving media Artificial Intelligence, and other forces are driving divisions. At the same time, we will explore how leaders can help people find commend ground - and higher ground - in situations of strife.

JOAN DAGGETT: Pastors and church educators have long been inspired by he imagery of Deuteronomy 6:7, which instructs us to recite God's words to our children and talk about them at home. Cultivating An Everyday Faith is an eight-week online course from April 17 until June 11. Instructor is Joan Daggett, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, serving previously as a pastor, an associate district executive in the Shenandoan District, and as the executive director of the Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisburg, Virginia. She was a writer for Jubilee and a trainer for Gather Round, curriculum co-published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia.

All ordained ministers need to be logging their Continuing Education Units (CEU). As we move toward another 5-year Ordination Review in 2025, ordained ministers will be required to produce verification of CEU for this 5-year period. It’s your responsibility to secure certificates, letters, or other documentation regarding CEU credit earned in these Focus Areas.