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The Newsletter of Pacific School of Religion's Field Education and Contextual Learning
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VOCAREto call
a monthly newsletter with news and opportunities from Field Education and Contextual Learning for PSR students and community members
WHERE ARE 2015-16 FIELD EDUCATION PSR STUDENTS IN CONGREGATIONS?MDiv and MTS students are currently serving in diverse Field Ed placements. For 9 months, 15 hours per week, they engage field education with mentors, faculty, and peer seminars, and direct constituent feedback groups. Last month, we highlighted those at new agencies. This month, we are casting the spotlight on a few congregational placements!
November 2015
LIKE US, TAG US, TWEET US Field Education and Contextual Learning launched a Facebook page in order to facilitate news of interest to you. We will be posting Field Ed, leadership development and job opportunities as well as sharing PSR students’ immersive experiences.facebook.com/psrfielded
Tag your PSR immersive moments, whether at a local Field Ed site, as part of a distance or classroom course, or an out of country Immersion. It’s a great way to share and stay connected. Use the hashtag #psrimmersion on twitter.com/psrberkeley or instagram.com/pacificschoolofreligion
National & International Field EducationThe office of Field Education invites you to think nationally and globally about Field Ed placements and Social Change fieldwork. We live in an interconnected global community. Recognizing this, partnering with the Intersections International, Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence, and the National Council of Churches, among other placements, can better equip you for cross-cultural ministries.
Johanna Berkey is Pastoral Intern at Silicon Valley Progressive Faith Community, San José“I am living life in the fast lane at my Field Ed site. I am working with my mentor and founding pastor, Nicole Lamarche. We are out and about in the greater San Jose area talking about a new way to share the good news of Jesus and the message of love. We are also in the process of talking with another church about blending a hip start-up church. It seems there is always something new and different popping up at Silicon Valley Progressive Faith Community Church and that is what makes this Field Ed site work so well for me personally.”
MTS student Patrisha Gill, in her Special Field Education, is working with the congregation and leadership as Artist-in-Residence to create and implement five special Worship Days at City of Refuge (UCC), Oakland. “I feel like I am taking everything I have learned at PSR and somehow fusing and blending to find ways to collaboratively create viable and meaningful worship. This is not only in a community in which I serve in the Sacramento Area (UCC), but I now have the chance to cultivate these gifts and learning with my home church.”
WHERE ARE 2015-16 FIELD EDUCATION PSR STUDENTS IN CONGREGATIONS? (continued from p. 1)
EDUCATIONField
“I Choose Love” Chapel Service, Blessing of the Field Education Participants - October 13th A special thanks to all those who led and participated in the blessing of Field Education students, mentors, and communities!
Lori Ortiz is Pastor-in-Training at The Table at Central United Methodist Church, Sacramento“Although I was not brought up in any kind of church worship tradition, I have found myself called to church ministry. Fortunately, my Field Ed placement has landed me in the tree-lined streets of East Sacramento as Pastor-in-Training under the attentive mentorship of Co-Pastors Linda Dew-Hiersoux and Matt Smith. At The Table, I have already been given opportunities to both listen deeply in the worship space and to allow my own voice to fill that space. The photo stands as proof: in this shot, I am reading Mark 10 into the mic at last Sunday’s beautiful and moving service of Baptism. I am grateful for this opportunity and I have already found it to be transformative.”
Lauren Hotchkiss is Pastoral Intern at Epworth United Methodist Church, Berkeley “I am serving my field-ed internship at Epworth United Methodist Church in Berkeley. I’m finding it to be a wonderful placement that allows me both training and experience in exploring my Learning Service Covenant goals of improving my preaching and other liturgical skills, leading a Bible Study group, and forming a Youth Band. I’ve been so impressed with the venue that I am exploring doing advanced field-ed there next year and focusing on my music ministry under the mentorship of the minister of music there.”
Come out and support PSR students at their Field Ed sites. Check the schedule (psr.edu/field-education) often as it is continually updated.
November 8thGyu-Hyun Kim, Clovis-Fresno Korean UMC, Clovis, 12:30pmJessica McFarland, Tapestry Ministries at PSR Chapel, 5:00pm
November 15thBlyth Barnow, Open Door Methodist Church, Richmond, 10:00amSonny Graves, First Congregational Church Berkeley, 11:00am
November 29thLauren Hotchkiss, Epworth UMC, Berkeley, 10:00am
December 3rd Johanna Berkey, Silicon Valley Progressive Faith Community, San Jose, 6pm
PREACHING/TEACHING CALENDAR
Rev. Lizann Bassham will be facilitating the plenary on Healthy Boundaries using curriculum from the FaithTrust Institute. Theology, power, vulnerability, relationships, transference, and more will be explored as part of this plenary. The training plus 4 additional seminar hours culminates in certification and is free of charge. Participants are asked to purchase a $15 workbook.
Three PSR students attended the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City, UT October 15th-19th: Amelia Gentile (CSSC/CMF), Amanda Mathew (CSR), and Valerie Purnell (MDiv). Contextual Learning gave small travel grants.
“As a Changemaker Fellow completing the Certificate for Spirituality and Social Change, I want to expose myself to as many opportunities as possible. The Parliament offered a chance to engage with diverse representations of religions. As schools like PSR begin to address gaps in traditional religious systems there is room for a great shift in the realms of spirituality studies. I hope in a few years to be able to represent some of these concerns at the Parliament. The stark lack of second or third wave feminist theology, queer theology, and social justice panels encourages me that the work we do in the GTU is necessary and can have an immediate and widespread impact.” —Amelia Gentile
All first year MDiv, MAST, and CSSC students need to schedule an intake interview with Director of Field Education, Odette Lockwood-Stewart. Please request an appointment this semester via Setmore: http://odetteappt.setmore.com/
HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WORKSHOP
FIRST YEAR CONVERSATIONS RE: FIELD ED & SOCIAL CHANGE WORK
PSR STUDENTS AT THE PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS
November 119:10am-12:00pmMudd 103
Led by Bishop Yvette Flunder Oakland, CA / January 4-14
Bishop Yvette Flunder and participants get on the ground with theology through experiences of practical, pastoral and non-profit leadership. Bishop Flunder founded the City of Refuge (UCC) in 1991 in order to unite a gospel ministry with a social ministry. City of Refuge and the international Fellowship of Affirming Ministries are thriving urban ministries that celebrate the radically inclusive love of Jesus Christ. The heart of the city is, for many “professional clergy,” the least desirable placement opportunity, yet the inner city offers extraordinary opportunities to develop ministry to the “total person,” body, soul, and spirit. Themes for preaching, tools for counseling, and development of and linkages to psychosocial services for inner city marginalized communities will be examined. This course is a local PSR immersion and fulfills the requirement for MDiv students. Students from Lancaster Theological Seminary have also applied for this course. Open registration in November.
LEARNINGContextual
2015-2016 IMMERSIONS
Led by Jim Lobdell of PLTS & CETLALIC Los Angeles, CA / January 7-23
This 5-day immersion Ministry in the City module is hosted by an engaging community including: SAJE: Strategic Action for a Just Economy; FCCEJ: Figueroa Corridor Coalition for Economic Justice; T.R.U.S.T South L.A.: Tenemos que Reclamar y Unidos Salvar la Tierra-South LA; UNIDAD: United Neighbors in Defense Against Displacement; Interfaith Movement 4 Human Integrity; New City Parish; DramaStage Qumran. The immersion includes a two-week Spanish language immersion with homestays and a variety of multicultural experiences with churches and communities. This course has been approved for PSR immersion requirement for MDiv students. Registration in November.
MINISTRY IN THE CITYREFUGE IN THE CITY
Led by Dr. Yii-Jan Lin and Dr. Peter Makari, UCC/DOC Global Ministries
Jordan, Israel, & Palestine / January 11-23
“The aim of the course is to engage concepts of holy places, divine birthright, exile, and displacement in biblical times and in today’s Middle East. The importance of these issues, especially displacement, cannot be exaggerated, especially given current events...As we prepare for this Immersion let us think about homeland, borders, immigration, exile, and belonging, not just as ‘out there’ or ‘back then’ but as very much part of our own lives.”
- Yii-Jan Lin
Led by Dr. Boyung Lee, faculty, and Dr. David Vásquez-Levy, president
January 16-27Changemaker Fellows will travel as a Roots of Migration Delegation to Guatemala January 16th to 27th hosted by a variety of urban and rural communities, facilitated by SisterParish in partnership with NISGUA, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala. Fellows will prepare for this immersive learning journey by reading theology, contextual and migration texts, and with a delegation briefing by Cal faculty Dr. Beatriz Manz and NISGUA Director Bridget Brehen.
2016 Changemaker Fellows ImmersionGUATEMALA: ROOTS OF MIGRATION
PARTICIPANTSBlyth BarnowBrook ConnerQuentisha DavisVictor DominguezJoliene GatlinWinford HorselyLatishia JamesJoseph KwonMichelle Ma
PARTICIPANTSAnissa Abdel-Jelil Marjorie AmonKofi Baah-ArhinVivian Chavez Mahsea EvansAmelia Gentile
HOLY PLACES & DISPLACEMENTS: AN IMMERSION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Varthana Heang Tinashe Hyemingway Erika KatskeMatice MooreJose Toledo Xan WestToyomi Yoshida
Students from the Summer Bay Area-Ferguson Activism Immersion led a recent PSR Chapel. Please watch the powerful service here: psr.edu/blacklivesmatter-immersion-chapel
Jessica McFarlandBurke OwensAyoka Turner
PRE-TRIP CLASS MEETINGS• Nov. 12th, 11am,
Mudd 204• Dec. 3rd, 10am,
Mudd 104
#BLACKLIVESMATTER IMMERSION CHAPEL
HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WORKSHOP Rev. Lizann Bassham will be facilitating the plenary on Healthy Boundaries using curriculum from the FaithTrust Institute. Theology, power, vulnerability, relationships, transference, and more will be explored as part of this plenary. The training plus 4 additional seminar hours culminates in certification and is free of charge. Participants are asked to purchase a $15 workbook. NIGHT IN GAZA: A VISUAL TALK BY DR. MADS GILBERT Jewish Voice for Peace-Bay Area is honored to present world renowned, self-described “political doctor” and practitioner of “solidarity medicine,” Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert, on Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 pm. Dr. Gilbert will share from his new book about working in Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital during the horrific 2014 Israeli assaults on Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. Dr. Gilbert will also discuss the current situation in Palestine/Israel. South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley (at Ashby; 2 short blocks from BART). $5 to $15 Donation requested (no one turned away for lack of funds).
FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A CONVERSATION AT PSR Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join Carolyn Thomas-Russell, Executive Director of A Safe Place in Oakland, and learn about a new Faith-Based Initiative, funded by Blue Shield, to reach and educate religious and spiritual leadership throughout Northern California regarding Domestic Violence. Find out how you and PSR can be involved in this two year leadership development opportunity. Contact Odette at [email protected] for more information.
DISGRACED PLAY AND PANEL DISCUSSIONGTU faculty members Munir Jiwa, Naomi Seidman, and Som Pourfarzaneh will lead a panel discussion following the performance of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced that explores Islamophobia, the role of religious faith, and the challenges of being Muslim in post-9/11 America. For special priced GTU tickets please contact Christopher by email, [email protected], or by phone at 510-649-2531.
November 127:00pmSouth Berkeley Senior Center
LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS/OPPORTUNITIES
December 412:00pm-4:00pm
November 1812:00pmHolbrook 134
November 18Berkeley Repertory Theater
The Office of Contextual Learning assists faculty who wish to include contextual learning components as part of their courses. One course, Spiritual Formation for Leadership, SPFT-1082, which is a foundational course for all first year MDiv and MAST students and those enrolled in the Certificate Program of Spirituality and Social Change, has integrated such a component requiring 37 students in 4 groups to engage in 6 hours of engagement with local organizations for social transformation. The students will observe and analyze how spirituality is at work within the chosen social justice site, reflect critically on spiritually rooted leadership for social justice, and practice spiritually rooted social justice beyond the classroom. Partnering organizations for this course include Urban Adamah, Culture/Strike, Alameda County Care Alliance, and EBHO (East Bay Housing Organizations).
CONTEXTUAL LEARNING COURSE COMPONENTS
November 119:10am-12:00pmMudd 103
SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY YOUTH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMIndividuals ages 22-30 who have the potential to be catalysts for change and recognize the need to create a future that is not driven by materialism and greed, but rooted in the spiritual values of interconnectedness, service, stewardship, and reverence for nature, are encouraged to apply for this 9-month fellowship that can create lasting change (bit.ly/1G0HBuU)
FELLOWSHIPS AT AUSCHWITZ FOR THE STUDY OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICSFASPE is pleased to announce that applications are now open (bit.ly/1NqTEVo) for its summer 2016 fellowship in the ethics of religious leadership for seminary and divinity students.
PICO (PEOPLE IMPROVING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ORGANIZING) 2016 OPPORTUNITIESAt a national level PICO sponsors National Leadership Development Seminars four times each year. This intensive 6-day seminar provides leaders with an in-depth review of the theory and practice of congregation-based organizing. In January PICO is offering seminars in Nashville, TN and in July in Los Altos, CA. PICO affiliates (local, statewide, national) are Field Education Placement possibilities. For more info visit the website (piconetwork.org/about/training) or contact Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Director of Clergy Organizing (408-772-3190,[email protected]). If you are interested in organizing a PSR cohort for the training, or in a placement, contact [email protected] LGBTQI ASYLUM SUPPORT IN BERKELEY East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (eastbaysanctuary.org) is looking for persons to help with LGBT asylum cases. You do not need to speak Spanish to help with these cases. EBSC is also looking for Spanish speakers and speakers of other languages to help staff, volunteer attorneys, law school students, and therapists with interpretation for asylum cases and other procedural duties. EBSC, founded by Berkeley faith groups in the 1980s, aids 2,000 low income refugees and asylum seekers annually through free and low cost legal and social services. For more information, email [email protected]
Applications dueDecember 15
Applications dueDecember 22
Ongoing
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT (YES)Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network’s 11th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) will be Saturday, November 21, 2015 at John O’Connell High School in San Francisco. This FREE youth-led, youth-planned conference brings over 350 LGBTQ and ally youth from all over Northern California. Learn more at: gsanetwork.org/yes. Sign up to volunteer: bit.ly/1KXW06N; facilitate a workshop: bit.ly/1XQazCN; or table: bit.ly/1NQjzDj.udents, Mentors, and Communities are invited.THE RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP, CIVIL DISCOURSE AND DEMOCRACY IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE PROJECT: FIELD TESTING WORKSHOPS An innovative Workshop and Conversations on your calling to be a Champion of Civic Engagement and how it can bring healing to a deeply polarized Nation is being held on December 4th 12-4pm in Mudd 100. This project (bit.ly/1QdpDYS) seeks to heighten the awareness that the language of a “wall” separating church and state does not reflect the historical ways Americans use their faith as citizens. RSVP by emailing: [email protected]
December 412:00pm-4:00pmMudd 100
November 21John O’Connell High School, San Francisco
Contact: Rev. Clarence Johnson, Director Disciples Seminary Foundation of Northern California415/[email protected]
DENOMINATIONAL CONNECTIONS
CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
Contact: Rev. Kharma [email protected] contact: Rev. Terri [email protected]
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES
Contact: Jim Lawrence [email protected]
Francesca McCrossan [email protected]
SWEDENBORGIAN
Contact: Lisa [email protected]
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
United Methodist Brown Bag Lunch and Conversation with Brenda Vaca November 10, Mudd 100, after chapelSince graduating from PSR in 2006, Brenda Vaca has extended the gospel in bold, creative ways in many settings. She is currently our Western Jurisdiction Coordinator for Hispanic and Latino Ministries. Bring your lunch to Mudd 100 immediately after chapel and connect with UM students, faculty and staff as we share conversation with Brenda.
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Contact: Rev. Diane Weible510/[email protected]
Contact: Rev. Diana [email protected] may contact Diana for Tuesday meetings.
Spanish Language Immersion - CubaA UMC Spanish Immersion trip to Cuba with Bishop Warner Brown Jr. will take place December 26 to January 10 with options of a third week. Get info by emailing Maya Parmar ([email protected]) of the Cal-Nev Conference.
Are you interested in connecting with or learning about a particular denomination? Our offices maintain contact with several denominational representatives for students. Find their contact info and denominational happenings here:
Montgomery Hall #212105 Seminary RoadSan Anselmo, CA 94960
The office of Field Education continually updates both job announcements and Field Education opportunities. View recent listings at psr.edu/field-education.
COMMUNITY AGENCIES• Community Organizer, East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO)• CPE opportunity, San Francisco Night Ministry• Internship, United Religion Initiative (URI), San Francisco• Three unique opportunities, Tikkun Magazine
CONGREGATIONS• Church School Director, First Congregational Church. Stockton• Interim Organist, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oakland• Media Assistant, First Congregational Church of Berkeley (UCC)• Youth Director, Community UMC in Half Moon Bay
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Immersive Learning at PSR Includes:• local, national and international immersion courses taught by PSR faculty and community partners;• classroom and online courses in every discipline that incorporate contextual immersion components;• learning from other students, faculty, staff, GTU schools and centers;• spiritual and leadership formation events with communities, denominational and multi faith networks;• self-designed immersion courses;• experiential research for course projects and papers; • Field Education placements for MDiv and MTS students;• semester long Social Change Field Work for MAST and Certificate of Spirituality and Social Change students.
Odette Lockwood-StewartFaculty Director
Grace Gilliam Associate Director
Marvin Lance WiserTemporary Associate Director
Latishia JamesStudent Assistant
• November 11: Field Education Plenary: Healthy Boundaries for Spiritual Leaders, Mudd 103, 9:10am
• November 18: Faith-based Initiative on Domestic Violence, Holbrook 134 , 12:00pm
• December 3: New Field Education Mentors Meeting; Evaluation & Middler Review
SAVE THE DATES
OFFICES OF FIELD EDUCATION & CONTEXTUAL LEARNING
Holbrook 124/125510/849-8287
[email protected]@[email protected]
Greetings and thanks from Grace Gilliam, Associate Director of Field Education and Contextual Learning, to PSR Students, Faculty, Staff for thoughts and prayers. Grace is on the mend and hopes to be back by mid-December.
On November 14th and 28th Cal will play their final home games of the season. For anyone who has gone an Immersion trip, you know how important these games are to our fundraising efforts. For those who plan to go on an Immersion during their time at PSR, we could really use your help in these fundraising efforts. We would only need 2-3 hours of your time. Raising money to offset Immersion costs is a community effort and all students benefit, whether you participate this year or another year. Please contact Latishia James at [email protected] to sign up or if you have any questions. Thank you!
IMMERSION FUNDRAISING: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
