Special Note - Entry to Mexico:
Part of the 2002 program will be a trip into Mexico on Friday.
We will return to San Diego Friday evening. It will be necessary
for you to have either a passport or birth certificate for this
trip. This will be a very rewarding venture and I encourage you
to secure these documents so that entry and exit will be as uncomplicated
as possible. Also, bring along OLD recreational shoes and a jacket
for the cool evening in Mexico.
More information
on the conference.
Changing of the Gaurd
Mark Cannister, NAPCE President
Every organization has a form of government and NAPCE is no.
exception. We are governed by a Board of Directors consisting
of ten elected members and one appointed administrator. Elected
members serve for a term of four years and five new members are
elected to the board every other year. When a board member is
unable to fulfill his or her four year term the board is empowered
to appoint a person to fill the vacant position.
This fall the Class of 2002, consisting of Cheryl Fawcett, Norma
Hedin, Mark Senter, Judy TenElshof and myself, will conclude our
terms of service. Hal Pettegrew will be leaving the board after
two years of faithful service as he takes on the role of executive
pastor of his church in addition to his responsibilities at Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary. This leaves only four members of
the Class of 2004, Gary Parrett, Jan Osborne, Roger White,
and Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, who will continue to serve on
the board for the next two years.
With six board positions to fill, a nominating committee of Michael
Anthony, Char Bates, and Bob Pazmino was assembled to assist me
in identifying and formulating a slate of nominees for this fall.
The wisdom of the nominating committee was exceptional as the
task of preparing a slate of nominations that maintains a balance
in geography, gender, ethnicity, and institutional type is a monumental
task. Yet, this committee has done an exceptional job.
Transitioning from the current board to the new board will involve
a three step process this fall in San Diego.
Appointment to the Board
First, the current board will receive and act upon the nomination
of Beth Posterski to fill the remaining two years of the
term vacated by Hal Pettegrew at the fall board meeting prior
the San Diego Conference. Upon appointment to the board Beth would
become part of the class of 2004.
Beth currently serves as Associate Professor of Christian Ministry
at Tyndale College and Seminary in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She
earned her D.Ed. at the University of Toronto and joined the Tyndale
faculty in 1986 after a number of years teaching in the public
schools in Canada and the United States. As well as teaching,
her responsibilities include directing the conjoint degree programs
in early childhood and special needs studies in collaboration
with two nearby community colleges. She also has extensive teaching
experience in church and parachurch contexts. Beth is an active
member of All Saints Kingsway Anglican church in Toronto where
she serves on the Board of Directors with Christian Education
as a key responsibility. Other commitments include serving as
a member of the general council of The Yonge Street Mission and
as a consultant to several parachurch organizations on issues
related to children.
Ratification of the Class of 2006
The second step in the transition process will be the presentation
of the slate of nominees for the Class of 2006 to the NAPCE membership
for its approval at the annual business meeting. This slate is
comprised of the following five individuals who have been selected
by the nominating committee and who have indicated their willingness
to serve on the board for the next four years as the Class of
2006.
Kevin Lawson earned his Ed.D. at the University of Maine
and currently serves as Director of the Ph.D. program in Educational
Studies and Professor of Christian Education at Talbot School
of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. Prior
to joining the Talbot faculty Kevin served as a minister of Christian
education for eleven years, and served on faculty at Houghton
College and Canadian Theological Seminary. Kevin has been a member
of NAPCE since 1990 and has organized the current research presentation
sessions at the conferences for the past five years. He has published
several articles in the Christian Education Journal, published
the How to Thrive in Associate Staff Ministry book with
the Alban Institute (2000), and is currently working on a writing
project titled, Theology and Christian Education: An Annotated
Bibliography, 1900 - 2000 and on a web-based database project
- Christian Educators of the 20th Century. Kevin also serves
on the steering committee for the Children's Spirituality Conference:
Christian Perspectives (June 2003).
Karen Jones earned her Ph.D. at Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary and currently serves as Assistant Professor and Chair
of the Department of Educational Ministries at Huntington College
in Huntington, Indiana as well as Associate Director of the Link
Institute. Karen is a veteran youth minister with more than 15
years of experience in local church ministry. She is a frequent
conference speaker and experienced writer having recently co-authored
Youth Ministry That Transforms based on the major research
project A National Study of Protestant Youth Ministers in America
funded by the Lilly Foundation. She was a contributing author
to the book Starting Right: Thinking Theologically About Youth
Ministry and has been a curriculum writer for Lifeway Resources.
Her published articles have been found in Christian Education
Journal, American Baptist Quarterly, Group Magazine and Youth
Worker Journal. Karen has also served as President of the
Association of Youth Ministry Educators.
Eileen Starr earned her Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School and has served on the faculty of Alaska Bible College in
Glennallen, Alaska since 1971. She also serves as a missionary
with SEND International and as Executive Director of the Alaska
Christian Ministries Association, an organization that provides
equipping resources and training for churches across Alaska. Eileen
annually travels to Russia where she teaches as a missionary for
Khabarovsk Bible College and holds teacher training seminars throughout
far east Russia. Eileen has been a member of NAPCE for nearly
thirty years and has served on the NAPCE board in the past as
secretary/treasurer, vice-president and president. She has written
articles in a variety of publications including Christain Education
Journal and the Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education.
This fall we are pleased to have Eileen as one of our keynote
speakers at the San Diego conference.
Steve Kang earned his Ph.D. at Northwestern University
and serves as Assistant Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry
at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Some of the courses he
teaches include Culture and Ministry, Educational Research, Educational
Processes, and Psychological and Sociological Foundations of Education.
During his undergraduate years at Cornell University, he published
an article on the discovery of a new organic compound in Journal
of Organic Chemistry. His graduate training was in the areas of
Theology and Religious Education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School, and Religion and Personality at Northwestern. Steve belongs
to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and has pastoral ministry
experiences with youth, young adults and family, and in church
planting. He has contributed to Religious Education and
has written Unveiling the Socioculturally Constructed Multivoiced
Self.
Gary Bredfeldt earned his Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical
Divinity School, Trinity University, Deerfield, Illinois and currently
serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational
Ministries at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He also
serves as an educational consultant and visiting instructor in
the masters of education program at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Gary leads advanced educational seminars, is often involved with
teacher in-service training, and is a regular speaker at churches,
conferences, and seminars. He is the co-author of two books from
Moody Press, Creative Bible Teaching and Caring for
Souls.
Election of Officers
The third and final step in the process is the election of board
officers. Shortly after the annual business meeting the new Board
of Directors will meet to elect new officers for the vacated posts
of President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Gary Parrett automatically becomes First Vice-President since
he has been serving as Second Vice-President this past year developing
plans for the 2003 Conference.
Upcoming Events
Youth Ministry Educator's Forum
San Diego, California
October 26-28, 2002
The theme of this, the 9th annual YME Forum, is: "Perspectives
on Youth Ministry." Special guests will include, Dr. Malan
Nel of South Africa and Erwin McManus, author of An Unstoppable
Force. For further details on the forum, including registration
information, contact: Len Kageler, AYME Administrator
c/o Nyack College
1 South Blvd,
Nyack, NY 10960
KagelerL@Nyack.edu
* * *
Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives
Chicago, June 8-11, 2003
Call for Papers
The Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives
invites papers to be presented at a conference to be held on the
campus of Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois (an inner
suburb of Chicago). Suggested topics relate to various aspects
of children's spiritual and/or religious experience and development.
Papers may reflect qualitative, quantitative, historical, or theological
research related to any of the topics below. In addition, papers
may examine how religious leaders throughout history and today
conceptualize/d spiritual and other aspects of children, as well
as the varieties of spiritual care and concern that have been
expressed in the Christian church. Specific areas to be considered
include:
• Historical research
• Biblical issues
• Theological issues
• Social science research
• Methods of research used in the study of children's spirituality
• Research related to ministry approaches
Proposals for conference presentations may be submitted to:
Donald Ratcliff, Ph.D.
Department of Education
Biola University
13800 Biola Avenue
La Mirada, CA 90639
Telephone: 562-903-6000 x5651
Email: don.ratcliff@truth.biola.edu
or don@ratcliff.net
Additional details regarding the conference may be obtained from
the Conference Web Page: childspirituality.org
Proposals must be submitted by March 1, 2003 to be considered.
In Memoriam: Bruce W. Jackson
NAPCE member Bruce W. Jackson went to be with the Lord on August
5, 2002. Bruce was 45-years-old, and had been diagnosed with a
brain tumor last fall. He is survived by his wife Sandy, and two
daughters, Kaitlin Elizabeth, 13, and Rebecca Hope, 9.
For over 20 years, Bruce ministered at Gordon-Conwell's Center
for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME) in Boston. He served as
Assistant Dean and was an Assistant Professor of Christian Education
and Urban Ministry. Bruce was a graduate of Indiana University
of Pennsylvania (B.S.) and Gordon-Conwell (M.Div.), and he earned
the Doctor of Education degree from Boston University.
Bruce was passionately committed to the city of Boston, and to
the wider cause of seeking the shalom of the city (Jer. 29:7).
His writing contributions in this area included the book, Seek
the Peace of the City: Reflections on Urban Ministry, which
he co-authored with Eldin Villafane, Douglas Hall and Efrain Agosto.
His many other interests in life included body building, in which
he was an award-winning competitor.
Bruce was also an active member and minister of his home church,
International Community Church of Allston, MA. The church hosted
several hundred guests for a memorial service that truly celebrated
Bruce's life and honored his Lord.
Book Reviews
Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Book Review Editor
Caring for Souls: Counseling Under the Authority of Scripture
by Harry Shields and Gary Bredfeldt (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2001.)
Reviewed by Roger White, Azusa Pacific University.
Spiritual and psychological health are overlapping dimensions
of personhood that sometime require the help of a thoughtful caregiver.
This text proposes an approach to care called spiritual counsel
which looks primarily to the scriptures for developing its understanding
and approach to the cure of souls. In part one, Bredfeldt introduces
the biblical and theological foundations of human personality.
Five approaches from the social sciences are also surveyed including
the biological, behavioral, psychoanalytical, phenomenological,
and cognitive paradigms. Shields turns attention to the practice
of spiritual counsel in part two and suggests a four stage process
for soul care: involvement, investigation, identification and
initiation. These stages are applied to specific contexts in a
case study format that considers hopelessness, fear, anger, guilt,
and marital conflicts. The text is best suited for use in a lay
counseling training institute or undergraduate introduction to
Christian counseling. I found it a helpful survey of human personality
theories as well as a basic primer on counseling and the use of
scripture.
Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master, by Robert Baron. (New
York: Crossroads, 1996.) This printing 2000. 177 pp. Reviewed
by Rich Ramsey, Southwestern Theological Seminary.
Barron's book gives a good introduction to Aquinas's life, time,
and context. He defends Aquinas against the widely held view that
he is simply a dry rationalistic philosopher unconcerned with
the spiritual life. The body of the text is an explanation of
the basic views of Aquinas, particularly concerning the nature
of God, creation, and evil. His conclusion concerns ecstasy with
God through Christ as the goal for the spiritual life. Barron,
a Catholic priest, interprets Aquinas through an existentionalist
lens, thus emphasizing God in panentheistic terms drawing heavily
upon the work of Tillich.
The book can be used by educators to see an example of the great
scholastic viewed through the eyes of a contemporary Catholic
existentialist. However, the biggest contribution is not the homiletical
and exegetical commentary on Aquinas's work. It is rather in the
introduction that explains how in Aquinas's time the distinction
between theology as an academic discipline and the devotional
life was not understood as a dichotomy. The later modern would
dichotomize the two making interpretations of Aquinas as only
dry philosophy, whereas the postmodern might then completely ignore
the richness of what he has to offer.
Theological Foundations for Ministry: Selected Readings for
a Theology of the Church in Ministry. Edited by Ray Anderson.
(Edinburgh: T&T Clark. 1999.) Reviewed by Roland G. Kuhl,
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary.
This is a re-issuing of Anderson's work first published in 1979.
This collection begins with an essay by Anderson entitled, "A
Theology for Ministry" in which he posits that "ministry
precedes and produces theology, not the reverse" (7). Since,
Christ came not to enact his own ministry, but the Father's, so
too the church's ministry is not its own, but God's, whose ministry
". . . precedes and determines the Church" (8). The
book is a compilation of 27 insightful essays by Barth, Torrance,
Anderson and others elucidating three major themes - "Jesus's
ministry to the Father on behalf of the world," "Jesus'
ministry in the Spirit for the sake of the church," and "The
church's ministry to the world on behalf of Jesus" (vii,viii).
This compilation is a rich and necessary resource for those serious
about theological reflection on ministry.
Since I first read this compilation in 1985, and have continued
to read Anderson over the years, most recently in The Shape
of Practical Theology (IVP, 2000), Anderson has had a tremendous
influence in shaping how I enact, reflect on, and teach on ministry.
His perspective continues to challenge me. Those who read this
work will be greatly enriched.
In Brief: Pazmiño Reprints Now Available
The following list of works by Robert Pazmiño are
now available from Wipf & Stock Publishers,
150 W. Broadway, Eugene, OR 97401, Tel. 541-344-1528, E-mail WSPub@academicbooks.com:
Basics of Teaching for Christians
By What Authority Do We Teach?
Latin American Journey: Insights for Christian Education in
North America
Principles and Practices of Christian Education
Spanish translations are also available for:
Foundational Issues in Christian Education (Cuestiones
Fundamentales de la Educación Cristiana)
Principles and Practices of Christian Education (Principios
Y Prácticas de la Educación Cristiana)
If you have any news you would like to share with NAPCE members–book
notices, changes in work situation, etc. please e-mail the editor
at gparrett@gcts.edu, or
send to:
Gary Parrett / G.C.T.S.
130 Essex Street
S. Hamilton, MA 01984
