Nov. 28, 2021 – A pair of upcoming online courses from BeADisciple.com will focus on Bible education, with enrollment open now. “Teaching Adults” and “Biblical Interpretation” are two-week classes that will begin in January. The courses’ instructor, Rev. Beth Perry, has more than 30 years of experience in the pastorate and has taught these classes multiple times each year for the past six years. “One of the things that has happened during the past couple of years is that the number of Bible users actually has gone up,” Perry says. “Research by the Barna Group shows that as COVID-19 took over, there was a drop in the proportion…
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Wendy Mohler-Seib, director of faith formation for the Institute for Discipleship, is author of an article published in the Nov. 16, 2021, issue of Firebrand magazine. In it she outlines why shielding youth from struggle may be counter to developing faith. "Grit, practicing joy in the face of hardship, matures us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is the grit Paul exercises and urges the church to develop in Philippians. The encouragement does not necessitate a search for suffering, for suffering is inherent in the human story. However, rejoicing in the face…
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July 22, 2021 – Abigail Woolley Cutter has joined the Southwestern College faculty as a Visiting Scholar of the Institute for Discipleship. Cutter, who was awarded her Ph.D. in religious studies from Southern Methodist University in May, will spend the next two years at the Winfield, Kan., college. Each academic year, the Institute for Discipleship provides a $20,000 fellowship and housing to a new or near-completion PhD candidate in religion. Selected from a pool of applicants, the Visiting Scholar teaches undergraduate courses, participates in campus ministry, assists with the Discipleship program and preaches/teaches with the Worship Outreach groups. A native of Wichita, Cutter earned her Master of…
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(from www.sckans.edu) Steve Wilke, Ph.D., vice president for planning and new programs at Southwestern College, was recently recognized in the United Methodist Reporter (UMR) as a nominee for 2010 United Methodist of the Year. According to the UMR, Wilke was nominated for work to bring “the current tools of the culture (online software for providing online college course curriculum) to the United Methodist Church.” As the executive director of the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship (IFD), Wilke has strived to bring online opportunities to nurture Christian leaders for effective ministry through…
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