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United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

Volume 49, Issue 22, February 8, 2010

SEMINARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please Save the Date

Sunday, April 11, 2010
Inauguration of Mary E. McNamara

as the seventh president of
United Theological Seminary
of the Twin Cities

Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis
3:00 PM

MACBETH
by William Shakespeare, directed by Joe Dowling
The Guthrie and the Minnesota Consortium of Theological Schools invite you to attend Macbeth and a panel discussion titled “Power and Corruption of Power: Reflections on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.”

Tuesdays, February 16 and March 2
Performance at 7:30 PM, with panel and audience discussion to follow. Click for flyer with more information.

Attention IS152 students:
Our first class will be held at United on Mon., February 8, at 1:30 PM. On that day, we will be assigning the sites for your contextual placement for the course. There is a disclosure form that you will need to fill out and submit before that time. Please obtain that form from Adam Pfuhl, fill it out, and place it in my mail box before noon on Feb. 8. Thank you, Sharon Tan

Changes to the student mailboxes
Student mailboxes were renumbered during the break between terms. Please check the number of the mailbox (always located below the number) when you are retrieving your mail. Your mailbox may have moved.

A Win-Win Situation!
You are invited to join United alums, students, staff and faculty to raise funds for the Annual Fund by making friendly and enjoyable calls to alums during our February phonathon.

Your phone calls make a difference – they raise vitally important dollars for the Annual Fund that contribute one third (or $1 million) of our budgeted income for the year.

Choose one of these phonathon dates:
February 8 (Monday), 6:00 - 9:00 PM
February 9 (Tuesday), 6:00 - 9:00 PM
We provide you with dinner & a $25 Cokesbury gift card for each evening you call. Please call Kayla Daniels at 651.255.6190 or email kdaniels@unitedseminary.edu to let her know which evening fits your schedule. Thanks very much for responding to our request and for your generous gift of time!

INTEGRATIVE NOTEBOOK REVIEWS
Students who matriculated into a UTS Masters degree program in the fall of 2004 or later must make an appointment beginning in the month of February to meet with their faculty advisor to review together the contents of their Integrative Notebook and the annual reflection paper. This annual conversation is required for all UTS Masters degree programs.

Please note a change in policy in the Masters Student Handbook adopted in Nov. 2009. Item #2 of the “Specific Components Common to All Degree Programs” now reads:

"If a student does not complete the annual review by the end of the spring term, a hold will be placed on their fall term registration until he or she has completed the review.

It is your responsibility to take the initiative to make an appointment with your advisor. For specific information about the review the contents of the Integrative Notebook, what the reflection paper is, and the indicators of integration for each degree program, check out pages 27-29 of the Masters Student Handbook, available online in the Student Services section of the UTS Mercury site at http://mercury.unitedseminary.edu.

Student Loan Checks
Students who have borrowed Stafford student loans will have their tuition, fees and student housing rent deducted from the disbursement. If you have borrowed additional funds for living expenses you can pick up your check from Michelle Turnau or Michelle Rodriguez beginning Friday, February 12.

Commuter Apartments
If you have not signed up for commuter housing for the spring term, please see Michelle Turnau or Michelle Rodriguez. Do not assume you have a bed unless you have scheduled the nights you need. Also, it is the responsibility of the commuter students to clean the apartment during the term. Please make sure you wash your dishes, take out your garbage and clean the apartment before leaving each week. The seminary maintenance staff cleans the apartment before the term. The nightly rate for use of the commuter apartment is based on everyone doing their share of the cleaning during the term. Thank you!

Financial Aid for 2010/2011
If you are planning on applying for financial aid from the seminary as well as federal Stafford loans for 2010/2011, you can now complete the FAFSA on line by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. The seminary school code is G02386. Need based financial aid is subject to funds available on a first-come, first-award basis. It is highly recommended that you complete your FAFSA by April 15, 2010. If you have any questions regarding the application process for financial aid please contact Michelle Turnau at 651.255.6117 or mturnau@unitedseminary.edu.

Planning to Take CS251/252 Next Year? (2010-2011)
Religious Leadership, Organization, Administration and Finance in Context (CS251/252) includes a quarter-time internship in a parish setting. The Contextual Studies Coordinator, Trish Greeves, is in the process of scheduling on-campus student-church interviews for Wednesday, February 10 and, as back up, Friday, February 12. You must submit an Intern Information Form and arrange a meeting with Trish Greeves (tgreeves@unitedseminary.edu) to be part of this process. The Intern Information forms are available at Adam Pfuhl’s desk and online at mercury.unitedseminary.edu/context. Contact Trish Greeves right away if you have questions about the internships or the matching process.

Distinguished Alum Award Nominations
Nominations for the Distinguished Alum Award 2010 are being accepted.

There's still time! We invite you to nominate a person for United’s Distinguished Alum Award 2010. Nominees must have graduated at least 10 years ago from United, Yankton, or Mission House Seminary and need to demonstrate exceptional achievements and special qualities in her/his ministry in the church or in another role in society. The deadline for nominations is February 25, 2010, and anyone can nominate an alum for this award. The nomination form can be accessed at unitedseminary.edu under “Events and News.” If you have a question, please contact Ruth Lunceford at 651.255.6110. This annual recognition was established in 1990 by the Alum Council and the first recipient of this award was John Krueger ’63. Last year’s recipient was Howard Vogel ’78.
Pictured: 2009 recipient Howard Vogel with Wilson Yates

19th Annual Susan Draper White Lectures in Women’s Studies
Rev. Dr. Joyce Ann Mercer, Professor of Practical Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary will present two lectures in Bigelow Chapel. Click here for more information about Joyce Mercer and the Susan Draper White lecture series.

Monday, March 1, 2010, 7:30 PM
Girls, God, and Vampires: The Spiritual Lives of Adolescent Girls
Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 11:00 AM
Fighting Like Girls: Feminist Theological Reflections on Girlhood Faith and Congregational Conflict

THE SPENCER LIBRARY
WINTER BOOK SALE EVENT

February 8–18, 2010
Help the Spencer Library reclaim some storage space! While cleaning out various closets, hundreds of used books came to light, which means we need to have another book sale, and fast! Mark the dates, because at 10¢ a book, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity to enhance your personal collection with countless gems of theological scholarship! As always, there will be a Current Student’s Only Table the first week, offering items of special interest to students.

Come early, and come often. New books will be added every day to the sale tables!

Library Hours - Spring Term 2010
Watch for updates in Monday Morning and on Spencer Library's webpage for alternate schedules during Reading Week and Easter Break.

Mon., Tues. & Thurs. 8 AM - 9 PM
Wednesday & Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Saturday 10 AM - 2 PM
Sunday Closed

Merit Scholarships for 2010/2011
The George D. Dayton Scholarship and The Presidential Scholarship are merit scholarships intended to assist outstanding students toward the completion of degree programs while attending United Theological Seminary.

The criteria and process for selection is on pages 59-61 of the Masters Student Handbook. Please note the candidates for the merit scholarship must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). To schedule your exam go to www.gre.org. Test results must be submitted to the financial aid office from a recognized testing site not later than February 15, 2010. Please allow two to three weeks for test results to be processed and mailed. Interested students should contact Michelle Turnau (651-255-6117 or mturnau@unitedseminary.edu) for more information.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

Westminster Town Hall Forums
Spring 2010 - Voices of Conscience
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
Minneapolis
Noon to 1:00 PM, preceded by a concert at 11:30 AM and followed by a reception in the Great Hall and a small group discussion in the Bates Room.

2.25.10 - Cory Booker
Reclaiming and Empowering At-Risk Youth
3.25.10 - David Lampton
The Three Faces of Chinese Power
4.15.10 - Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christianity
5.6.10 - Hanan Ashrawy
Peace in the Middle East: A Palestinian Perspective

For more information about the presenters and/or Westminster Town Hall Forums, visit their website at westminstertownhallforum.org

Breaking the Veils:
Women Artists from the Islamic World

Opening Reception Saturday, February 6, 6-8:00 PM
Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University
Breaking the Veils was conceived in 2001 by HRH Princesss Wijdan Al Hashemi, President of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, Jordan, and her friend Aliki Moschis-Gauguet, President of the Pan-Mediterranean Women Artists Network, when they noticed that the media portrayed Islamic women primarily as veiled figures, oppressed by their cultures. Click here for a flyer with more information (.pdf)

“Waiting for Armageddon”
presented by Minnesota Film Arts
February 19 – 25
St. Anthony Main Theatre,
115 SE Main St., Minneapolis
Minnesota Film Arts is a nonprofit arts organization bringing rarely-seen documentaries and international films to the Twin Cities area. Meshing Tim LeHaye's popular "Left Behind" series and Christian Zionism, "Waiting For Armageddon" is a documentary that examines topical and important issues of politics and faith. This relevant documentary explores the relationship between Christians and Jews within Israeli politics. To view the trailer, click here.

Day on the Hill - "Justice We Pursue"
Thursday, March 25, 2010, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
RiverCentre and Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul
Find information to prepare for the day, directions and parking, contacting your legislator, donating, registration and briefings about current issues online at www.jrlc.org.
COKESBURY BOOKSTORE

First Week of Class Hours
(Including Weekend Classes)

Monday, February 8 - 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday, February 9 - 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, February 10 - 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday, February 11 - 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday, February 12 - 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday, February 19 - 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Our Regular Hours
Monday through Friday 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. If you are unable to make it to the store during our regular hours please call and we'll assist you as best we can.

Now carrying Fair Trade Chocolate Eggs
Available in both Dark and Milk Chocolate
18 Eggs per box for $4.99

Phone: 651.638.1960, Toll free: 888.421.4911
Fax: 651.638.1924, www.cokesbury.com

Mark your calendar for our upcoming Super Semester Sale February 16 & 17!

THIS WEEK AT UNITED
MONDAY - February 8
12:30 Commencement Committee Hatch Room
TUESDAY - February 9
9:30 Sr. Staff Hatch Room
9:30 Budget Committee Hatch Room
11:35 Chapel Bigelow Chapel
WEDNESDAY - February 10
9:00 Administrative Committee Strobel Room
10:30 ASLC Sm Dining Room
11:00 MN Fellowship of Congregationalists Hatch Room
1:00 Contextual Studies Placement Fair Steckel Learning Center
3:30 Church Relations Hatch Room
THURSDAY - February 11
11:35 Chapel Bigelow Chapel
12:10 Choir Rehearsal Bigelow Chapel
1:30 Marketing Group Hatch Room
7:30 Evenings at the Bigelow: Readings and Reflections on Love Bigelow Chapel
FRIDAY - February 12
 

CHAPEL
WORSHIP
 

Tues, Feb. 9 Celebration of African American Music
Thurs, Feb. 11 Leslie Miller Standing on the Side of Love
Tues, Feb. 16 Celebration of African American Music
Thurs, Feb. 18 Laughter Yoga with Jason Freeman (planned by Cara Knutson)
Tues, Feb. 23 Celebration of African American Music
Thurs, Feb. 25 OPEN
Tues, March 2 Susan Draper White Lectures with Joyce Mercer
EVENINGS AT THE BIGELOW
ART AND SOUL - “Readings and Reflections on Love”
Thursday, February 11, 7:30 PM
Reception with chocolate immediately follows

The musical headliner will be local musician, Leslie Ball, whose first solo recording, Loring Park, earned her a Minnesota Music Award for best female songwriter. Leslie’s considerable musical abilities are surpassed only by the warmth and genuine love that she shares with her audience. Joining Leslie will be Moussa Foster, a vocal artist dedicated to the joy and pain in a poet’s soul.
There will be selected readings on love of family, earth, God, and country, romantic love, love of pets, and more. Readers include poet Sam King (Susan Deborah King), author of One-Breasted Woman and Tabernacle: Poems of an Island; seminarian Aaron Lauer, master of arts student in religion and theology at United; and journalist Linda Mack, former architecture critic for 21 years at the Star Tribune. This popular annual event is always an enjoyable and magical celebration. Open to the public. Walk-ins welcome. Fee: $20.00, Students: $10.00. Click for a Download Registration Form which can be e-mailed, mailed, or faxed. Or register by contacting Renee Flesner at 651.255.6138.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Choir begins in February
United's Community Choir will begin this week. New for 2010: This term we are rehearsing and singing on Thursdays, beginning 2/11. Everyone is welcome to join us. We rehearse after chapel in the chapel from 12:10- 12:35 PM and sing in chapel every few weeks and at graduation events. If you are a choir member who cannot make the Thursday rehearsals this term and still want to sing at graduation, please talk to Kathy Webb, choir director and UTS Music Coordinator.

Context Café Spring Term Hours

Open for Lunch
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

12:00 to 1:30 PM

Open for Dinner
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
5:00 to 6:00 PM

We will begin the spring term
serving lunch for the Saturday classes
12:00 to 1:00 PM

(Continued weekend service will be
reevaluated based on the number eating.)

The Salvadoran Mass
Music by Guillermo Cuellar

Saturday, February 13
9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Bigelow Chapel

Liberation Theology music that has inspired and nourished the struggle for liberation and resistance in El Salvador. You are welcome to join the El Salvador trip members and the Jon Sobrino class members for a memorable event. Ann Butwell, John Wright, and Bill Dexheimer Pharris, who all have lived in El Salvador and are musicians who have worked with Guillermo Cuellar, will be with us to share songs from the mass, to tell stories, and to share history. There will be a simple lunch available for purchase after the morning program. If you are a guest who is not a member of one of the two courses present that day and you intend to stay for lunch please RSVP Chris Smith at csmith@unitedseminary.edu. Open to the whole community!

Pizza and Movie Night
Friday, February 19
Pizza at 5:00 PM, Movie at 6:00 PM

On Friday, February 19, the Community and Student Life Committee invites you to join us for a pizza and movie night. We will have pizza available for $5. from 5:00 to 5:45 PM and then we will watch the moving "Paper Clips," at 6:00 PM. This is a wonderfully inspiring movie about creating change in the world, one paper clip at a time. It is an hour and 20 minutes long. This is strictly for fun and relaxation!

  • Regular popcorn - provided
  • Exotic popcorn - bring your own
  • Drinks available in the machines in the Context Café

Jann Cather Weaver, Vonda Pearson, and Chris Smith will all be there, come join us! So we can plan well for the pizza, please RSVP Vonda Pearson.

 

Attention All United Methodist Students
The United Methodist Seminary will be meeting on the UTS campus this spring. It is important for you to attend these meetings if at all possible. They will give you a chance to connect with each other and to meet with some great resource people. The meetings take place over the lunch hour on the second Fridays of each month: Feb. 12, March 12, April 9. On Feb. 12 we will be hosting Jim Winkler, the Executive Director of the Board of Church and Society.

Stewardly vigilance
Good stewardship includes both giving and caring for. If you prefer not to give away your car, laptop, purse, or other valuables, please don’t leave your car keys in your coat pocket in a cloakroom area, or your valuables unattended in classrooms, the library, or other publicly accessible places. The seminary is easy to enter and leave quickly, and while rare, opportunistic thefts have occurred.

Gently Used Books for Sale
The dean's office has a number of books for sale at a 40% discount over their original purchase price. The books will be available for purchase starting Thursday, February 11. Click here for a list (pdf) of the books. Quantities are limited and we cannot guarantee their availability. Please email Deb Olsen with any questions.

Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles
This intensive, highly interactive dialogue series has proven to be a effective resource for those who desire to understand, practice, and be effective in the transformative work of antiracism. Participants develop relations of trust as they share stories; read about and discuss more than 300 pages of written works and watch several videos about the history, sociology, and psychology of racism; and examine the ways that race shapes their self-understanding and behavior. Additional opportunities, including further training and quarterly meetings, are open to ASDIC “graduates.”
Two ASDIC (Antiracism Study-Dialogue Circles) are scheduled for the Twin Cities this spring. Register soon because enrollment is limited for both circles.

  • February 20-May 15, 8:30-11:30 AM, at Cherokee Park United Church, 371 West Baker Street, St. Paul. Community-based circles are non-sectarian in nature. The cost is $150, which includes meals and all resource, but all are welcome without regard to financial circumstances. Contact Tim Johnson at 651.227.4275 or cpuc@usfamily.net.

Participation by people of all backgrounds is warmly welcomed by ASDIC. For more information about ASDIC, contact Herbert Perkins, ASDIC Executive Director, at hperkins@asdic-alliance.org or 651.224.2728.

Emerging Internet Ministry
Robin Blair (United, '02) is involved with an emerging ministry: www.commongoodradio.org.
They offer 24/7 music and talk for children and those who love and care for them that includes faith-based and secular music that speaks to the fruits of the spirit (hope for a world that needs it), scripture, witness by children and prayers. There is also a podcast series called "Faith Parenting" featuring folks from all over the country (including Barbara Anne Keely, Cindi Beth Johnson) on topics that have to do with faith formation or parenting in home and life.
Their blog "Ministry, Music, Media" deals with media literacy for families, faithfully trying to navigate the media culture we live in. And a Prayer Wall where folks can read or lift prayers. To read "Passion for Children's Radio leads to Internet Ministry", an article featured in Transitions, the newspaper fo the New York West Area of the UMC, click here and scroll to page 8.

Environmental Education Workshop
United Theological Seminary, May 25, 2010
A workshop regarding the use of environmental education materials in a Christian education setting will be held at United on May 25, 2010. The workshop will primarily be geared to teachers of 3 - 5 year olds, but all are welcome. Anticipated cost: $20 - $25. More information will be available at a later date. Questions? Contact Dale Hadler, 763.218.3265 or email dale_Hadler@hotmail.com.
ACADEMY NEWS

Academy for Vital Christianity
Spring Classes
Looking for a new set of glasses with which to read the Bible faithfully? Wanting to dig deeper into understanding the connections between faith and contemporary life? Consider a short-term seminary-level class at a convenient time and place.

Reading the Gospels Today - Plymouth Congregational Church, Mpls. We will explore how reading the gospels as story might enhance our understanding of them.
Saturdays - February 20 & March 6, 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Interpreting the Older Testament with Integrity - St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, St. Paul. The story of God working through our spiritual ancestors allows us to see God in our lives today.
Saturdays – February 27 & March 20, 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Understanding Islam - Centennial United Methodist Church, Roseville. Students will learn about the Koran and the basic foundations of Islam.
Saturdays – February 20 & March 20, 9:30 AM-3:30 PM

Cost per class (includes lunch): $190.00 ($240.00 after Feb. 6) Click here for more information or to register or call 651.255.6138.

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Check out our social networking sites
Click here for information
about Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube.

Voices of United Spirituality and Discernment Blog
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Job Opportunities
Please visit the Job Opportunities page for complete listings of full-time, part-time, and interim positions.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Request for Volunteers
The Society for the Arts in Health Care is recruiting volunteers for its Thursday, April 29 - Friday, April 30 annual conference at the Minneapolis Hilton. They expect about 500 people to attend a wide variety of keynote speeches, artistic presentations, and concurrent workshops. Volunteers will be able to attend free of charge (saving hundreds of dollars). To access their website with the complete program go to www.thesah.org. If you would like to volunteer leave your name and email address with Gretchen Milloy (651.255.6162). We will send your name to the coordinator.

Pages for UMC Annual Conference Session
We are looking for pages from June 1-4 for the 2010 conference to be held June 2-4 in St. Cloud. It is a volunteer opportunity, however we will provide meals, and up to $150 to help cover the cost of housing. This is a great way to learn about church procedure, worship planning, and also to make many connections in the church. If you are interested in being a part of this experience, please email Loren Bergstedt, Events Planner, MAC of The UMC or call 612. 230.6125.
MONDAY MORNING

Monday Morning is published weekly during fall, winter, spring and summer terms by the dean's office. Submit articles to Deb Olsen, deolsen@unitedseminary.edu, by 5:00 PM on Thursdays. Please put "Monday Morning Announcement" in the subject line. If you would like to receive issues of Monday Morning via email, please contact deolsen@unitedseminary.edu with your request.

Monday Morning archives: February 1, 2010
  January 25, 2010
  January 18, 2010

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
3000 Fifth Street NW, New Brighton, MN 55112
Phone: 651.633.4311 - Fax: 651.633.4315
Toll free: 800.937.1316
www.unitedseminary.edu