Leading a Journey into Luke:  A Training Day – Montreal Diocesan Theological College

Please see correspondence below from Dr. Jesse Zink, Principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College about a day-long program you can engage with via the internet.

Dear colleagues,

Warm greetings to you in this season of Epiphany! I want to tell you about a new project we’re trying out at the college and invite you to join us.

In my experience of church, there are many people who are eager to learn more about their faith and about the Bible. I’ve seen how Bible study groups can deepen discipleship and build a culture of lay leadership. But sometimes it seems there is a shortage of people who have the confidence necessary to lead such groups. Here’s where we want the college to help.

On Saturday, February 2, we’re hosting “Leading a Journey into Luke: A Training Day.” This day is designed to give participants the confidence and curriculum necessary to lead a 5-week Bible study on the Gospel of Luke, the centrepiece of the lectionary for the current year. The training day is designed to help give people the confidence and the curriculum necessary to lead a Bible study group. During the day, we’ll look at the gospel and its major themes, discuss skills for facilitating a group study (what happens when someone asks a question I don’t know the answer to? What happens when someone talks all the time?), and review a curriculum we’ve designed at the college that people can then use to lead Bible study in their own congregations, whether during Lent or at some other time.

The training day is from 9.30am to 3pm and people can attend either in person or online via our Zoom classroom. The cost is $50 for the first person, and $25 for the second and subsequent person from the same congregation. Individual members of our Corporation can attend for $25 and Institutional members can send two people at no charge. Membership in the Corporation is open to any individual or institution who wishes to join. You can join the Corporation on our freshly-redesigned website.

Perhaps you have people in your congregation you think are ready to take the next step in leadership in the congregation but need a little boost to get there. This day is designed to provide that boost. But the day is open to all people—clergy, lay readers, and anyone else who might be interested. This day builds on the online course we offered on Luke last fall, but you don’t need to have been part of that to attend this one. (You can read more about that online course in this news article from the Anglican Church of Canada.)

If you’re interested in registering, just drop us a line at info@montrealdio.ca.

This training is one of several events going at the college this winter, many of which I’ve already written to you about. We have a workshop on Transforming Church Conflict on February 15, intensive weeks on Congregational Leadership and Mission, Marriage, and the Eucharist in the Anglican Communion, and an online course on Christian Theories of Justice. All of these links lead to pages on our new website. Have a click through and learn more about what is going on—or just go straight to www.montrealdio.ca.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Jesse