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21st Century Education for Spiritual Seekers: Bringing It Home

Join us for a conversation with Unity leaders as we discuss the need for relevant, contemporary spiritual education and how to make it accessible to spiritual seekers worldwide. We will explore different aspects of Unity's education program and discuss the future curriculum for ministerial training. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation and help shape the future of spiritual education.

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21st Century Education for Spiritual Seekers: Bringing It Home

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  1. Conversation with Unity LeadersDecember 3, 2015 21st Century Education for 21st Century Spiritual Seekers Bringing It Home • If you’re having technical issues, call 800.644.9070.

  2. Today’s Agenda • Opening Prayer • Painting the Big Picture • Assembling the Team • Unity Education Retrospective • Ministerial Curriculum Clay Model • Q & A • Feedback • Schedule for Future Calls • Follow-Up with Survey and One-on-One calls • Closing Prayer

  3. Guidelines for Discussion • The calls will last 90 minutes. • To accommodate everyone’s ability to participate, we’ve set up guidelines for this call. • Questions and comments will be taken in the order received. Press *6 to get in line to share. • Please state your namebefore speaking. • There will be a two-minute time limit for each speaker. This sound will be audible at the end of the time limit. • Please use respectful language and speak only for yourself.

  4. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

  5. Painting the Big Picture • Worldwide demand for relevant, contemporary, spiritual education • Connecting spiritual aspirants with qualified instructors worldwide • Lay and leadership education • Live and self-paced instruction • “Best of Class” delivery platform providing high quality, affordable and accessible education • Using instructors from throughout New Thought

  6. Assembling the Team • “Toddler to elder” education • Quality credentialed leaders • Quality, accessible, affordable and sustainable • Draw upon Unity’s expertise • Tying it all together • Other “background” contributors • Serving those who are “called” • Decrease cost • Reduce economic sacrifice • Reduce family displacement • Technology • Credentialing • HR • Fund Raising • Finance • Youth and Family • Transition • SEE • Core • Program • Consultants • Ministerial • Curriculum September 2016

  7. Extraordinary Effort • 1000+ hours invested thru Nov 2015 • 31 field volunteers • Each one vetted for experience and expertise • Wide spectrum of representation–large to small ministries, long-tenured ministers to student and recent graduates, lay leaders, faculty and administration to field • 4+ from UWM staff • Thru June 2016

  8. Meet the Ministerial Curriculum Team • Rick Belous – Unity Institute 3rd year, career college-level educator • Lauri Boyd – Minister, Unity of Bloomington (recently resigned) • Deborah Frownfelter – Exec Dir, Research, Dev & Training UWM • Jim Gaither – President, Holos University Graduate Seminary • Erin McCabe – Minister, Unity Village Chapel • Lynn O’Dell – Credentialing Coordinator UWM • David Ridge – Minister, Living Water Spiritual Community • Mark Schindler – Minister, Unity of Auburn • Catherine Thomas – Exec Dir, Unity Urban Ministerial School

  9. Unity Education – a Retrospective • Original Fillmore Program (1920s-1950) • Correspondence Course & Multiple Month-Long “Intensives” in KC, MO and 1+ years in Field => Ordination • Graduates included Ernest Wilson • Post WWII Full-time Program (1950–early ‘60s) • “Trade School” for GI Bill qualification • Graduates included Eric Butterworth & Ruth Mosley • Grand Vision (mid-‘60s) • Vision: pre-school Montessori through Seminary • First attempt to develop an accredited school with Grad school standards & curriculum

  10. Unity Education – a Retrospective • AUC Program (mid-‘60s –1983) • 3 years packed into 2 (with 2 summer semesters) • Unity School for Religious Studies (1983-2004) • Graduates included most • ministers now on UWM Board • Urban School students • spent 1 year full-time at • Unity Village • Unity Institute (2004-2016) • Goal: becoming accredited • Model: St Paul’s Seminary • with distance learning added

  11. Program Structure – “Clay Model” • Proposing 3-year program: • Live and self-paced online courses plus face-to-face intensives • Internships • Unity-conferred M.Div. • Eligible for licensing or • ordination • Delivery mechanism: • Interactive online • Self-paced online • Face-to-face classes • Hybrid classes (online • and face-to-face)

  12. Key Areas of Courses/Intensives • Ministry Arts & Skills: • Pastoral Counseling • Communications (Homiletics) • Ministry Administration & Leadership • Education for all ages including Youth & Family • Spiritual Development: • Self Awareness • Honing Emotional and Spiritual Intelligences • Prayer & Meditation • Interpersonal Skills

  13. Key Areas of Courses/Intensives • Scriptural Studies: • Bible History • Bible Interpretation • World Religions • Other Sacred Scriptures • Historical Studies: • History of Christianity • Foundations of Unity and New Thought • Unity Metaphysical Studies: • Writings of Charles & Myrtle Fillmore • Other Unity Authors & Teachers

  14. Possible Field Experience • Preaching • Teaching • Pastoral Counseling • Youth Ministry • Spiritual Social Action • Ministry Administration • Chaplaincy

  15. The Online “Classroom” Experience • Evolution, not revolution • Building on our successes • Delivered using state-of-the-art Learning Mgmt System • Leading-edge instructional and collaborative tools • Facilitates student engagement and sparks interaction • Optimized online learning environment • Fully interactive, live presentations and discussions • Small group breakout sessions • Self-paced for material not requiring interaction • Optimized teaching environment • Easy-to-use lesson templates to speed class prep • Instructional design assistance provided to the instructor • Student monitoring tools to track progress

  16. Field Ministers’ Access • Offered to all credentialed leaders • Broaden and sharpen your existing skills • Increase your available resources–knowledge and people • Share your insights with other ministers–leverage your mutual creativity and synergy

  17. Feedback, Please … • So that we may follow-up with you, please: • Give us your name & ministry and • Key into the chat window the best phone number to reach you. • If you are calling in, you can email your best phone number to Marti@unity.org. • First, what is your reaction to having field experience in a ministry, perhaps up to a year, required of each student? • For credentialed leaders: In what areas did you feel least prepared when you landed in your first ministry? • What additional skills do you want now – i.e. What courses would you like to see in Continuing Education?

  18. Survey • We are publishing a survey, as soon as this call is over, for your response. • It will be open until midnight, Dec 14, but please check your email and fill it out as soon as possible while this call is still fresh in your mind. • Your responses will provide vital input to our ministerial curriculum design.

  19. Q & A • Again, so we may follow-up, please give us your name & ministry and key into the chat window the best phone number to reach you. • If you are calling in, you can email your best phone number to Marti@unity.org.

  20. Future Dialogues • Your feedback and further development efforts … • Call: Wednesday, Jan 13, 2PM CST • Presentation and discussion at January meetings • Call: in mid-to-late February (check The Path or www.UnityWorldwideMinistries.org/conversations-with-leaders) • Your added feedback and further development efforts … Targeted completion: March 31, 2016 • With Board review & approval… Presentation at the • Unity People’s Conference, June 13-17, 2016

  21. Thank You! • … for being with us today … • … for your feedback … • … for your support … • … for your prayers … • Closing Prayer

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