Ventures program announces courses for October and November

By Kendra Flory

The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College has announces its next courses for this fall.

In October, “Immigrant Solidarity in Jesus’ Name” will be presented by leaders in the Church of the Brethren’s Deportation Defense Response team.

In November, “Making Sense of God’s Violent Behavior in the Old Testament” will be presented by Eric Seibert, pastor at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Continuing education credit is available for $10 per course. During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to pay for CEUs and give an optional donation to the Ventures program. Learn more and register for courses at www.mcpherson.edu/ventures

“Immigrant Solidarity in Jesus’ Name”

This online course will be held in two sessions, at 6:30-8:30 p.m. (central time) on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The course will be presented by Founa Badet, director of Intercultural Ministry for the Church of the Brethren; Matt Guynn, co-executive director of On Earth Peace; with other members of the Deportation Defense Response Team.

This course will focus on the immediate needs of those threatened by detention and deportation. The first session will provide a broad-strokes overview of the realities of Church of the Brethren congregations that have faced detention or deportation of church members this year. Stories and examples will help paint the picture of what is happening and how congregations and districts are responding. There will be opportunities to hear from participants about their own situations and how they are responding. Also included will be an overview of important legal information for anyone facing deportation themselves, or those who are helping others in this challenging situation.

The second session will build on realities described in the first session, explore an approach called “Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence” (HOPE-PV), and help understand the contours of political violence, especially toward immigrants. The presenters will work to awaken imaginations to assertively respond in the face of threats and acts of violence toward immigrants. The session will explore concepts that can help identify and undermine violence against immigrants in our congregations and communities, while teaching tools and approaches to use at home right now or in a moment of crisis. This will draw from an approach called “Backfire,” which describes five key strategies used to undermine and attack vulnerable populations, and five key strategies that help flip those to build community power. More information about HOPE-PV and Backfire is at www.endpoliticalviolence.org

“Making Sense of God’s Violent Behavior in the Old Testament”

This online course will be held at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (central time) on Saturday, Nov. 8. In the pages of the Old Testament, God is described as responsible for an enormous amount of violence and bloodshed, creating theological and ethical problems for serious readers of scripture and often making these passages difficult to handle. This course will identify some of the most morally troubling passages in the Old Testament with an eye toward reading them responsibly. Special attention will be given to the “conquest narrative” in Joshua 6-11.

Participants will learn about a range of options that reflect different ways Christians have tried to address the issue of divine violence in the Old Testament and will be encouraged to come to their own conclusions about how best to handle it. Some consideration also will be given to how these texts can be used responsibly in church settings.

Seibert is a licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren currently serving as pastor of Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren in south central Pennsylvania. Previously, he taught biblical studies at Messiah University for more than two decades and is the author of numerous books and articles including Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God and The Violence of Scripture: Overcoming the Old Testament’s Troubling Legacy.

— Kendra Flory is advancement assistant at McPherson College.

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