We are sad to announce that our Communications Coordinator Kimiko Karpoff will be leaving her staff position at the Centre for Christian Studies this fall. Kimiko is a graduate of CCS, and while we are sorry to lose her as a colleague and staff member, she will continue to be a cherished part of our community. Kimiko has…
“People who live in winter appreciate the spring.” Kimiko Karpoff reflects on winter.
Again, I was privileged to facilitate the Leadership Development Module from June 4-16. This time I was co-leading with recent CCS graduate, Kimiko Karpoff. Ten very engaged students expressed deep appreciation for this powerful learning experience. At each LDM, I am struck by the rich mix of the CCS approach to education.
We invest a lot of time building community and developing a sense of trust. We are “big” on teaming, respecting differences, and honouring diversity. Self-awareness grows in this relational setting where many experience a sense of safety to share themselves at a deep level.
We offer experiential learning with lots of creativity and “hands on” learning. The model incorporates a participatory action and contemplative reflection, prayerfulness and playfulness.
We tend to start with an affirmative stance; each participant is seen as a worthwhile and valuable child of God. Students are not empty vessels waiting to be filled, but adults with gifts and talents, experiences and backgrounds that form and shape who they are. That being said we also devote much time to evaluation; every time we turn around an opportunity to share feedback is extended.
The hallmark of your pedagogy is transformative integration. People are changed in the process of learning about themselves, working with others and the journey of faith. We strive to hold together heart and head, theory and practice, mind and spirit, the personal and the political, being and doing.
Ted Dodd
Diaconal students in their final year had their fall learning circle last week.
by Kimiko Karpoff It’s Friday evening. An eclectic group of people gathers at Silver Spire United Church. They are preparing to spend the next several hours together roaming the streets of St. Catharines. This is not a parade, not a street party. This is Bear Clan Patrol. Karen Orlandi is both a minister with Silver…
By Kim McNaughton I attended the DOTAC (Diakonia of the Americas and Caribbean) 2019 Conference in Vancouver for the first two days out of six days. Entering into my last year of the diaconal programme at CCS, I felt a need and a desire to be present, to see “how I fit,” to feel if…
A reflection for CCS Sunday, November 3, 2019 When I imagine the Cloud of Witnesses, I often think of it in terms of those who went before me and are spiritually keeping watch on us now. This can be both comforting and disconcerting. It’s the disconcert that I feel more often, as if I’m being…
by Kimiko Karpoff Sometimes ministry takes us to places we don’t expect. Those places can be both literal in a geographic sense and to moments or situations that are unanticipated, even if not surprising. Against all evidence to the contrary, we often hold the notion that congregations are places set apart, little tastes of God’s…
I have worked with Michelle Owens, Principal, for a number of years, back when we were both at the London Conference of The United Church of Canada. We were the cyclists who would bike into the office on warm summer days, arriving sweaty and a little musty. But the bike rides home were always the…
a novel by Anne Bishop When stress causes an old trauma to surface, Lucy, a long–time community organizer, teacher and antipoverty activist, loses control of her life. On probation and living on the streets of Halifax’s North End, all she has left is friends. Faithful friends like Judith, her lawyer, who is helping her take…
Tea parties are not a thing of the past at the Centre for Christian Studies. It’s always fun to gather in celebration with people who love this place. A tea was held at the Centre for Christian Studies on Friday, November 16. Approximately 30 people — friends, graduates, and volunteers — attended as guests.
CCS Sunday is an opportunity for congregations to celebrate the work of the Centre for Christian Studies, using stories, videos, and worship resources that lift up the impact of CCS’s transformative education for ministry and leadership. On this page you’ll find resources from past CCS Sundays. For this year’s CCS Sunday, visit the CCS Sunday…
Barbara Hansen already had a heart for justice when she arrived as a student at CCS. In fact, she met her spouse, Stephen, at a hearing in Calgary about the Mackenzie pipeline 42 years ago. On April 28 of this year, the 2014 CCS graduate boarded a bus with about 48 other people from Vancouver…
Welcome Kimiko! The Central Council of the Centre for Christian Studies is pleased to announce that Kimiko Karpoff will be permanently joining the staff of the Centre as Communications and Recruitment Coordinator, beginning June 1st.