Announcing the 20/21 School Year

Announcing the 20/21 School Year

We are looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year at the Centre for Christian Studies. Because we don’t know when inter-provincial travel will be possible we have adjusted our planned schedule of circles and courses.

Learning on Purpose

This one really needs to be in-person, which means that, unfortunately, we won’t be offering the Learning on Purpose course this year.

Because Learning on Purpose is the recommended first course in the Diaconal Ministries program, we will be granting permission for new students to take theme learning circles this year and offering a series of online workshops this summer to introduce them to a few of the tools and processes they would have become familiar with through the LoP (eg. spiral reflection, planning process, feedback, learning plans).

Theme Learning Circles

Fall theme learning circles will be held as online intensives – three days on, two days off, three days on, from 9am to 5pm Central Time. (Sorry, BC; I know that makes for early mornings.)

• The Ministry as Listening learning circle will be online from Sept 30 to Oct 7 (with Saturday and Sunday off).
• The Eco-Justice learning circle will be online from Oct 21 to 28.  (Note that there’s a two week gap between those fall theme learning circles.)
• The Worship learning circle will be online in Jan and Feb, 2021 as originally planned. It will be two 3-hour sessions a week over six weeks.
• At the moment we are hoping that the Spring theme learning circles – Living Scripture and Grief and Loss – will be in-person April 14-20 and April 22-28, 2021. We recommend that you treat these dates as tentative and not book flights.
• Ministry as Community-building will be online in May and June 2021. It will be two 3-hour sessions a week over six weeks.

The tuition cost for theme learning circles is $790 each.

Integration

Students going into the final year of their Diaconal Ministries program are in conversation about the timing of their fall learning circle, which will be online. Fingers crossed, they will be able to come to Winnipeg for their spring circle and graduation.

Praxis, Field, and GPE

For students in the Diaconal Ministries program, the Praxis component will continue, with individualized learning plans, regular reflective assignments, online connections with the CCS learning community, and diaconal formation with a mentor. Depending on circumstances, mentoring sessions might be more phone calls and zoom chats than sitting down for coffee, but other than that Praxis will be pretty much the same.

If new students haven’t done the Learning on Purpose course, we’d like them to hold off before starting their first Field placement.  Student who have done the LoP can register for Field and submit a proposal outlining how your placement will work in the current context and how they see it contributing to their learning goals for the year. Many of our students are already adapting their ministry work in creative ways.

Travel bans have disrupted the plans of many of our students who were planning to do a Global Perspectives Experience this summer. Given the restrictions, they are invited to be creative in thinking about how to step outside their comfort zones, connect with and hear first-person stories from people who live in a very different context about their lived reality, and engage in social analysis and theological reflection — without necessarily getting on an airplane.

External Academic Courses

Many of our partner theological schools are offering online classes this year that they might not have otherwise. This is a good opportunity for Diaconal Minstry students to take courses for their external requirements.

Registration and Deadlines

Do you feel called to diaconal ministry? Now is a good time to apply for the Diaconal Ministries program. Are you a curious layperson, or someone in ministry looking for continuing education opportunities? Apply for the Continuing Studies program. Are you specifically interested in Social Justice, or Spiritual Care, or Education and Worship? Why not consider one of CCS’s Certificate programs.

Already in a program? Great! Feel free to register for 2020-2021 learning circles and courses.

Application deadline for Certificate or Diaconal Ministry students – June 30, 2020.

Application deadline for Continuing Studies students – one month prior to your desired learning circle.

 learning circle