Upcoming online courses from The Upper Room

We are very pleased to be partnering with The Upper Room to bring great courses provided by some of their book authors into an online setting. You may read about the wonderful work of the Wesley Ministry Network on their website: www.upperroom.org. You may find their bookstore at www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Companions in Christ Small Group Leader Training -- May 7-11, 2012 -- $45

Are you considering leading a Companions in Christ small group? This training opportunity will help prepare you. Leaders who guide Companions in Christ small groups well have practiced the art of listening well (to God, themselves, and others), act as facilitators rather than teachers, and fully enter into the struggles and joys of walking with God along with the members of the group. Through this course, we will prepare to lead well.

The training is 5 days in duration and asks for about 1 hour per day of involvement. Participants will need to purchase copies of the Companions in Christ Leader’s Guide and the Companions in Christ Participants Book. A 20% discount is available when these books are purchased through the Upper Room online bookstore. Information including the discount code will be emailed to you during daytime hours following the receipt of your enrollment.

Access to all BeADisciple.com courses begins at noon Central Time of the publicized start day. You will receive an email containing web location and login information that morning, so please be sure to add the email address BeADisciple@sckans.edu to your list of approved senders. If you have questions about how online workshops work, please check our FAQ's page.

New users register for this workshop Current users login to enroll in this workshop

QUESTIONS GOD ASKS US with Trevor Hudson -- April 30 - June 1, 2012 -- $45

Author Trevor Hudson, South African pastor, is a great friend of The Upper Room. Join us in this group discussion of Trevor's book, QUESTIONS GOD ASKS US, where we'll learn to see the Bible as a book of questions from God to us. Over the course of five weeks, we will review the ten questions posed in QUESTIONS GOD ASKS US, such as "Where are you?", "What is that in your hand?" and "Why are you crying?"

Our eCourse offers:
* weekly videos with insights from Trevor on the week's questions
* group discussion (online) two times each week
* a daily meditation from Trevor Hudson

Join with a small group from your congregation, with a group of friends from across the country, or solo. This a great opportunity for busy church members who cannot commit weekly to a live small group. Meet online anytime from anywhere.

Content from Trevor's book, QUESTIONS GOD ASKS US, is included in the course. If you would like to purchase your own paperback copy of the book, you'll find it at the Upper Room bookstore. A 20% discount code is offered to all course participants.

New users register for this workshop Current users login to enroll in this workshop

Retirement Matters: Transitions, Opportunities, Challenges -- May 7-18. 2012 -- $50

This seminar offers those approaching retirement with a better understanding of the personal transitions experienced in this phase of life. Led by Jack Hansen and Jerry Haas, participants also explore the unique opportunities of retirement, which can easily be missed. And finally participants will talk about the important challenges faced as persons age.

The insights offered in this seminar are based upon extensive, in-depth interviews of retired professional men and women from all parts of the country and a wide variety of professional backgrounds (e.g., professors and teachers, business and government executives and professionals, pastors and denominational leaders.) At the end of the course, participants will be able to discern a sense of "next steps" as they move into a retirement life of significance.

The text for the course will be "Shaping a Life of Significance for Retirement," by Jack Hansen and Jerry Haas. The seminar is designed for women and men preparing for retirement, for those in the first few years of retirement, and for professionals helping people plan and prepare for retirement (investment counselors, pastors, social workers, etc.) Participants will need to purchase the book separately.

The course will be covered through six online assignments given on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week beginning Monday, May 7, 2012. Read a testimony from someone who has taken this course.

New users register for this workshop Current users login to enroll in this workshop

Living into the Answers: A Workshop on Personal Spiritual Discernment -- Oct 22-Nov 2, 2012 -- $100

Are you facing a decision?

How do you know what God wants you to do?

Upper Room

The Art of spiritual discernment involves asking these questions and then living into the answers. This workshop provides students with the opportunity to explore the process of discernment in an on-line setting. The course utilizes the content of the Circles of Discernment as a guide for learning the discernment process. The workshop is based on the book – Living into the Answers: A Workbook for Personal Spiritual Discernment by Valerie K. Isenhower & Judith A. Todd (Upper Room 2008).

Living into the Answers is taught by Valerie K. Isenhower & Judith Todd, authors of the book and experienced on-line teachers. Participants completing the course will receive 1 CEU. The text for the class is Living into the Answers: A Workbook for Personal Spiritual Discernment by Valerie K. Isenhower & Judith A. Todd (Upper Room 2008). The book can be purchased from Water in the Desert Ministries or Upper Room.

New users register for this workshop Current users login to enroll in this workshop

Meditation on Both Sides of the Camera -- April 30 - May 11, 2012-- $105

This class, taught by Val Isenhower, explores the idea of photography as a spiritual practice. Photography is a path to stilling the heart and soul to hear God and to sense the presence of God in the beauty of God’s creation. Meditation behind the camera focuses on how our spiritual lives can inform our photography as we learn to pay attention, to be patient, to center and to focus our eyes in a new ways. Meditation in front of the camera is the act of focusing on the pictures we take to see how they speak to your souls. This course is experiential. We will read materials and discuss ideas on-line. You will also be asked to spend time taking photographs, sharing them with the class and reflecting on the experience.

Participants will have the opportunity to sample pre-publication content from Val's forthcoming Upper Room Books ebook, Meditation on Both Sides of the Camera.

This course is for anyone interested in learning how to include photography in their spiritual journey. Any type of camera will work, although digital cameras will make uploading pictures easier.

New users register for this workshop Current users login to enroll in this workshop