Events

An application-based seminar on insights for pastoral and worship ministries

Join us for a celebration and discussion of Dr. Danjuma Gibson’s new book, Through the Eyes of Titans: Finding Courage to Redeem the Soul of a Nation (Cascade, 2024). Hosted by Dr. John Witvliet, we will hear reflections from Dr. Lisa Weaver, Dr. Stephanie Boddie, and Dr. James Abbington with a response from Dr. Gibson. Come and explore what we can learn about pastoral care, leadership, self-care, and radical love by examining the lives of some titans of African American history. Held in the Calvin Theological Seminary Auditorium space. There will be a reception and book signing following the event.

An application-based seminar on faithful ministry to, with, and by people with intellectual/developmental disabilities

Join us for a fun and interactive conversation about making church more welcoming and accessible for people with developmental disabilities and their families and friends. Together, we will explore creative ways churches can be places of belonging for every member of the body! Meet others and learn new ideas to take back to your congregation, parish or organization. Coffee, tea and desserts will be provided. This event is FREE but registration is requested.

American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin wrote, “History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us” ('I Am Not Your Negro'). Our current reality is shaped by the histories that have led us here, and we can’t seek to build a better future without taking seriously where we are now. So thinking about how people with intellectual disabilities should be treated in the church—what our ministries with, to, and from people with disabilities should be like—requires us to think carefully about the past and present in ways that are perhaps unpleasant. Many people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and their caregivers do not presently feel welcome in local congregations because of the history of cultural and social exclusion of those with such disabilities.