Conley chimes in . . .

I am quite preoccupied with trying to figure out how to offer meaningful online study groups for small churches.

If anyone has experience with the following, especially related to group studies and group discussions in small churches, I would love to hear from you:  Schoology, Edmodo, and Haiku Learning. And if you know of other options for me to explore, please let me know–ASAP!

A friend sent me a link to yesterday’s New York Times article about free online courses now offered by Harvard and M.I.T.  And in the process of my research this morning, I stumbled across this incredible offering of free online courses - from some of the best Universities in the country: Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania.  The site is Coursea.  They describe themselves as:  Education for Everyone . . . offering courses from the top universities, for free.  I am impressed. This is a great start toward improving the availability of education for all.

The Coursea offer is enticing: Learn from world-class professors, watch high quality lectures, achieve mastery via interactive exercises, and collaborate with a global community of students. It sounds a bit too good to be true, so I signed up for a class that starts in September.

If anyone knows of other such opportunities — please, let me know.  (Post in comments, or email directly: rector at stannswoodstock dot org)

In case you might be interested — below is t he Coursea promo video:

It is possible to order M&M^©’s with your own message printed on each little piece, your own photo—if that is what you want. Certainly, the craft of confectionary creation has come full circle. In the days of yore, select candies were only handmade, in small quantities—made-to-order you might say. Then we moved into the industrial, mass-production era, when a myriad of products designed to satisfy the public sweet-tooth were produced in great quantities—with quality-control assuring that every item was exactly the same as every other item.

In 1941 M&M^© Chocolate Candies were introduced to American GI’s serving in World War II. Most of us have never known the little individual M&M^© candies with anything printed on them other than their trademark “m”.

But today, having come full-circle, we may specify made-to-order candies in small quantities—M&M^©’s even—with any image and words we choose (within the limits of good taste.) With this change in the M&M^© industry, it occurs to me that children born from this time forward will grow up in the world of personalized M&M^©‘s. They will never know that it used to be that M&M^©’s only came in a handful of colors with one little “m” printed in the middle of each piece. Another era has ended.

Today, many Christians approach spiritual life and the practice of faith in much the same way as we relate to M&M^© candies. In the years following World War II, not only did we have mass-produced, identical, one-kind-fits-all M&M^© candies, most Christian denominations operated in a similar fashion—offering every person in the pew nearly identical, one-kind-fits-all spiritual practices, Christian education and Sunday-morning worship opportunities. The M&M^©’s and the homogenized spiritual life may have suited us back then—but now everything has changed.

People today expect choices and individual self-expression in almost every aspect of life, including church. People in our pews—and those who will never sit in our pews—expect choice and self-expression in their spiritual and religious life. We waste our time and energy attempting to judge this individuation as good or bad. It simply is—and I daresay there is no reversing the trend. Just as the present generation will never conceive of a time when M&M^© candies were limited in color and inscribed with a simple “m”—the present generation will never comprehend, let alone embrace, a spiritual life of rigid doctrines and uniform spiritual practices. The sooner our faith communities adjust to how the world works today, the sooner we will discover renewed relevance.

Some people argue that M&M^©’s are a commodity, marketed to the public to make a profit—and church is not. Of course, God is not a commodity. However, young families looking for a community of faith today make their decisions based on which church or Sunday morning activity provides the greatest benefit to their family. Some choose soccer, some choose Sunday School. Again, there is no point in wasting our time and energy sitting in judgment. Instead, let us put all our time, energy, creativity and resources into making our communities of faith welcoming, accessible, and relevant to the present generation.

Dare I ask your favorite candy?

Your favorite thing about your favorite church?

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Patricia Conley

Junk Mail, Bottled Water and Milk . . .
. . . Three Problems We CAN Resolve, IF we will.

With all the drama of Easter, some might get the impression that Easter Sunday is the most important day of the year! Our Easter services are grand and meaningful. Still, Easter is not the most important day of the year–and neither is Christmas.

Easter and Weddings are a lot alike. Weddings are a very big deal. As they plan the wedding, and even on the big day itself, the bride and groom may think that their wedding day is the most important day of their life.

Later in married life, we realize that the wedding was nice—but more important, by far, is each day, each week and each year that follows.

A Wedding does not make a marriage – any more than Easter makes a Christian.

Easter Sunday is grand, but the day after Easter is more important by far—and the day after that, and the day after that. Until we have spent a lifetime following the way of Christ.

So now that Easter Sunday is over and we have again celebrated that first resurrection day, I pray that Christians will again resolve to allow all that Jesus said and all that Jesus lived and died for, to take deep root in our life. Through Christ, God makes such a difference in our life that we cannot help but make a difference for God–throughout the world!

Thanks be to God.

From Bill Clow:  A Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens

      I want to tell you about a small group of incredible people.  They are on the verge of doing something quite remarkable.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I know some of this group quite well.  Some of them are long time friends. One of those long time friends is my wife.  Regardless, what this handful of people have done over the last 7 years is truly special.

      About seven years ago or so, a group of friends started talking about their love of the natural areas around where they lived.  Quickly, the thoughts of this group of conservationists, scientists, community activists and citizens coalesced around the idea of trying to get a national wildlife refuge dedicated in the area that they love.  They called it Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, the native american word for the tamarack trees that grew in the area.  The small group became larger as they started talking with people and sharing the dream.  Then the group began to work their real magic.

      What they did then was talk about their dream.  They talked to everyone and anyone who they could.  Altogether, I would not be surprised if this group gave over 1000 speeches to garden clubs and conservation groups, to municipalities and to Rotary clubs.  They went pretty much anywhere and everywhere they had a few people who were interested in hearing their story.

      And as often happens when you tell a heartfelt story with honesty and candor, people began to listen.  And to sign on as supporters.  They talked to local, state and federal politicians.  They talked to US Fish & Wildlife and found them willing to study the area.  Now they are on the verge of having a national wildlife refuge in their back yards.

      Whether it is trying to protect natural land, launch a new product, or break into a new market, I think Margaret Mead had it right.  Watch out for those small groups of thoughtful, committed citizens.  They can work wonders!

      If you are interested in learning more about the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, click on this link:   Hackmatack  or US Fish & Wildlife

If you want to show your support for this fantastic project, please click here: Send your support