Ventures in Christian Discipleship
Equipping lay people of all ages and education levels with skills and understandings for faithful and dynamic Christian living, action, and leadership with special emphasis on small congregations.
2019-2020 Courses
SPECIAL Ventures Course:
Frank Ramirez: “Brethren in the Age of Pandemic: A century ago and today”
Tuesday, July 7, 2020 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm CDT
This isn’t the first rodeo for the Brethren, when it comes to closing churches and changing habits in the face of a global pandemic. What happened to the Brethren a century ago, and what lessons can we learn as we redefine what it means for us to be the church? This special hour and a half Ventures course will explore the history of Brethren in times of pandemic.
Frank Ramirez is the pastor of the Union Center Church of the Brethren in Nappanee, Indiana. He is a prolific writer, well known for his feature “Out of Context” in the Guide For Biblical Studies. He and his wife Jennie share three adult children and six grandchildren.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Kirk MacGregor: “God’s Relation to the Natural World and Creation Care”
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Sharon Yohn: “Faith Through Action: Effective approaches to solving the climate challenge”
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Melanee Hamilton & Rick Polhamus (On Earth Peace Partnership): “We’d Prefer to Avoid That: Conflict in the congregation.”
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Dustin Wilgers: “Examining the disconnect between society and the environment”
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Dan Ulrich: “Creation Care and the Gospel of John”
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Rhonda Pittman Gingrich: “Nurturing the spirit of the child without squelching the Spirit”
All course times are 9am-noon Central Time.
About the Courses
Registering online is the preferred method. There is no charge for courses; however, a suggested donation is invited.
Ventures courses, while not for college credit, offer high-quality instruction. The goal of the program is to empower lay people, especially in smaller congregations, to more effectively carry out the work of discipleship, following in Jesus’ footsteps to transform ourselves and the world. You are invited to journey with others on this new pathway sponsored by McPherson College.
Technology Requirements for Live Courses: If you can surf the web, you will be able to participate in our online courses! For the best experience, we recommend that you have a computer with high-speed internet connection and external powered speakers. We encourage several people to share a computer to participate in a course together! No camera or microphone needed for most courses.