Adult Education Forums - September - December 2008

September 7: Summer Mission and Adventure Trips

Rachel Arends, Lisa Kipp and Trip Participants

The Greatest Tour of Minnesota, Wind River Reservation, Kentucky and Jamaica - these were the summer trips of Zumbro Youth in 2008. Our traditional kick-off for the academic year will be given by Rachel Arends, Lisa Kipp and other participants in the summer youth trips. We are sure to hear many inspiring stories of summer service and adventure. This program will take place in the gym (Fellowship Hall).

September 14: Enhancing Worship through the Use of Textile Art

Jeanette Paulson

Jeanette Paulson is an artist with 23 years of experience working with liturgical textiles. Her work includes the creation of paraments (the decorative textiles hung on the altar and the pulpit), clergy stoles, banners and wall pieces. She created Zumbro's newest paraments and stoles. Jeanette feels that the use of arts in the church is not a luxury - that we must use our creative gifts to their fullest extent.

September 21 and 28, October 5 and 19: Voices in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy)

Prof. Mark Throntveit

Mark Throntveit, a professor of the Old Testament at Luther Seminary, will spend 4 weeks with us talking about the first 5 books of the Bible.. He received his B.A. degree from Saint Olaf College, his M.Div. from Luther Seminary and his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Dr. Throntveit is an active leader in the Society of Biblical Literature, serving as the secretary for the Upper Midwest Region. He is the author of and contributor to many books, including The Learning Bible, Ezra-Nehemiah, Interpretation Commentaries; and When Kings Speak: Royal Speech and Royal Prayer in Chronicles.

October 12: NO Adult Forum

Come to the Fellowship Hall for the annual OPPORTUNITY FAIR, organized by the Stewardship Committee. Whole donuts are featured!

October 26: NO Adult Forum

Please attend the CONSECRATION SUNDAY BRUNCH in one of the four dining locations in the building.

November 2: Follow-up Discussion of Dr. Janis Amatuzio's "Death and Faith: Beyond Knowing"

Pastor Glenn Nycklemoe and Panel

On Saturday, November 1, Dr. Janis Amatuzio will present a special session at Zumbro Lutheran Church based on her experiences as a forensic pathologist. Dr. Amatuzio is the author of two highly acclaimed popular books on the intersection of death and life. Our session on Sunday, November 2, will provide an opportunity for those unable to attend her presentation to hear about her work and also an opportunity for those who did attend to reflect on what they have learned.

November 9: Home-Grown Faith

Laurie Stoeger

Our own Coordinator of Children and Family Ministry, Laurie Stoeger, will share a program offered by the Youth & Family Institute and implemented at Zumbro Lutheran this past summer. An Associate with the Institute, Laurie's passion is for inter-generational sharing of the Christian faith through word and action.

November 16: Art and the St. Mary's Hospital Chapel

Sister Mary Eliot

The Saint Mary's Hospital Chapel is a sanctuary within a sanctuary, a place where patients, their relatives and the Rochester community can pray, meditate and honor God. It is a place of beauty as well, filled with artistic creations intended to inspire and give strength to those who view them. Sister Mary Eliot Crowley, an administrator at St. Mary's and a Sister of St. Francis, will provide an opportunity to lean about the rich architectural history and planning that went into the chapel.

November 13: Jewish Views of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy)

Rabbi David Freedman

Rabbi David Freedman received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages from UCLA and subsequently served as Assistant Professor of Hebrew at the University of Utah. Rabbi Freedman then served as rabbi of B'nai Israel Synagogue in Rochester from 1988 to 2006. He has also served as a Jewish chaplain in the hospitals of the Mayo Clinic. In 1994, Rabbi Freedman was among the first 25 individuals in the country to receive certification as a Jewish chaplain. Rabbi Freedman will be speaking on the central importance of Torah in the life of the Jewish community.

November 30: Science Fiction and the Gospel

Susan Jenkins

The Science Fiction Bible Study of Zumbro Lutheran Congregation has met for two years. Are you curious about how the group combines a love of science fiction with Bible study? Sue Jenkins, who helped lead the group and also co-authored The Biology of Star Trek (4.5 of 5 stars at amazon.com) with her husband, Bob, will describe the group's journey through inner and outer space. She will also discuss the importance of fantasy in daily life and the multiple layers of meaning found in Star Trek, Star Wars, and Dr. Who.

December 7: Sin and Redemption: The Literature of Flannery O'Connor

Prof. Jane Rodeheffer

Dr. Rodeheffer is a professor of Philosophy at St. Mary's University in Winona. She received her Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Philosophy from Boston College, followed by Master's degrees from Harvard and Vanderbilt and a PhD from Vanderbilt. Previous teaching appointments have included Vanderbilt and Mayo Medical School. Dr. Rodeheffer's interests include the literature of André Dubus, with a particular emphasis on confession and contrition. For the December 7 session, Dr. Rodeheffer will be speaking on the literature of Flannery O'Connor, an author who "felt deeply informed by the sacramental, and by the Thomist notion that the created world is charged with God."

December 14: Compassion International

Karen Brownlow and Jane Gills

Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International functions in 24 countries and currently helps more than 1,000,000 children. Founded in 1952, C.I. currently holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, and a grade A from the American Institute of Philanthropy. Karen Brownlow, who sponsors a child from East India, is a ZLC member who is active in Compassion International. She will be joined by her good friend Jane Giills who serves as sponsor for 5 children in Compassion International.

December 21 and 28: NO Adult Forum

Sessions resume on January 4