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A Slice of Heaven: A Katrina Reconstruction Trip Libby & Dan Varty In February 2006 Dan and Libby Varty and 40+ folks from their Arnold church went to Mississippi to help get families back into their devastated homes. They will share their remarkable experience, including a DVD show. A group of 60+ will be heading to Kansas in May of 2008 on a similar mission. |
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Easter Sunday
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Bishop`s Visitation Bishop Romero, Diocese of El Camino Real |
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More on Family Systems Theory Mary Jo Garrett, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Mary Jo Garrett, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, helps us to a deeper level of understanding of the Family Systems Theory introduced by Pastor Karen a few months ago. This approach is rapidly becoming one of the most popular and effective methods of problem solving. Unlike conventional psychological theory which focuses on the individual, Family Systems Theory encourages people to think of issues (e.g. conflict, difficult relationships, loneliness, etc.) in terms of a multigenerational family or a `system.` This approach is extremely useful for helping people to move away from blaming others and towards individual responsibility. |
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Religion and the Rise of Jim Crow Dr. James Bennett, Prof. of Religious Studies, Santa Clara University Sunday morning remains the most racially segregated time of the week. But it wasn`t always that way. The emergence of segregated churches was neither immediate nor inevitable. Based on research from his book Religion and the Rise of Jim Crow in New Orleans, Author and Professor of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University, Dr. James Bennett discusses the long, tortuous and often contested emergence of racial segregation in American religious institutions. Bennett will also provide some comments on how religion and race shaped the New Orleans that Hurricane Katrina ripped apart for the world to see in 2005. |
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Sacred Drumming: Drums as a Temple Heidrun Hoffmann, Teacher of movement, drumming and TaKeTiNa Through many years of learning, teaching, and performing dance, rhythm, and drumming, Heidrun Hoffman found two important allies for her life; her body and her drums. They are full with endless gifts, tools for healing herself. Of these, she discovered that the qualities of listening are the most precious.
By breaking down rhythm into basic elements, rhythm has come to be both a vessel and a mirror for her inner knowledge. Connecting with rhythm by first speaking, then stepping or dancing a pulsation, and then trying to clap or sing something else, lets her play with her borders of doing many things simultaneously. Staying with one rhythm over a long time slows her down, creating a quiet and enjoyable possibility to dive into another place inside, where she just listens and sees what she is doing. This depth of listening flows into other areas of her life, places where she has to listen, or where she should listen better, or where she can see more, when she really listens. |
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More on Lutheranism Pastor Dawn Teuthorn On January 6, 2001, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America entered into a relationship of `full communion` on the basis of the document `Called to Common Mission,` culminating thirty years of dialogue with one another. Not a merger, in full communion both churches retain their autonomy and structures but clergy and laity may move freely between the two churches. |
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Women in the Church Betty Harrah Betty Harrah explores the role of lay women in the Episcopal Church, expecially their roles in what was once known as the Shadow Church or the Parallel Church. If there is time, she will recount come of the history of women at St. Jude`s. |
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Martin Luther: Protesting Monk Changed by Grace through Scripture Still Reforming the Church Today Pastor Dawn Teuthorn Pastor Dawn Teuthorn is often asked what it`s like to serve as an ELCA pastor in an Episcopal congregation. She looks at the history of Lutheranism through the figure of Martin Luther and how we can today share in a Common Call to Mission as Lutherans and Episcopalians. |
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Wanted: Dead or Alive! The Rev. Robert Seifert What happens to the body after a person dies? Is there a consciousness that remains in tact? What does the Christian tradition say about all this? The Rev. Robert Seifert returns to talk about the `resurrected body` as it pertains to the afterlife and to the post-East Jesus. |
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The Lord Will Make You a House Bruce La Fetra In this session we meet a historical Abbess (the equivalent of a bishop) and a 20th century bishop whose ministries required that they make historically significant choices, and practice the discipline of making leadership choices within the context of their own particular time and place. |
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We Are Like Those Who Dream Stephanie Sherman The closest many of us ever get to true prophetic excitement is the world of dreams. Dreams take us to worlds we have never visited, allowing us to achieve things that our cognitive analysis alone cannot. Stephanie Sherman helps us to understand two great dreamers: Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome (604) and William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania (1836). |
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The Prophet Prepares the Way Jerry Witherspoon Prophets in the Bible were believed to be inspired by the Word of God. They appeared to help the people navigate the often unknown paths to change. In this session, Jerry Witherspoon helps us explore the call to Christian leadership and the implications for the vocation of a bishop in our community of faith. |
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When God Makes All Things New, Will We Be Ready? Lindsay Jacobson When things are chaning all around us, the natural response is the wish to be saved. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (397) and Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts (1893) were each known for taking strong stands on orthodoxy, and yet maintained broad-based leadership. Lindsay Jacobson presents. |
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American Gospel Howard Hill, . American Gospel is the title of Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham`s recent book. The book offers a new perspective on how religion has shaped American public life, starting with the beliefs of the Founding Fathers. It is one of a number of recent books addressing, from different perspectives, the increasing polarization of religious views in America and the world. Howard Hill reviews the book and leads one of his always interesting discussions. |
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Foundations of the Faith Pastor Karen Siegfriedt Adult Confirmation Marathon: Pastor Karen will lead a class on `Foundations of the Faith` from 9am-3pm in the fireplace room. |
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How to Become an Episcopal Saint: David Oakerhater`s Journey to Episcopal Sainthood Rev. Vern Jones, Retired Rector, St. Peter`s Redwood City Did you know that there are Episcopal `saints?` The people commemorated by the Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the Church must be approved by the General Convention following a lengthy process prescribed by the Canons of the Church. The Rev. Vern Jones worked to secure a Feast day for David Oakerhater for his missionary work among the Cheyenne. Fr. Jones will treat us to the story of David Oakerhater and his path to `sainthood.` |
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The Gothic Enterprise: Understanding the Medieval Cathedral Robert Scott, Sociologist The Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture, and they have fired the historical imagination for centuries. Cathedrals are magnificent feats of engineering, artistry and transcendent expression – how did ordinary people manage to build them, overcoming poverty, illiteracy, famine, plague, war and the incessant violence of their societies? Why would communities invest so much of their wealth in such buildings? And what did a cathedral mean to them? These are some of the questions that sociologist Robert A. Scott explores in his book The Gothic Enterprise.
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Evangelicals in Modern America Dr. James Bennett, Professor of Religious Studies, Santa Clara University Evangelical churches have experienced dramatic growth during the past 20 years. What is driving this growth, and what are the implications for American society and the historically dominant mainline churches? Are there political implications in the coming election? Locally, what cultural elements feed the growth of Asian evangelical churches in Silicon Valley?
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Christianity in America: A Unique Combination Dr. James Bennett, Professor of Religious Studies, Santa Clara University Christianity in the United States is very different than in Europe and other parts of the world. The origins of American style christianity go back to the founding of our nation--and the Founders. A fascinating history lesson about what makes American Christianity unique and the events that caused it to develop the way it did. |
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The Next Christendom Bruce La Fetra Author Philip Jenkins contends that we stand at a historical turning point—one that is as epochal for the Christian world as the original Reformation in the 16th century. Around the globe Christianity is growing and mutating in ways that observers in the West tend not to see. We hear a lot about the impact of Islam globally, but tumultuous conflicts within Christianity will leave a mark deeper than Islam`s on the century ahead. Christianity is growing very rapidly in Africa and Asia--already Nigeria has more practicing Anglicans than any other country with Uganda is not far behind, and the next Pope could be from Africa--but this Christianity is very different than in North America and Europe. Within the Anglican Communion we are seeing deep divides in the Church between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Hear what the controversey is about, and then discuss what it means to us in the Episcopal Church. We will be impacted. Read the entire article by Philip Jenkins online. |
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Evangelism in Our Postmodern Culture Kim Thacker Kim Thacker presents a shortened version of her seminar which discusses:
What Is Postmodernism Anyway?
Challenges and Opportunities for Evangelism among Postmodern People |
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Religious Fundamentalism in America Part 2 Dr. Carl Jech What is religious fundamentalism? What are the causes of it, the psychology behind it, political implications, and the impact on the church in America? This is part 2 of 2 weeks. Each week will stand independently |
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Religious Fundamentalism in America Part I Dr. Carl Jech What is religious fundamentalism? What are the causes of it, the psychology behind it, political implications, and the impact on the church in America? This is part 1 of 2 weeks. Each week will stand independently, but the topic is too broad to cover in an hour. |
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Understanding the Protestant Church in America Pastor Karen Siegfriedt |
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Ethics |
Finding God in All Things: an Ignatian Environmental Ethic Fr. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., Associate Professor, Santa Clara University Environmental degradation, unsustainable industrial and farming practices, and vanishing biodiversity are the signs of our times, yet these are met mostly with political lethargy and spiritual sloth. There is an underlying illness of the soul in the West, a wrong view of nature that is also being adopted by the East and the South as they seek to imitate our `success` by copying our faults. In Biblical terms, what is our God-given `dominion` over all the other creatures - ownership or stewardship? |
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The Ethics of Healthcare Decisions Dr. Margaret McLean, Markula Center, Santa Clara University What are the ethical issues around selling organs or cutting off certain treatments due to age? For example, the UK`s National Health Service denies dialysis to people over 60. As individuals and a society, how do we approach decisions like these. Like with all ethical questions, the actual answers depend on the ethical system used, so there is no ``right`` answer.
Dr. McLeans brings a background in ethics and theology, making her an ideal speaker to help us understand this topic. |
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Bioethics Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Santa Clara University Dr. Margaret McLean has appeared several times before at St. Jude`s and is always a popular speaker. Her area of expertise, bioethics, touches on nearly every aspect of our lives, and includes the food we eat, how we live (and die), and the types and pace of medical innovations and treatments. |
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What Happened to the Stem Cells Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics
Join Dr. Margaret McLean as she explores the current state of Stem Cell research and the ethical implications from a year packed full of developments. In November 2004, the voters of California passed a ballot initiative to fund stem cell research in California. More recently, researchers at Harvard reported being able to grow embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells. |
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Ethical Issues at the End of Life Dr. Ernle Young, Emeritus Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE), and Professor of Medicine (Biomedical Ethics) In the United States, only 17% of Americans die at home, and of these only a minority do so with the benefit of a Hospice support group of one kind or another. Of the 83% of Americans who die either in skilled nursing facilities or in hospitals, the majority die in Intensive Care Units. Dr. Young begins with an exploration of our cultural denial of death, the `technologization` of death, and the delusion of medical immortality, as well as with an overview of the sociology of a modern Intensive Care Unit. In the main body of the talk will focus on the withholding/withdrawing treatments from: unconscious, incapacitated patients as well as conscious or capacitated patients; those having Advance Directives as well as those without Advance Directives; and medical `futility` or medically non-beneficial treatment (and some of the religious and cultural factors that drive family demands for medically ineffective treatment). In closing, Dr. Young will touch on the controversial topic of Physician-Aid-in-Dying. |
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The Ethics of Genetic Modifications: Playing God or Doing God`s Work Dr. Margaret McLean, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University At least five ballot initiatives this November in California deal with genetics. Statewide there is Prop 71, The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act which will sell bonds to finance stem cell research. At the local level four counties have local measures seeking to ban genetically modified crops. These are issues that touch all of us, so join Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of the Markkula Center of Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University as we discuss the ethical implicatons of the issues behind these ballot measures. |
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Applying Ethics to Animal Research Dr. Ernle Young, Co-Director, Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics Learn how to apply an ethical framework to the question of animal research in this follow on to the ethical framework presented previously. |
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All God`s Creatures: The Ethics of Animal Research Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University Do you think it is ethical to use animals for research? How about cloning to help endangered species fight extinction? Should frozen DNA be used to bring back extinct species? Come and explore these and other issues with the ever informative and thought-provoking Dr. Margaret McLean from Santa Clara University. Don`t miss this special opportunity to learn and laugh with this engaging speaker. |
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More on Ethical Thinking Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University Dr. Margaret McLean will present a follow up to her very popular primer on Ethical Thinking. Bring your thinking caps. |
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Justice or Mercy: Capital punishment for capital crimes Rev. Robert Seifert The Rev. Robert Seifert, Episcopal deacon and chaplain of the Santa Cruz County Jail, will lead us through the pros and cons of the death penalty and help us examine our ethical concerns. |
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Application of Ethical Thinking to Complex Issues Dr. Margaret McLean, Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University What do you think about cloning? What needs to be considered in stem cell research? Do you find yourself confused and frustrated when attempting to deal with these and similar issues? Margaret McLean, PhD is the Director of Biotechnology and Healthcare Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. She also teaches ethics in the Religious Studies department at SCU and is the Director of The Applied Ethics Center at O`Connor Hospital. Tell your friends and neighbors to join you in this opportunity to hear Margaret McLean in our own parish hall. |
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Is God a Hawk or a Dove? Dr. Martin Cook, Prof. of Ethics, National War College This is a biblical and theological survey of `Just War Theories`. Dr. Martin Cook is a professor of ethics at the War College in Pennsylvania. He is sought after by generals and head defense personnel to advise on the ethics of war strategies. He is past assoc. professor of Religion at Santa Clara University, and an excellent speaker and teacher. For those of you who struggle with issues of war and peace from a Christian perspective, this forum is for you! |
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Family Issues |
Child Abuse & Neglect Steve Baron, MA, MFT, Retired Director of Family Court Services, Santa Clara County
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Understanding Autism and Aspergers Noreen Miller, MA, MFT & Steve Ludeke, MA, Ed. Spec. Noreen Miller, MA, MFT and Steve Ludeke, MA, Ed.Spec., two active educators and therapists share information, experiences and a wealth of knowledge about this most interesting of diagnoses. |
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Momfulness - Part 2: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace Denise Roy, Author, marriage & family therapist, spiritual director, and mother of five Author Denise Roy returns to continue her discussion of Momfulness. Roy combines her experience as a marriage and family therapist, a spiritual director, and a mother of five in the her delightful books, Momfulness and My Monastery Is a Minivan. Roy defines momfulness as `the spiritual practice of cultivating a mindful, compassionate, mothering presence,` and outlines six spiritual lessons: developing true presence, practicing embodiment, paying attention, cultivating deep compassion, recognizing the sacred in all things and understanding the value of community. |
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The Spirituality of Addiction Ed Momrow, Th.D, Ph.D The topic of spirituality is becoming increasingly interesting to clinicians, psychiatrists, and researchers seeking more ways for people to deal with the temptations of addiction. When a person’s inner self becomes damaged or distorted, their spirituality can become damaged or distorted, resulting in addictive and self-destructive behavior. |
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Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace Denise Roy & Author Denise Roy combines her experience as a marriage and family therapist, a spiritual director, and a mother of five in the her latest book Momfulness, a delightful sequel to My Monastery Is a Minivan. Roy defines momfulness as `the spiritual practice of cultivating a mindful, compassionate, mothering presence,` and outlines six spiritual lessons: developing true presence, practicing embodiment, paying attention, cultivating deep compassion, recognizing the sacred in all things and understanding the value of community. |
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Parents (and others): Are You Ready for the Adolescent Years? Steve Saso, Author, Speaker, Teacher & Parent International speaker Steve Saso - co-author with his wife Patt of the award-winning book 10 Best Gifts for Your Teen and the newly released Parenting Your Teens with T.L.C. - educate over twenty-five thousand parents yearly, providing them with the tools they need to help raise respectful and responsible children. |
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SOS: Stressed Out Students Dr. Mollie Galloway, Stanford University Dr. Mollie Galloway was originally scheduled to present at St. Jude`s in January, but was unable to join us on that day. We had a great forum led by Barbara Simmons that introduced us to the topic of stressed out students. As a result, Dr. Galloway will go into greater depth on the issues and potential solutions to student stress. |
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Healthier Churches, Healthier Families: Bowen Family Systems Theory Rev. Charles Rassieur, Author, Pastor & Marriage Counselor How can we encourage healthier congregations and healthier families? By understanding the interconnectedness and relationship of people within these systems. Author, Pastor and Marriage Counselor Rev. Dr. Chuck Rassieur returns to St. Jude`s to discuss Bowen theory, a natural systems theory of the family, that provides a conceptual framework for recognizing the impact of relationships between family members, within organizations such as the parish church, and in society on human biology and behavior. Bowen theory can help identify factors that impact health and reproduction and guide the application of knowledge in ways that are specific to the family and to the relationship of influence. |
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SOS: Stressed Out Students Mollie Galloway, Ph.D., John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, `In the past ten years we have seen an alarming increase in academic stress in students of all ages. The SOS-Stressed Out Students project examines the sources of this stress and works with students, parents, teachers and school communities to devise site-specific strategies to foster student health,
integrity, and school engagement.` |
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Handling Conflict in Loving Relationships Rev. Dr. Charles Rassieur, Author, Pastor & Marriage Counselor The always popular Rev. Dr. Chuck Rassieur returns to talk about conflict in loving relationships. Misunderstanding, anger, and conflict are part of most every marriage and loving relationship. We will look at some of the origins and dynamics of marital conflict, and then review the most promising ways to cope with and learn from marital and couple conflict. Always, when dealing with couple differences, the aim is to manage conflict so it is resolved in a manner that enhances the relationship instead of becoming destructive to the marriage. Resources that Christians bring to their marriage will also discussed. |
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13 Tips for Healthy Relationships Rev. Dr. Charles Rassieur The Rev. Dr. Charles Rassieur outlines 13 important dimensions of marriage and long-term relationships that serve as ‘talking points’ for enriching and deepening these relationships. Singles, couples, and partners are all encouraged to attend. This is a great forum to attend together with your spouse. |
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Godly Play / Children`s Spirituality Pastor Mary Blessing Godly Play, the storytelling method for our Children`s Chapel, is coming to St. Jude`s in full form this October. All parents are encouraged to attend to learn more.
Presented on October 12, 2003 |
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Fatherhood: It Isn`t Just for Dads Dr. Lu Munoz & Panel of Fathers We will discuss the critical role of mentors in the development of boys. Mentors can take many forms: dads, step-dads, teachers, coaches, Scout leaders, grandparents, uncles, etc. While all boys need mentors, mentoring is especially important for boys in need of appropriate role models due to divorce, overprotective parents, or even the natural need to test one`s limits. The requirements for being a mentor are few and the opportunities are great, and with more and more boys being raised by single mothers, nearly everyone has an interest in understanding this key to male development. Dr. Lou Munoz will lead the presentation and discussion that will include stories from several St. Jude`s fathers and a couple of short video segments from the excellent Boys Will Be Men.
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Raising Teenage Girls - Challenges and Soloutions Terri Hoornstra This forum is for anyone who has a hand in raising a girl in today`s world - or gives support to someone doing so. Beginning with the book ``Reviving Ophelia``, we will examine some of the challenges faced by teenage girls today and how they and parents deal with them. A panel of parents of teenage daughters will offer their insights, followed by a discussion period. |
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Raising Cain -- Bringing the wonder of boys to becoming fine young men Noreen Miller Are we raising boys who are hurting, sad, afraid, angry and silent? Are boys being held to an impossible standard of emotional literacy? How do we raise happy, healthy, emotionally whole young men? Noreen Miller, MFT, for over 35 years has specialized in helping adolescents and teens, the majority of them male. She will be joined by a panel of St. Jude`s parents who will share their hands-on experiences within their own families. |
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Will Our Children have Faith? Pastor Mary Blessing Book written by John H Westerhoff III reviewed by Mary BlessingOriginally written in 1976, this classic critique of Christian education is back in a revised edition. Christian education, according to Westerhoff, has modeled itself on the schooling-instructional paradigm of our secular schools. Instead of expecting faith formation to happen within a variety of contexts-the family, the church family, the school, and the church school-religious education has been relegated entirely to Sunday morning classes. There, children learn the facts about religion, but will they learn or experience faith? How can we be communities that nourish and nurture the faith of children, instead of only teaching them facts? |
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Male Role Models: Who are they and why are they important? Panel Parishioners from various generations will talk about the male role models in their lives as an introduction to this discussion. The format will be a round-table discussion, similar to last year`s forum on fathers. Please come and share your story with us. Although this is a ``guy`` subject, we encourage women to attend (those who are not away for the get-away weekend). |
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Full House, Empty Life - Techniques For Home Spirituality Josetta Walsh & Kristin Goodrich, Child & Family Institute JOSETTA WALSH and KRISTINE GOODRICH, co-founders and directors of the CHILD & FAMILY INSTITUTE in Menlo Park, present the concepts of the Faith-Full Family program. In keeping with our Faith Development Theme, these nationally recognized presenters share their ministry of teaching about creating love, spirituality and fun among families. This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us, and especially parents, to learn more. Faith-Full Families program is organized at St. Jude`s by Brock and Lisa Carpenter. Come build a stronger sense of family identity, values, pride and belonging through sharing our faith within the St. Judes Parish family. |
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Living as One in a Coupled Society Panel In this session we will try to identify ways, either chosen or not chosen, and reasons for people who live a single life alone with the challenges and opportunities presented. Several members of the parish will be speaking about their experience. One of the resources for this session is Singling, a New Way to Live the Single Life by John Randgraft. |
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Intimacy in Relationships Noreen Miller Noreen Miller and Betsy Fox-Fisher. A panel of several couples who are at various stages of their marriages will be discussing questions on intimacy and other issues which have been part of their relationship. Noreen has been a licensed Marriage-Family Therapist since 1975. She has worked with adolescents, teens, parents, couples and families for 35 years for the Santa Clara Unified School District and in private practice. She is currently contracting four days a week with the SCUSD at Santa Clara High School providing therapeutic support for designated students, their families and the staff working with these students, as well as maintaining a home office. Betsy Fox-Fisher is likewise a licensed marriage-family therapist. She worked for nine years with Family Service Mid-Peninsula in Palo Alto. |
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Christian vs. Secular Views of Marriage Pastor Karen Siegfriedt Pastor Karen Siegfriedt will be the presenter. This session will include teachings and attitudes about marriage from an historical perspective as well as contemporary discussions in the Church. |
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Jesus |
The First and Second Coming Rev. John Buenz A new look at Advent with attention to the first and second comings of Christ. Based on an article written by Rev. John Buenz for a theological publication. |
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Christ in Culture Jerry Witherspoon What does it mean to follow Christ? Does it mean that we close ourselves off from the world or do we meld together our religion and culture? Jerry Witherspoon discusses 5 possible Christian responses to the relationship between Christ and the situation is which the Christian must live. This forum is based on the famous 20th century theologian Richard Niebuhr`s outstanding work. |
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The Second Coming of Christ: What is it? Who believes it? And what are its political implications in the United States? Howard Hill & Pastor Karen Siegfriedt A discussion of the historical views of the `end times` and the second coming. Recent thoughts have been popularized by Hal Lindsey in The Late Great Planet Earth and by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins in the Left Behind series of books. The beliefs have a significant, if not always obvious, influence in American politics of today. |
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A Jewish Perspective of Jesus Rabbi Janet Marder, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Am & President, Central Conference of, American Rabbis Rabbi Janet Marder discusses how the life and character of Jesus are viewed by Jews today. What was Jesus` relationship to the Jewish world of his time, and what meaning do his teachings have to contemporary Jews. |
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3 Views of Jesus: The Christ of Faith Pastor Karen Siegfriedt Is the validity of the Christian faith dependent on the factual character of certain events recorded in the Gospel? If not, then what is the core message of Jesus that has salvific meaning for those who respond?
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3 Views of Jesus: The Historical Jesus Dr. Howard Hill How do we know about the historical Jesus? Should we care? These questions
were of great interest in the early years of Christianity. A renewal of
interest began in the 18th century,after the Age of Enlightenment, and has
continued ever since. One group which has recently renewed the investigation is the Jesus Seminar organized under the auspices of the Westar Institute. At its inception in 1985, thirty scholars took up the challenge. Eventually more than two hundred professionally trained specialists, called Fellows, joined the group. The Seminar meets twice a year to debate technical papers that have been prepared and circulated in advance. At the close of debate on each agenda item, Fellows of the Seminar vote, using colored beads to indicate the degree of authenticity of Jesus` words or deeds. Dropping colored beads into a box has become a trademark of the Seminar.
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The Jewish Notion of Messiah Cantor David Unterman As we celebrate the season of Advent, many Christians continue to assume that Jews are still awaiting the Messiah in the same way they did 2000 years ago. Come hear about the Jewish view of Messiah, how it has evolved over time, and how it varies among the branches of Judiasm (e.g. Orthodox Messiah vs. Reform Messianic Age). Cantor David Unterman is Cantor Emeritus at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos. |
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The Second Coming Rev. Dr. Jay Johnson Times of crisis often lead Christians to think more directly about the Second Coming and other apocalyptic themes in Christian traditions. The season of Advent actually begins, every year, with apocalyptic, end-of-the-world texts from the Bible. What do we make of all this? What are these issues really about? What can or should we believe about these things as twenty-first century Christians? |
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Does Jesus Save? Rev. Dr. Jay Johnson An Exploration of Salvation for the New Millennium, presented by the Rev. Dr. Jay Johnson, Co-founder and CEO of NetMarket Makers and a lecturer of theology at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. His dissertation for his Ph.D at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley was on `The Millennium in American Culture.` |
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Pre & Post Easter Jesus Curt Beckmann & Pastor Karen Siegfriedt An exploration of the pre-Easter vs. post-Easter Jesus, presented by the Rev. Karen Siegfriedt and Mr. Curt Beckman. Some of this program will be based on books by the Rev. Dr. Marcus Borg. |
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Is Jesus Really the Only Son of God? Dr. Rebecca Lyman, CDSP An Exploration of Christology in the Christian Tradition. The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman is Professor of Christian History at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, the Episcopal seminary at Berkeley and the author of Christology and Cosmology. While Christology may not be a term familiar to many of us, it is simply the study of the Church`s beliefs about the person of Jesus and the meaning of Christ, both historically and in our lives today. |
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Life Issues |
Marriage revisited Pastor Karen Siegfriedt What are the essentials for a good marriage? What does the bible and our religious tradition say about the sanctity of marriage? How has the theology and purpose of marriage changed or not changed over the centuries? How does all this affect marriage today? Pastor Karen will cover these topics with an emphasis on congregational input/discussion. |
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The Meaning of Dreams: A Jungian Approach to Wholeness Dr. Thomas Kirsch, C.J. Jung Institute Some believe dreams to be mostly nonsense, while others blame indigestion, or worry. Dr. Thomas Kirsch discussses an approach to dream intrepretation based on the theories of Carl Jung. Dreams and dream interpretation identify our out of balance parts. Dreams bring wholeness and healing that might also change our direction or give us new insight into a situation. |
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Randy Pausch`s Last Lecture Prof. Randy Pausch, via video Prof. Randy Pausch has deeply touched a lot of people as a result of his now-famous `last lecture` at CMU. Come watch a video of a 10 minute version he did for Oprah and hear and discuss how it touches your fellow congregants. |
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The Lucifer Effect Rev. John Buenz, Retired Dean of the Cathedral, Diocese of Spokane Rev. John Buenz discusses social psychologist Philip Zimbardo`s recent book, The Lucifer Effect about how good people turn bad. Zimbardo is best known for the Stanford Prison Experiment, which used a simulated prison populated with student volunteers to illustrate the extent to which identity is situated within a social setting; student volunteers randomly chosen to play guards became cruel and authoritarian, while those playing inmates became rebellious and depressed. |
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Forgiveness for Couples Frederic Luskin, Ph.D Author and always popular speaker Dr. Fred Luksin discusses his forthcoming book about Forgiveness for Couples.
This is a great chance to invite friends, neighbors or co-workers to St. Jude`s as Dr. Luskin`s presentation is sure to be enlightening and memorable. Other churches charge to hear Dr. Luskin speak. |
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Communication and the Creation of Better Social Worlds Professor Barnett Pearce, Fielding Graduate University & Kim Pearce, Speech Communications, De Anza College Since the Enlightenment, communication has been viewed as an odorless, colorless, tasteless vehicle for exchanging ideas and information. Only recently has a new paradigm of communication emerged; this new perspective views our social worlds as made in patterns of communication. Barnett and Kim Pearce will discuss this new paradigm of communication and describe its implications in creating better social worlds. |
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Gravity and Aging Dr. Joan Vernikos Did you know that astronauts returning from a mission in the near gravity of space show startling changes normally linked to being old? After only weeks in space, their coordination and balance are disturbed; muscles and bones weaken; like diabetics, they become resistant to insulin; they do not absorb nutrients as well; have less stamina; and have problems getting a good night’s Dr. Vernikos challenges the widely held belief that most changes associated with aging are unavoidable. She discusses how gravity is not the enemy that drags us down. Increased gravity awareness and making gravity our friend can lead to renewed health and vigor. |
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Breast Cancer Awareness Daya Fisch In 2007, about 40,910 people will die from breast cancer in the United States. While the vast majority of these will be women, about 1% will be men so they are are also at risk. The number of breast cancer cases relative to the population has been increasing in the last 20 years mainly due to increased use of mammography. With early detection and proper treatment, breast cancer is treatable and survival rates are high. |
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Success, Stress & Forgiveness Dr. Frederic Luskin, Stanford University, School of Medicine Popular author and speaker Dr. Fred Luskin makes his annual visit to the Adult Forum. This year he will speak on Success, Stress and Foregiveness. Dr. Luskin brings clinically validated research and a great sense of humor that always makes him our biggest draw of the year. Other churches and groups often charge to hear Dr. Luskin, so this forum always draws well from the community. Come early to get parking! |
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End of Life Conversations Dr. Dale Larson Whether you are making decisions about your own care or need to know the wishes of a family member, straight talk is vital. Dale Larson is a professor in the department of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University and is the author of The Helper`s Journey: Working With People Facing Grief, Loss, and Life-Threatening Illness. If you, or someone you love, will someday die--that`s all of us--you need to think about questions such as:
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Finding Your Vocation Elizabeth Thompson, Santa Clara University In our society, vocational discernment is no longer just for students or young adults. If you are a kid, know a kid, or are a kid at heart, you`ll leave with some things to think about. |
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Our Bodies as Temples: Stewardship of the Body Richard Gringeri, DC Stewardship is more than pledges to St. Jude`s and taking care of the Earth. Stewardship also means taking care of the body God has given us. Richard Gringeri, DC is an advocate for multi-disciplinary, alternative health care and is a frequent speaker to businesses, schools and other groups to help make health education readily available locally. |
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Health Care Directives Betsy Carpenter, Counselor for Advance Directives at the Health Resource Center, El Camino Hospital What exactly is a living will, a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, an Advance Health Care Directive? What is the difference between all of these and why does it matter? Betsy Carpenter, Counselor for Advance Directives at the Health Resource Center, El Camino Hospital, will answer these questions and show how a well-crafted Advance Directive can translate our individual values into instructions for our health care when the time comes that we can no longer speak for ourselves. |
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Science & Religion: Conflicting World Views? Jim Blessing, Dwight Goodwin & Ken Souza, Mickey Shanabarger Can one have a genuinely scientific habit of mind and live a religiously committed life as a committed Christian? Much of our culture tells us that there is an inherent conflict between these two states of mind and that we must make a choice. If you were to get all your information from the media, you might assume that scientists are all committed to explaining everything in terms of rules and natural laws and Christians are all fundamentalist who have no use for science. While few people at St. Jude’s fall at either extreme, our culture pushes for a division. Even if you don’t struggle with this conflict on a daily basis, you will find the discussion engaging your mind. |
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Forgiveness in Relationships: Couples Dr. Fred Luskin, Stanford University, School of Medicine Dr. Fred Luskin, NY Times best-selling suthor, returns to talk about the subject of his next book: FORGIVENESS IN RELATIONSHIPS FOR COUPLES. Dr. Luskin offers practical tips, backed by years of scientific research at Stanford University that are delivered in an accessible and humorous manner that is hard not to identify with in our own lives. |
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The Evolution of Ideas: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People Prof. Joan Roughgarden, Stanford University In the second of our series `The Evolution of Ideas,` Professor Joan Roughgarden, professor of Biological Sciences and Geophysics at Stanford and author of `Evolution’s Rainbow,` whose subtitle is the title of this forum. While thoroughly espousing Darwin’s idea of evolution through common descent, Professor Roughgarden disputes his theory of sexual selection and proposes alternatives based upon experimental observations of a number of animal species. She also brings new insights into the Biblical presentation of gender and sexuality. |
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The Evolution of Ideas: Thoughts on the Debate between Science & Theology Howard Hill This is the first of three talks exploring the evolution of ideas in science and religion. The first talk by Howard Hill will present the development of scientific ideas and how they relate to theology. In the second talk, Professor Joan Roughgarden (Stanford University) will discuss the diversity of sexuality and gender in nature, and in the third, the Rev. Dr. Jay Johnson (CDSP), will address the evolution of Christion theology. |
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What You Don`t Say Can Hurt You: On Secrets, Health, and Healing Dr. Dale Larson, Professor of Counseling Psychology, We all have uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and information about ourselves that we avoid telling others, perhaps self-doubts, feeling unloved, an illness, an inheritance, an affair, a childhood trauma. Although telling these secrets to the wrong people can be disastrous, recent research confirms that what we don`t say can hurt us, and that confiding in others can indeed be good for our health. |
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Will You Be Ready When the Lord Calls Your Number? Pastor Karen Siegfriedt What are the first steps you take when someone dies? Whom do you call? What options are available for the `final resting place`? |
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