Growing in Faith & Theology (GIFT)
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GIFT Brochure |
Growing In Faith and Theology (GIFT) is a collaborative adult religious education program offering classes taught by top theologians in their field. Courses are typically four weeks in length and are held on the campuses of participating parishes. After a successful first year last year, GIFT will be held again beginning in February 2012 with all new offerings!
Courses are $30 each ($20 for Catholic school teachers and catechists). There is no charge for Course G. To register, drop off a completed registration form and a check made payable to GIFT c/o St. Matthew Catholic Church in an envelope marked GIFT to the church office of any participating parish. For more information, contact Michael Burck at 704-541-8362 x 4. Fees are non-refundable after Jan. 31, 2012.
Sponsoring GIFT parishes include Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, St. Gabriel Catholic Church
St. John Neumann Catholic Church, St. Luke Catholic Church, St. Mark Catholic Church, St. Matthew Catholic Church,
St. Peter Catholic Church, Queen of the Apostle Catholic Church, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
GIFT 2012 Course Offerings
A. STORIES JESUS KNEW
presented by Susan Brady, MA
Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 14, 21 & 28, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
St. Matthew Catholic Church, New Life Center
Three ancient storytellers - Avram, Itzak and Jacov - will entertain us with four of their stories. All three of these storytellers are straight from the Deuteronomist tradition which is responsible for writing most of the Bible. Jesus Himself learned his theology by listening to these stories. We shall do the same, listening to the very same stories Jesus did. We will watch as they are composed. In the listening and the watching, we hope to experience an understanding of how the Bible was written. This is an exciting experience!
B. A SPIRITUALITY OF TECHNOLOGY: FINDING GOD IN THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA
presented by Mark Bartholet, MA
Thursdays, Feb. 2, 9, 16 & 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
St. Peter Catholic Church
Facebook, if it were a country, would be the world’s third most populous nation. If you began reading Wikipedia today, it would take you another lifetime to read every entry. These are a few dramatic examples of how technology is changing the landscape of the post-modern world. This course will examine spirituality in this newly connected world. Questions the course seeks to deal with include: How does technology shape our spirituality? Does the technological world hinder our spiritual journey or enhance it? Is there such a thing as a spirituality of technology? And, finally, what practices, both technological and spiritual, should we embrace to enhance the spiritual journey of the 21st Century?
C. SAINT BENEDICT AND LIFE ACCORDING TO HIS RULE
presented by Abbot Placid Solari
Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 21 & 28 7 to 9 p.m.
Grace Auditorium, St. Leo Hall at Belmont Abbey College
This course includes an overview of the history and development of Benedictine monastic life - from its origins to the present day - with a focus on the work of the Benedictines in North Carolina. We will read and interpret the life of Saint Benedict as presented in Book II of the Dialogues, attributed to St. Gregory the Great, and will study the Rule itself and the characteristic values of the particular form of Christian life which is Benedictine monastic life. In order to acquaint participants with a central aspect of Benedictine monastic life, namely the Liturgy of the Hours, each evening will begin with the celebration of Vespers together with the monastic community in the abbey basilica at 7 p.m. The lectures will follow Vespers and will be held in Grace Auditorium in St. Leo Hall on the college campus.
D. TENDING GOD'S GARDEN: SPIRITUALITY AND PRACTICE FOR AN ECOZOIC AGE
presented by Sister Jane Russell, OSF, PhD
Thursdays, Feb. 2, 9, 16 & 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
St. Matthew Catholic Church, New Life Center
Pope Benedict XVI issued a challenge in his 2010 World Day of Peace Message: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.” In this course we will briefly review the current perils and threats to our global environment, then seek resources from the Christian tradition as well as current science for healthier attitudes toward “our Sister, Mother Earth.” Finally, we will challenge each other to adopt disciplines designed to protect and restore our precious environment
E. RETREAT DAY - BEHOLDING THE FACE OF GOD
Saturday, March 24, 2012
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
St. Gabriel Catholic Church Ministry Center
Join us for an enlightening retreat led by the alumni of Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, and learn how you can behold the face of God in new and profound ways. Four keynote speakers share their reflections. The retreat concludes with celebration of the Eucharist. Lunch is included. Sponsored by GIFT and the Institute for Christian Spirituality of Seton Hall University.
Keynote Speakers:
Jennifer Kaalund, MHA.,MA: Beholding the Face of God in Scripture
Marie Harwanko, MAPM: Beholding the Face of God in People Who are Difficult to Love
Stephen Kass, MS, MAT: Beholding the Face of God in the Mirror
Carol C. Keilp-Tobin, MAT: Beholding the Face of God at Work
F. GETTIN' THE WORD ON THE WORD (made Flesh, that is…)
presented by Father Frank Cancro
Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 14, 21 & 28, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus for you? Who is Jesus for us as Catholic believers? In this course, we will study the development and the diversity of our understanding of Jesus as a person of history and as the Anointed One. This survey course in Christology will guide us through the life and ministry of Jesus, his miracles and teachings and the church's unfolding history and faith which contributed to the understanding of and belief in Jesus, the Lord
G. FORTALECIENDO LA FE DE LOS CATÓLICOS ANTE EL PROSELITISMO DE LOS NUEVOS GRUPOS RELIGIOSOS
by Padre Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar
Lunes 6, 13, 20 & 27 de Febrero a las 7 p.m.
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church
Puesto que nos toca vivir en un momento de la historia en que la fe de los Católicos se ve cada vez más cuestionada por la presencia de los Nuevos Grupos Religiosos, es necesario proporcionar a nuestros hermanos Católicos algunas herramientas que les ayuden a sentirse seguros en su fe para que no abandonen la Iglesia sin antes conocer y practicar la Doctrina Católica.
El objetivo de este curso tiene una doble finalidad:
1. Fortalecer la fe del Católico mediante la aclaración de sus dudas que le han causado la labor de los Nuevos Grupos Religiosos.
2. Cuestionar a los hermanos de Buena fe que han abandonado la Iglesia católica sin conocerla.
Todo esto dentro de un marco de respeto tomando en cuenta los siguientes puntos:
1. Respetando las creencias de los no Católicos.
2. Colaborando con todas aquellas personas que buscan el bien común.
Dando razón de nuestra fe ante aquellos que directa o indirectamente nos cuestionan.
H. WHAT MAKES CATHOLICS CATHOLIC?
presented by Mary Hugh Mauldin, RSM
Thursdays, Feb. 2, 9, 16 & 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
Whether you are a cradle Catholic or a newly baptized adult or a returning Catholic, join us as we revisit our core Catholic beliefs. Topics we will study include the universal call to holiness, sacramental outlook, the Trinity, Mary, the equal embrace of Scripture and tradition, our commitment to communal life and social justice.
