VANCOUVER ISLAND SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS
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VANCOUVER ISLAND SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS •
The Gospel of Genesis: Learning alongside the Ancient Israelites
4 WK COURSE
4 WK COURSE
The good news? We have very successfully turned early Genesis (chapter 1–11) into a series of picture books, Sunday School lessons, videos, and flannelgraphs. As a result, most children growing up in the church are quite familiar with those Bible stories. The bad news? There can be trouble when we never move beyond that child-sized understanding. Ironically, early Genesis can be a challenge precisely because of our strong start in childhood. We are very familiar with these passages, but we are also significantly uninformed about their ancient setting.
A good, healthy way to ‘grow up’ in our understanding is to hear these passages in their original ancient Near Eastern context, to listen alongside the ancient Israelites. What would they have heard? What kind of literature would they have known this to be? What would have been the obvious main points? What are we modern folks missing? These questions will be the focus of this course.
When we approach early Genesis this way, we find that it is not about the various culture-war issues we often bring to the text, but rather about things far deeper. Early Genesis proclaims Good News about God, about the world, and about what it means to be human.
Dr. Paul Teel
Paul has been a teacher at Pacific Christian Secondary for over 30 years, specializing in Calculus, Philosophy, and Biblical Studies. Somewhere in there he also enrolled at UVic and earned an MA and a PhD in philosophy, concentrating on the relationship between Christian theology and modern science. As a result, he was a guest lecturer at Regent College (a graduate school of theology in Vancouver) for nearly 20 years, including a stint on faculty for a program helping church leaders think about science in a more theologically robust and positive way.
Also during that time, Paul was the interim teaching pastor for one year at Saanich Community Church before joining the preaching roster at St. Barnabas Anglican Church. For the last two years, Paul has been one of the co-pastors at The Place Community Church. He and Heidi have been married for 34 years and have three adult daughters (and two sons-in-law!).
Discovering the Christian Scriptures with Lectio Divina and Art
4 WK COURSE - SEPT/OCT 2024
September/October 2024
Discovering the Christian Scriptures with Lectio Divina and Art event! Join us for 4 Thursday evenings starting on Thu Sep 19 2024 at 7pm for an evening of exploring the Bible in a unique way. Through the practice of Lectio Divina and art, we will delve into the sacred texts and discover new insights and meanings. This event is perfect for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the Christianscriptures in a creative and interactive setting. Don't miss out on this opportunity to engage with the Word in a fresh and inspiring way! Note: we will meet Sept 19, 26, Oct 3 and Oct 17th (no class Oct 10th)
The cost of $175 includes all art supplies.
Dr Kathleen Busch will be your teacher for this class. Kathleen is a pastor, spiritual director, artist, and the founder of VISTA- Vancouver Island School of Theology and the Arts. Kathleen holds a DMIN from George Fox University, a Master's in Theology from Regent College and a BA in Psychology from Trinity Western. She is also just beginning a Master's in Psychotherapy and Spirituality with a concentration in Art Therapy through St Stephen's College at the University of Alberta.
Finding Our Place at the Table: A Practical Theology of Food
4 WK COURSE - FEBRUARY 2025
We live in a city with both foodies and food insecurity, with artisan restaurants, farmers markets and fast food drive-through. We will explore some thoughtful Christian responses to all this disparity, to the choices we make as individuals and communities. What do the many passages in the Bible about food and shared meals tell us about the nature of God? How does what we eat relate to the well-being of plants, animals, people and our planet? How do shared meals shape our understanding of hospitality, gratitude and community? How does Communion bring all of these things together?
During the dark days of winter, gather together for four evenings of lectures, discussions and shared meals. Explore these food-related questions in the context of a family home. Be warmed by a cozy living room fire, and fed at a welcoming table.
Details:
Hosted by Heidi Teel. Space is limited to 14 people. We will meet on four consecutive Thursdays from 6 pm to 9 pm, starting Thursday Feb. 6th. The cost is $225 and includes dinner each evening.
There will also be a Saturday food field trip (details to follow).
Because this is meant to be a shared experience, we are only able to accommodate certifiable allergies, not food preferences. (But vegetarian possibilities will always be provided.)
Heidi Teel has been thinking about and preparing food for her family and others for many years. Most recently, in her role as Interim Community Life Minister at St. Barnabas Church, she put together a booklet entitled The Sacred in the Mundane: Meals, Tables, Dishes and Rest. She has been married to her husband Paul for 33 years, and they have raised three (now adult) children—all good cooks! She is the co-author of A Time to Read: Good Books for Growing Readers (For Those Who Love Books, Children, and God).
Fall Theology Conference on Mental Health with Dr Hillary McBride
CONFERENCE - NOVEMBER 2024
Welcome to the VISTA Fall Theology Conference on Mental Health featuring the insightful Dr. Hillary McBride as our keynote speaker! Join us in person at Victoria Alliance Church for 2 days of learning, discussion, and growth. Dr. McBride will share her expertise and wisdom on navigating mental health through a theological lens on Saturday morning. Her topic is Community Health as Mental Health This event is a unique opportunity to delve into this important topic with a renowned expert in the field. Don't miss out on this enriching experience!
The conference will start Friday night at 7pm with a theatre production from John Wason and some intro sessions from our breakout presenters. Come back Saturday morning at 9am for a full day of learning with a morning keynote session by Dr McBride and an opportunity to take part in some breakout sessions with local experts in the afternoon.
Other presenters include: Elizabeth Scott (counsellor), Vanesa Caruso (spiritual director), John Wason (actor) and more....
Bio Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out April 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at University of British Columbia, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada and can often be found near the ocean.