"President's eUpdate--Where We Are: Part 3" Saint Paul School of Theology of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 22 February 2016

"President's eUpdate--Where We Are: Part 3" Saint Paul School of Theology of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 22 February 2016


President's eUpdate
Dear Saint Paul Community,
The Saint Paul: Resurrection partnership continues! Space sharing is surely the 11th commandment. Thou shalt learn to share space with all shapes and sizes of God's creatures.
As the new curriculum rolled out in academic year 2014-2015, the academic partnership moved into a clearly defined praxis learning model. Church of the Resurrection selected Jonathan Bell to be their liaison to Saint Paul and in year 3 is 100

percent related to all things Saint Paul. Dr. Elaine Robinson (Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs/Dean) and Jonathan worked out an effective model for faculty to invite Resurrection staff to serve as a guest practitioner or lead practitioner in their classroom. The Resurrection Executive Management Team provided Jonathan with a list of selected Staff with their credentials and areas of expertise. The match of faculty with Resurrection staff has produced as many as 15-20 in a single classroom in a semester. Some faculty members have negotiated to have a requested staff for a longer period, but the agreed to limit is 3 hours by a single staff person in a semester. Lead practitioners partner with faculty to provide practicums which are required for students: church budgets, planning funerals, youth ministry were the first offered.
Resurrection has provided discounts to students to participate in Congregational Care Certified training, participation in Leadership Institute, and scholarships for the Resurrection Holy Land trip. Resurrection provides a large number of ministry setting opportunities for students on a volunteer basis; some are employed; there are 2 Fellows in their first year and there will 2 Fellows added in the fall 2016.

We offer Saint Paul Academy as an adult education "taster" to the 6 foundational courses of theological education offered through Resurrection with a certificate

awarded at completion. (It's Seminary Lite in Oklahoma.) Resurrection has featured a Saint Paul Sunday each of the last 3 years with Saint Paul faculty and staff reading scripture in worship in all 4 locations. There has been a Saint Paul booth with recruitment and enrollment information at each location. This past year we had a number of faculty who taught adult Sunday School classes.
We have a long and engaging partnership with Resurrection that began while we were on the Truman campus. It has been a ministry setting for Saint Paul students for over 10 years and the Resurrection Scholars was a unique program opportunity for students with a specialized curriculum designed by Dr. Robert Martin (former Saint Paul faculty and now Dean at Wesley Theological School) and Rev. Karen Lampe.
It has been an extraordinary experience to meet and work with Debi Nixon (Managing Executive Director), Dan Entwistle (Managing Executive Director), Brent Messick (Finance Managing Executive Director/CFO), Jonathan Bell (Academic Collaboration with SPST Director) and Karen Lampe (Congregational Care Executive Pastor). Rev. Adam Hamilton has consistently prioritized time for Saint Paul:Resurrection Council meetings and encouraged all of us to think creatively! We have worked hard, gone back to the drawing table on occasion, and grown in our appreciation for each other. I leave calling them friends.
Resurrection has been an important praxis learning center for Saint Paul students

for over ten years. The church has provided radical hospitality and amazing opportunities for students to experience a plethora of experiences in the largest United Methodist Church in the world. Thank you Adam Hamilton and Church of the Resurrection for this amazing partnership!
On the journey with you,

Rev. H. Sharon Howell, President
Saint Paul School of Theology
sharon.howell@spst.edu
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Special Events
www.spst.edu/special-events
Dr. Angela Sims, Faculty Chair Installation
Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Chair in Church and Society
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, Wesley Chapel
Tuesday, March 01, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr.
Evangelical Society Lecture
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. Stephen Ray
Wertsch Lecture
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection,
Wesley Covenant Chapel/Video-streamed to Saint Paul: OCU
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. Emilie Townes
Sacred Worth & Women in Ministry Lecture and Workshop
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 11:07 AM
2016 Commencement - Leawood, KS
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, Main Sanctuary
Friday, May 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
2016 Commencement - Oklahoma City, OK
Saint Paul: Oklahoma City University, W. Angie Smith Chapel
Friday, May 27, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
For further information please contact:
Tracy Miller, tracy.miller@spst.edu
Register online: www.spst.edu/special-events
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"President's eUpdate--Where We Are: Part 2" Saint Paul School of Theology of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 15 February 2016


President's eUpdate
Dear Saint Paul Community,
Having two locations works and it is very hard work! What an amazing collaboration we enjoy with Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, and the United Methodist Oklahoma Conference. We are in our eighth year on the 

OCU campus, located in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. It is our 2nd year since receiving full accreditation approval from the Association of Theological Schools for all classes to be taken at the OCU location. Before receiving that approval the students who called the OCU location home had to take 2/3 of their course work at the Kansas City campus location. One-third of our total enrollment is based at our Saint Paul: OCU location.
All classes are video-linked between the two locations. In addition to class

connections, the faculty council, leadership team, academic team, and student recruitment team have meetings via video-link. The Ash Wednesday service was video-linked this year and so will the Honors and Awards Ceremony this spring. It is indeed a new day! I am definitely technologically challenged (ask anyone on the Saint Paul staff!) and I was skeptical about the video-link idea. It only took about thirty minutes of being video-linked for the screen to disappear.
Students tell me about the many ways they communicate with classmates on both campuses. They have told me over and over how much it means when the professor at one location makes the trip to teach in the other location. Most faculty make that trip at least once a semester.
Our staff in Oklahoma includes: Dr. Elaine Robinson, Interim Vice President of

Academic Affairs/Dean; Dr. Amy Oden, Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality; Dr. Stan Basler, Visiting Professor of Restorative Justice and Prison Ministries; Rev. Rick Burns, Associate Dean of Students and Associate Director of Contextual Education; Rachel McClain, Office Manager; Brian Green-Young and Joanna Chenoweth, Student Recruitment Staff; and Lee Webb, librarian for Saint Paul. All faculty, staff and classrooms are located in the Smith Chapel building. There is also space in the lower level for community meals, receptions, and larger group events.
I invite you to visit the Saint Paul at Oklahoma City University location when you have 

an opportunity. The Oklahoma Conference and Episcopal Office building is just a block off campus. The geographical closeness seems symbolic of the relationship between Saint Paul and the conference leadership. Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr. has been and is a strong advocate for Saint Paul. The bishop and district superintendents have worked to provide student appointments and other ministry opportunities for Saint Paul students.
The Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation, under the visionary and faithful

leadership of president Bill Junk, provide significant scholarship support for Oklahoma students at Saint Paul. The Foundation provided the first funding for a Saint Paul: Oklahoma Fellow.Matthew Patrick serves as associate pastor at Nichols Hills United Methodist Church and is a first year student at Saint Paul. The Lemon Family funded the second Saint Paul: Oklahoma Fellow. Michael Carpenter serves as associate pastor at Church of the Servant UMC. Our Advancement Team is actively working to secure funding for the next Saint Paul: Oklahoma Fellows.
Saint Paul: OCU is the new home for the United Methodist Deaconess and Home Missioner intensive core studies program affiliated with United Methodist 

Women. A unique relationship with the Academy for Spiritual Formation of the Upper Room Ministries is being explored. Our curriculum has a clear focus on spiritual formation and we offer a specialization in our Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degree. A Spiritual Formation Center located at Saint Paul: OCU is in the initial planning stages.
Oklahoma City University President Robert Henry and I have developed a good working relationship. In addition to the OCU Board approved 3+3 program, the exploration of dual degree possibilities continues. It has been delightful to be on the OCU campus, work with President Henry and his fine staff and faculty.
I anticipate the collaboration with Saint Paul and OCU will continue to grow and

expand. I'll watch with you from a distance, but I'll treasure these new friends forever.
On the journey with you,

Rev. H. Sharon Howell, President
Saint Paul School of Theology
sharon.howell@spst.edu
___________________________________________
Special Events
www.spst.edu/special-events
Dr. Angela Sims, Faculty Chair Installation
Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Chair in Church and Society
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, Wesley Chapel
Tuesday, March 01, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr.
Evangelical Society Lecture
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. Stephen Ray
Wertsch Lecture
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection,
C041/Video-linked to Saint Paul: OCU
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Dr. Emilie Townes
Sacred Worth & Women in Ministry Lecture and Workshop
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 11:07 AM
2016 Commencement - Leawood, KS
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, Main Sanctuary
Friday, May 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
2016 Commencement - Oklahoma City, OK
Saint Paul: Oklahoma City University, W. Angie Smith Chapel
Friday, May 27, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
For further information please contact:
Tracy Miller, tracy.miller@spst.edu
Register online: www.spst.edu/special-events 

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STAY IN TOUCH
Saint Paul: UM Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
(913) 253-5000
Saint Paul: Oklahoma City University
2501 North Blackwelder Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106, United States
(405) 208-5757
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