"President's eUpdate-Strategic Plan" Saint Paul School of Theology of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 28 March 2016

"President's eUpdate-Strategic Plan" Saint Paul School of Theology of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 28 March 2016


President's eUpdate
Monday, March 28, 2016
Dear Saint Paul Community,
Alleluia, Christ is risen! May the Easter season be a sign of God's work in you and a new time of spiritual renewal. In my Saint Paul School of Theology news this week, I want to update you on a new season at the seminary.
The Board of Trustees has approved a new Strategic Plan 2017-2025 anticipating a renewed and faithful vision for the seminary. We are excited to live into a future redefining what it means to be seminary in a different spiritual climate with the heritage of Saint Paul to steady our journey. We are very grateful to Nancy Brown and her committee who spent time learning about who we are and how we understand our mission, as they crafted a call to this next season in our history.
Let me summarize for you the key features of the strategic plan. The plan begins

with our purpose, mission, vision, and values. Each of these statements remembers the historical commitments of Saint Paul, but also reflects our current vision for a strongly relational seminary. The mission statement is now stated this way: "Centered in Christ and rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, Saint Paul School of Theology is a seminary of collaborative relationships committed to the formation of people for ministry through rigorous academic life, the dynamic exploration of Scripture, and diverse, contextual experience." The related statements of purpose include our deepest commitments to ministry with the Church, identity with the Heartland, and work for justice.
The strategic plan emphasizes four directions. First is the work to strengthen the educational enterprise of the seminary, particularly by focus on preparation of people for ministry in the changing 21st century context. Second is creation of a community for theological learning, training, dialogue, and research in theHeartland, where be bring together the church, urban and rural contexts, the public square, and the academy. Third is the advance of the presence of Saint Paul, which means spreading the news of Saint Paul's vision as a witness to the compelling story of our journey with God in theological education. Fourth is shaping the future of Saint Paul grounded in a strong foundation of leadership, governance, and planning that will sustain our mission into the future.
Our intentional reflection on the future of the seminary, our mission, and our relationships begins with you. We are grateful that you will start this new journey with us, and we invite you to pray for us in this new season and join us in supporting our mission.

Dr. Nancy R. Howell, Acting President
Saint Paul School of Theology
howellnr@spst.edu
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Special Events
Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr.
Evangelical Society Lecture
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 11:07 a.m.
Kathleen Neal Cleaver, Angela Rye, Clifton Truman Daniel, Mary Jean Eisenhower
Cleaver Lecture in Religion and Public Life
St. James United Methodist Church, Kansas City, MO
Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 7:00 p.m.
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 a.m.
Dr. Emilie Townes
Sacred Worth, Women in Ministry, & Students Organizing for Change
Saint Paul: Church of the Resurrection, C041
Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 11:07 a.m.
Celebrate Saint Paul
Celebrating 8 years of seminary education at Saint Paul: OCU
United Methodist Church of the Servant, Oklahoma City, OK
Thursday, April 28, 2016, 6:30 p.m.
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
STAY IN TOUCH
Saint Paul School of Theology: The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
(913) 253-5000
Saint Paul School of Theology: Oklahoma City University
2501 North Blackwelder Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  73106, United States
(405) 208-5757
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