Thursday, February 23, 2017

eConnection from NTS - February 2017 for Thursday, 23 February 2017 with Carla Sunberg of Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, United States

eConnection from NTS - February 2017 for Thursday, 23 February 2017 with Carla Sunberg of Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, United States

REFLECTING THE IMAGE: Holy People Hold Their Tongue
We live in an era where it’s hard to get to the bottom of the truth, and the use of social media has created a new art form in the use of words. I have entitled this little blog post, “Holy People Hold Their Tongue.” Maybe my title should have been, “Holy people hold their tongue and don’t post everything that pops into their mind.” Lest you think this is a political post — it’s not! This is a message to the people of God, not the secular world.
The Psalmist tells us:
O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;[Psalm 15:1-3]
The desire of David was to dwell in the holy space of God’s presence. Jesus’ life provided the pathway for all of us to join him on the holy hill, to be transformed by God’s holy presence. We are constantly drawn up the hill so that we can abide in fellowship with our holy God. Being in God’s holy presence becomes transformational because the Lord’s holiness begins to work on the impurities which may be found in our lives. Transformed hearts lead to transformed living. No longer can we speak “untruths” but must speak the truth as it comes from our heart, and this is a heart which is touched by the holy love of God.
Once this happens, we are convicted when we begin to slander our brother or sister. Holy love of God becomes holy love for the other. When we desire the best for someone else, we would never think of speaking ill against them. Every word that comes out of our mouth is carefully monitored by the working of the Holy Spirit, for words can be as damaging as actions. Instead, speaking ill of a friend or coworker is far from the behavior of the one abiding on the hill with God, for holy people hold their tongue. David was referring to those who would abide in the presence of God most high. These were the “holiness” people of his day and he realized that they had a problem. They liked to talk and gossip, and they tore one another apart with their words.
While this was already a problem in David’s day, it has become magnified these days because of social media. Somehow we think it’s okay to say things to one another in “anonymous” posts that we would never say when we are together, face to face. Or, “in confidence,” we “share” our “concerns” about someone with a friend. We are actually trying to condone our criticism and negative talk. It’s easy to tear down that sister or brother that has a different political view, or doesn’t raise their kids well, or spends too much on certain items, or maybe interprets theology differently, or has a church that’s growing (and surely they must be doing something wrong!), or the church leader that just “doesn’t get it!” Wow — it can become a growing cancer in our lives and the one that ultimately suffers — is us — because we can’t continue this attitude and abide in the Lord’s tent. Suddenly our words have taken us far from God’s holy presence and we didn’t even know it was happening.
Words really do matter, and they reflect our hearts. When we are in an intimate relationship with God, then our heart begins to reflect God’s heart. If that’s not what’s happening, then we had better get on our knees and confess that we have strayed from God’s tent, because holy people hold their tongue.
Grace and Peace,

Carla Sunberg
President
GRIDER-WINGET THEOLOGY LECTURES
Featuring Dr. Alan Torrance (February 27-28)
Join us February 27-28 for this lecture series with Dr. Alan Torrance, Professor of Systematic Theology in the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. The title of this lecture series is the Priesthood of Christ.
These lectures are FREE and open to the public! The schedule is as follows:
Monday, February 27: Brown bag lecture beginning at noon in the NTS Cafe and another lecture in the afternoon. Students, there will be no afternoon classes on this day.
Tuesday, February 28: Lunch provided by the NTS Admissions Office beginning around noon in the NTS Cafe.
Originally funded by Mabel Frandsen Winget, the Grider-Winget Lectures in Theology, named in honor of Dr. J. Kenneth Grider and Dr. Wilfred Winget, bring to NTS outstanding guest theologians who are representative of the theological heritage and mission of NTS.
A complete schedule will be available soon at nts.edu/upcoming-events or you may contact the Dean's Office at (800) 831-3011, ext. 5412.
3rd Annual Pastors Day Coming Soon
(NTS Campus, March 7)
The NTS Center for Pastoral Leadership will host its third annual Pastors Day on Tuesday, March 7, from 10:30am – 2:30pm in the Koinonia Café on the campus of Nazarene Theological Seminary. Lunch is included in the registration cost ($30). Our topic is ‘Leadership at the Crossroads of Faith and Public Life’ presented by Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, Vice President of Academics and Dean of the Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dr. Gunning Francis is also the author of 'Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community.' She researched and wrote the book while serving as the Associate Dean for Contextual Education and Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Gunning Francis has also served as an adjunct professor for the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and has provided pastoral leadership for congregations in Georgia, Illinois and Ohio. She holds the Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University; and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
Dr. Gunning Francis has also has been featured in two PBS specials this past year including The Talk: Race in America and America in Black and Blue.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/the-talk/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/america-in-black-and-blue/
We hope you can join us on March 7 for this significant topic.
Click here to register.
2017 DMin Symposium
(NTS Campus, March 8-9)
Alumni and Friends, several of our DMin candidates will be on the campus of Nazarene Theological Seminary on March 8 and 9 to present their Pastoral Research Projects. We hope you can join us!
The topics include:
Developing Practical and Accessible Wesleyan Pastoral Education for the Church of the Nazarene in New Zealand
Participating Faithfully: Re-Imagining Congregational Assessment as an Ecclesial Practice
The Pastor as Mentor: Creating a Culture of Mentoring on the Michigan District
Pastoral Health on the Michigan District of the Church of the Nazarene
Click here to download the symposium flyer.
For more information, please contact Derek Davis (dldavis@nts.edu).
Lifelong Learning Credit Opportunity
(Shepherd Community Center, March 13-17)

The Nazarene Theological Seminary Center for Pastoral Leadership is offering an exclusive lifelong learning opportunity on site at Shepherd Community in Indianapolis, Indiana,
March 13-17, 2017. Dr. Roger Hahn will be teaching Introduction to Missional Theology on the campus of this Nazarene, faith-based inner-city ministry.
20 hours of lifelong learning credit will be offered to those registering through the CPL website. Click here to register.
The cost is only $200. CPL members receive a 10% discount. Contact Dana Preusch (dpreusch@nts.edu) for the code.
This course provides an introduction to recent theological reflection on the Mission of God with emphasis on the nature of God and the missional work of God in the restoration of all creation. Special attention will be given to Ecclesiology with theological analysis of our participation through, and as, the Church in the mission of God. The impact of Missional Theology on the reading of Scripture and on Wesleyan practices of ministry will also be explored.
Please visit cpl.nts.edu for more details.
Click here to download the flyer.
General Assembly Participants Invited to Prayer Retreat (Benedict Inn, Indianapolis, June 19-20)
Would you like to join with others for a 24-hour period of prayer and reflection just prior to the General Conventions and Assembly events in Indianapolis? Good news, you can!
The retreat will be held at the Benedict Inn Retreat & Conference Center (benedictinn.org), located 15 minutes from the Indiana Convention Center, where most General Assembly events will be located.
The cost for this event ranges from $99 to $149 depending on room choice and if a reservation is made by March 31st. These prices cover food and lodging during the Retreat. Each participant is responsible for their own transportation to and from Indianapolis. Rates increase slightly after March 31st.
Note: You may register for meetings and meals only for $40.

Developed by leaders from Church of the Nazarene higher education institutions, the retreat is based on Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to “Come away . . . and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). The leaders, including Deirdre Brower-Latz (Nazarene Theological College–Manchester), Rhonda Carrim (Northwest Nazarene University), Terry Fach (Ambrose University), Doug Hardy (Nazarene Theological Seminary), Rebecca Laird (Point Loma Nazarene University), and Doug VanNest (Mount Vernon Nazarene University), will direct Scripture presentations based on Ephesians 4:1-16, as well as times of community and private prayer.
“Prayer is the central practice of the Christian faith and something we are called to engage in with intention and together as God's people,” says Dr. Hardy. “I look forward to the 2017 pre-General Assembly prayer retreat as an opportunity to join with fellow Nazarenes in placing ourselves before God in prayer — listening and petitioning — so that our hearts may be tuned to the Holy Spirit for the conventions and assembly to follow.”
Click here to register.
More details are available at www.nts.edu/pre-ga-prayer-retreat.
NTS Alumni Breakfast at General Assembly
(Convention Center Rooms 140-142, June 26, 6:45am CT)
Lori Neely, Alumni & Donor Relations

NTS alumni, we hope to see you at this fun opportunity to reconnect with former classmates, colleagues and friends. Current and former faculty members will be there, and you will hear from NTS President, Carla Sunberg.
  • Adults: $25 (after 5/15/17: $30)
  • Children: $10 (after 5/15/17: $15)
  • Club 300 Members: $22 (after 5/15/17: $27)
You may register:
Click here to register online.
Or download this form (click here) and mail it back to NTS with payment:
Lori Neely
1700 East Meyer Boulevard
Kansas City, Missouri 64131, United States
More details are available at www.nts.edu/nts-general-assembly-breakfast.
NTS Alumni
Watch Your Mailbox for Alumni Council Ballot
Lori Neely, Alumni & Donor Relations
Hey Alumni! So you know, within the next few weeks, a ballot will be sent to you to elect a new NTS Alumni Council. Please watch for it!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Nestor Hernandez
I was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico to a Nazarene pastor and a Registered Nurse. At the age of four, my family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, as my dad was called to pastor a Nazarene Hispanic congregation and teach ordination courses to Hispanic pastors.
I learned to love God and the Church early in life. My parents read the Bible to my sister and me and prayed with us. They were good examples of what it is to be a true follower of Christ. While in New Jersey, my father baptized me at the age of eight, and I professed my faith in Jesus as my one and only Savior and made a commitment to follow God. While growing up, I saw pastoral work as the greatest job in the world and often expressed my desire to become a pastor like my father. When I was nine, we moved back to Puerto Rico where my father started his new pastoral assignment in beautiful Las Vegas, Cataño, where we have ministered and served for the past 13 years.
I love my local church. They have showed me what a true community of faith is about. There was a period during my adolescent years when I questioned my faith and my place in the church. Although I didn’t get involved in risky behaviors, I was walking away from God. In all this, I know that God never left my side. He protected me from going too far and showed me His grace, especially through my parents and the church’s constant love and patience.
At the age of 16, I was given the opportunity to serve as a page representing the Caribbean Region at the 27th General Assembly. During that special time, God started to recapture my heart and transform my mind. He spoke to me clearly during every service, conference, and conversation. The experience of worshiping God with brothers and sisters from so many different parts of the world, all singing in their native languages, captivated me. I decided to give myself completely to God and give up all control to the Holy Spirit. God renewed his call upon my life. I fell in love with the Church of the Nazarene and with what God was doing through it, and I was overwhelmed with the desire of living and preaching a life of holiness.
After General Assembly, I went on a Work and Witness trip to the Dominican Republic. God continued to transform my mind and heart as I served others, and he gave me new passions and desires. He has changed many aspects of my life, and in others, he is still at work. I became more involved in local church ministry, especially youth ministry. In 2010, I was elected local NYI President, and although I was scared, I trusted God to do great things. He did. We experienced a great revival in the youth of our church in the years to come. At the same time, I became involved with the NYI of the Puerto Rico East District and served in their Council. God continued to prepare me as He allowed me to preach and teach in several churches and small groups. I learned much about ministry and service.
In 2013, my local church granted me a local pastor license to serve as Youth Pastor. Then, in 2014, I was elected the NYI president for the Puerto Rico East District and was also given a district pastor license. While serving the Lord in these capacities, in June 7, 2014, I took one of the biggest steps in my life and married my beautiful and amazing High School sweetheart, Frances Reyes. She is truly a blessing from God and challenges me to continue pursuing excellence in all I do. She shares my passion for Christ and ministry. Even as I write this, I am overwhelmed by God’s grace toward me. He has been more than good to me.
God has confirmed His call in many ways as the years have passed. Even though I have mostly been involved in youth ministry, I feel God is calling me to pastoral ministry. I love the church and consider it a blessing to serve God’s people. I am a Registered
Professional Nurse and love serving others in this way. I don’t regret becoming a nurse, because it has taught me much, but God’s call continues to burn deep inside me, and there is no way I could run away from it, even if I tried.
I believe part of my answer to God’s call is to prepare myself in order to be faithful and effective in my service to him and the Church of the Nazarene. That is the reason I want to pursue theological studies. I believe it is the right moment to pause and allow God to
prepare me and shape me for this purpose. It is the moment to invest in formal education, and to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to be pertinent to the needs of believers and non-believers to whom I will minister. Although I have many school options, I decided on NTS because it is an institution that teaches in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, in which I want to be prepared.
My wife and I were ready for the challenge and sacrifice this decision will entail. We knew it would not be easy to relocate from a tropical island with a nice weather all year long, give up the warmth and familiarity of our church and part from our extended family. The economic factor was also something that we took into consideration as a young couple. However, we trust that the God who has called us is the one who will provide and guide us the whole way through. For that, we are eternally grateful.[Nestor Hernandez]
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT - "Faithful & Effective"
The mission of NTS is "to prepare faithful and effective ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The stories of alumni in ministry are the story of NTS.
Deanna Hayden (Class of 2006)
My first experience at NTS was before classes started, during Spiritual Formation workshops hosted by Morris Weigelt and Dee Freeborn. The theme they wanted to impress upon us was, "Guard Your Heart." I felt perplexed. I didn't see how studying hard would give me the need to guard my heart. But, as I studied and developed a theological foundation, along with skills for biblical interpretation, I started to understand how easy it was to believe what I was learning somehow made me "better." It became natural to think I had answers that others needed to hear. It didn't take long before I experienced consequences of pride! And, I understood a little more of the wisdom brought by those words: Guard your heart.
Another part of those Spiritual Formation workshops was developing small groups. My group was a strong one, leading me into friendships that have lasted even these years later. At the time, those friendships were mostly a welcome outlet from intense studies. I enjoyed talking, listening, processing, and just being together. When everyone graduated and moved away and I entered into full-time ministry, I realized I still needed friendship. After more than a decade of ministry, I've learned perhaps a small part of the many potential pitfalls of the minister, and so, in addition to friendship, I've learned I have a need for accountability. Because of this, I invited a handful of other female ministers to meet together monthly for accountability and prayer. I believe it's difficult to understate the devastating consequences that can happen if we are not careful in so many ways. So, those wise words from my first days at NTS return to me again: Guard your heart.
I'm so grateful for the theological foundation I received from NTS. My professors developed in me an even deeper love for the Scriptures and a heartfelt connection to Wesleyan doctrine. And perhaps one of the most discreet lessons I learned has been one of the most important. I learned to guard my heart. Because of that lesson I learned and continue to learn, I feel the prayer of Ephesians 3 at work in me: "I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love."[Rev. Deanna Hayden]
NTS AWARDED FINANCIAL LITERACY GRANT
Lilly Endowment Inc. recently awarded Nazarene Theological Seminary a $125,000 sustainability grant to continue its work in the critical area of financial literacy for the next generation of pastors and other church leaders. NTS was one of more than 50 theological schools in the United States to receive an initial three-year grant in 2014 to implement a program to encourage seminarians to graduate with manageable (or no) educational debt. The NTS Center for Pastoral Leadership (CPL) has headed up this work, which has included extensive counseling and educational efforts directed primarily at new students, and ongoing campus educational initiatives open to the entire student body, seminary faculty and staff. These efforts are having a great impact! According to the U.S. Department of Education, NTS has the lowest student loan default ranking in Missouri and is tied for the lowest default rate in the nation—with an amazing 0% default rate! This sustainability grant from Lilly Endowment will enable the NTS CPL to continue these important initiatives and cooperate with the denomination’s larger efforts to ensure financial wellness for all Nazarene pastors.
Quick Links
UPCOMING EVENTS
Keep informed about upcoming continuing education events, CPL webinars and other happenings at NTS by visiting the EVENTS page of our website regularly!
COMING UP NEXT:


CENTER FOR PASTORAL LEADERSHIP (CPL)
The CPL continues to add new content to the LIFELONG LEARNING COURSE LIST on the CPL WEBSITE. Website subscribers have unlimited access to CPL sponsored webinars and other events which, when viewed, are automatically reported on the website to help the busy pastor keep track of their 20 hours of lifelong learning hours needed each year. NEW WEBINARS recently added include When a Woman Preaches featuring Rev. Tara Beth Leach, and Making Sense of Revelation led by pastors Jon Middendorf and JR Foresters.
QUICK FACTS
Did you know that courses for the NTS Master of Divinity degree can be taken in Kansas City, MO; Bethany, OK; Mount Vernon, OH; Nashville, TN; Quincy, MA; and San Diego, CA? Click here to learn more about NTS as a Multi-Campus Seminary.
Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Education, NTS has the lowest student loan default ranking in Missouri and is tied for the lowest default rate in the nation—with an amazing 0% default rate!
Did you know that NTS was voted #12 in a BestColleges.com national survey of best online Master's in Theology.
Did you know that an NTS graduate who is currently pastoring serves, on average, two years longer than someone who has not attended Seminary?
Did you know that in all ATS-accredited schools (including NTS), there has been a steady increase in recent years in the number of Seminary students who are age 50 and above?
Did you know that NTS is the only Nazarene institution in the U.S. whose Master of Divinity Program is nationally accredited by the Association of Theological Schools?
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE INTERESTED IN HIGHER THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION?

If so, please send the prospective student's information to Hannah Beers (hbeers@nts.edu), our Director of Recruiting.
OR
Direct the individual to www.nts.edu/start-your-journey. From this page, people can explore their calling by expressing their interests on a simple form. One of our recruiters will follow up by contacting them for discussion and prayer.

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