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Events Archive
Social Justice Archive
Green Action Archive
Adult Education Archive
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Archive Summary of Adult Ed Seminars
In the mid-1990′s, a group of North
Americans visited a remote and intact group of indigenous people, the
Achuar, located deep in the Amazonian region of Ecuador. This
relationship was initiated by the indigenous elders and shamans who, out
of their deep concern for the growing threat to their ancient way of
life, |
"Awakening The Dreamer/
Changing The Dream"
Symposium
Nov.
5 and Nov. 8, 2011
Coordinator: Tom Cullen
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Seeking
an
environmentally
sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on
our planet.
http://awakeningthedreamer.org |
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and their recognition that the
roots of this threat lay far beyond their rainforest home, actively
sought the partnership of committed individuals living in the modern
world.
Changing the Dream of North
Americans
They reminded us that one of the most powerful actions that can be taken
in support of the planet Earth and its inhabitants is to “change the
dream of the North.” It is our North American dream—our desires and
appetites—that is driving the destruction of the rainforests around the
world.
They took the Achuar’s mandate
seriously -- to change the dream of the modern world. And to this end,
they developed the seminar:
Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium, an inter-active
seminar with video clips and discussion, moderated by David Burnam. |
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Event |
Finding Our Social
Identity |
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Date |
Oct. 18, 2011 |
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Sponsor |
Adult Education and Social Justice |
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Description
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Finding our social identity
Who are we and how do others see us?
This was a
fabulously interesting seminar. Here's a link to the "Power flower"
diagram if you missed the seminar and would like to try it out
yourself.
The “Power Flower” is a tool developed by Canadian social change
educators when working with groups to “identify who we are (and
who we aren’t) as individuals and as a group in relation to
those who wield power in our society.”
The centre of the power diagram is divided into 16 segments,
each representing one facet or category of our social identity
(sex, race, education, sexual orientation, social class, etc.)
This centre is surrounded by a double set of flower petals, one
outer, one inner. The outer petals describe the dominant or
powerful identities in society. The inner petals are filled in
by participants and describe the social identity of each
individual. The object of the exercise is to discover how close,
or how distant, each person is to the dominant identity of their
current society. The more inner petals match the outer
(dominant) ones, the more social power that person possesses.
Find out how much power you have in your relationships with
others by analyzing your power in several categories.
Unfortunately, you've missed out on the interesting discussion
of the impact of our power (even if we didn't realize we had it
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Presenter |
This evening was led by Rev. Dr.
Greer Anne Wenh-In Ng, Professor Emerita of Christian education,
Emmanuel College U of T and member of this congregation. |
12 Steps to Living a Compassionate Life
April 2011
Book review
Preparing for Christmas
Watch
The Advent Conspiracy -- a video used in our
"Preparing for Christmas" adult ed seminars
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spend less
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give more
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love all
 
The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary
love.
So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has
somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.
And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming
debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose.
Is this what we really want out of Christmas?
What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?
Find meaning by
buying less and giving the money to the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the
hungry, the sick, the thirsty.
"Preparing for Christmas"
Adult Education Seminars: We had a
very interesting series of discussions!
Bringing the Spiritual Life back into Christmas
This session will
explore ways to recover the spiritual and liturgical traditions of Advent
and Christmas. We will examine how we can find real meaning amidst the
noise, confusion and busyness of the season.
How to have an authentic Christmas
You have it in your
heart to make the Christmas you have always wanted, but how to do it? We
will explore the ways and means, tips and ideas to make the season and the
day authentic for you and your family. Our goal? Christmas without
meltdowns.
Christmas in times of transition
Life is about
change and transition, yet our Christmas traditions are touchstones in our
lives. How do we create new traditions when we are experiencing changes in
our lives such as; divorce, moving to a new community, or grown children?
How can we find the new without saying a complete goodbye to the familiar?
"Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello"
We find ourselves perched on the threshold between the past and the
future – a very special place, indeed.
To honour the moment in time where we say farewell to our beloved supply
minister, Rev. Dr. Kathy Edmison, and prepare for the excitement of the
arrival of our new minister, Rev. Christopher White, the Adult Education
Committee hosted a seminar to ponder the gifts of our past, the reality of
our present, and the hopes for our future.
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Bad Boys
of the Bible
Exploring Men of Questionable Virtue
This was a very successful and interesting Bible study, held
October/November 2009. Find out more from the book
Baddest Bad Boys of the Old Testament.
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There’s No ATM in the Wilderness:
Reflections for Lent
Break the silence about money! This sentiment is often
expressed in church circles, and entire stewardship events have been developed
on the theme. Actually, though, we frequently talk about money. What we are
silent about is the significance of money in our lives—how it both affects and
reflects our relationships with God, with others, and with the earth.
Increasingly, people are defined—both by others and by themselves—by the
concrete amount of money that shapes their lives. There’s No ATM in the Wilderness
is a spiritual journey that
explores your relationship with money and its impact on your faith life.
Seminar
on Death and Grieving
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The lives of Hebrew women came alive
off the pages of Scripture ~ through music, voice and story. Mon. Mar. 2
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The Women Spirit groups of Fairlawn welcomed Debra Aronson
and Krista Dowdeswell to share stories of the lives of Hebrew women in the Bible
as a way of reminding us of our place in God’s world.
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Guest sermon, Raheel Raza,
March 18, 2007
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Children's Christmas Play 2010
  
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