| Plans are underway to offer courses,workshops, and seminars |
| on subjects related to the Ecumenical Diaconal Ministry. |
| Valerie Bannert's thesis proposal is completed. Next are the steps to implementation. |
| Thesis Proposal: |
| Title: One Mission - One Ministry: the church uniting in mission - uniting in ministry. |
| Description: |
| It is about a ministry that is: |
| *ecumenical in purpose and intent, |
| *diaconal in spirit and practice, |
| *self-regulated in structure and operation. |
| EDM (Ecumenical Diaconal Ministry) is a proposal for a ministry that includes all Christian traditions under one umbrella. It is founded on the belief that church "unfriendly" divisiveness contradicts the way of the Spirit which is one of harmony, peace, and sameness of mission. As such, the pursuit of a uniting Christianity is not an option but a mandate. It is a sign to others that unity is a gift to be received, to be recognized, and to be celebrated. As such, it is like a journey directed by the Spirit calling Christians to acknowledge that by our baptism we are one flock and our one Shepherd is indeed Jesus the Christ. |
| It is active in creating a Christian Body that is not a melting pot of sameness but rather a divine mosaic - a multifaceted diamond proclaiming a richness of unique theological traditions and liturgical forms and structures. |
| Although Valerie has been developing the concept over many years, in 2002 a number of members from Eramosa Eden joined her as consultants which gave the project an added boost. (See Group One Consultants listed near the end of the preface at One Mission - One Ministry). Because they were from a variety of religious traditions and experiences, these members themselves created the "divine mosaic - multi- faceted diamond" referred to above. |
| Steps Toward Implementation: |
| One basic first step is to make the tenents of the alternative ministry known. |
| So...if you are thinking about ministry in a new way, revisit us here often for future activities that will start in the summer of 2005. |
| Some suggestions have been as follows: |
| 1). Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatious |
| 2). Christian Prayer/Spirituality |
| * traditional methods |
| * insights from other practices and religions (Yoga, Zen,Reiki, Sadhana etc.) |
| 3). Eco-ecumenism -interconnectedness of ecology and ecumenical theology |
| 4). Leadership Diaconal Style - Principles of leadership in-the-round/egalitarian. Critique of patriarchal modes. Biblical research - especially the Pauline Epistles (House churches, women's early leadership) |
| So ...if you are thinking about ministry in a new way we would love to hear from you. You can contact Valerie Bannert at eraeden@kw.igs.net |
| Home Spiritual Direction Description Ecumenical Diaconal Ministry (EDM) Dissertation:One Mission-One Ministry |