Men's Spirituality Series: Spring 2012
Exploring Men's Personal Journeys
of Spiritual Growth
Join us this season as we hear from men whose life stories are seemingly distinct yet who share common patterns of spiritual awakening. Each has discovered new dimensions of life that rises from struggle and embraces a spiritual path. Each will share his vision of a vibrant masculine spirituality and invite group discussion.
|
|
The Men’s Series is coordinated by Terry Shaughnessy, a spiritual director with an MA in Christian Spirituality. His faith has been enriched by the long time practice of Centering Prayer and Ignatian spirituality.
To preserve a sacred space for men to explore their spirituality together, we ask that only men register for the sessions.
True North Groups and Masculine Spirituality
Wednesday, February 29, 6:30-8:30pm
“We all yearn to share the stories of our lives and to have honest conversations with people we trust.” So begins Doug Baker & Bill George's invaluable guide, True North Groups - A Powerful Path to Personal and Leadership Development. Doug’s experience facilitating intentional groups informs the wisdom he offers in this interactive presentation. He will explain why “True North Groups” can help us develop the self-awareness, compassion, emotional intelligence and authenticity required to be inspired men.
Facilitator: Doug Baker has been a corporate executive, consultant, teacher, author, mentor and community leader for more than four decades. He is founder and president of True North Groups Institute, created in 2011 with co-author Bill George following the publication of their book, True North Groups. He has taught at Gustavus Adolphus College, the University of St. Thomas, Normandale Community College and the University of Minnesota and currently serves on the advisory board for the Center of Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 29, 6:30-8:30pm
COST: $20
From Frantic to Flourishing:
How Men Can Use Their Brains to Find Their Spirit
Wednesday, March 28, 6:30-8:30pm
How can brain science inform and direct our spiritual growth? A little knowledge about the workings of the brain can help us understand how we can move from reactivity to centeredness, from fear to freedom, from being victims of circumstance to being agents of change, and from being passive to being purposeful. We will contrast living in the world of the limbic brain and living in our more evolved frontal lobe, identifying concrete steps toward a more life-giving perspective. Through presentation and discussion, we will explore together how men can use their brains to find their Spirit.
Facilitator: Scott McRae is Director of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor at Park Nicollet Health Services. He is a spiritual director, coach and a leader of the Spiritual Guidance and Leadership Program in St. Paul. Ordained in the Lutheran Church (ELCA), and a graduate of Yale Divinity School, his experience includes parish and campus ministries and chaplaincy.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 28, 6:30-8:30pm
COST: $20
With the Sun at My Back:
Reflections on manhood and fatherhood from my 65th year
Wednesday, April 11, 6:30-8:30pm
Twenty years ago, author Kent Nerburn wrote a series of essays about life’s important issues to help guide his son into manhood. The essays, Letters to My Son, became an international success and a pivotal work in the fields of parenthood and men’s studies. Since that time Nerburn has worked extensively in Native American studies and general spirituality, earning him designation as “One of America’s Living Spiritual Teachers.” He will join us to share insights he has gained about manhood, fatherhood and contemporary culture since Letters To My Son was published. In this participatory session, we will all be invited to reflect on our own journeys as fathers, sons and individuals who have learned, in Nerburn’s words, that, “We are born male. We must learn to be men.”
Facilitator: Kent Nerburn is the highly acclaimed author and editor of 14 books on spiritual values and Native American themes, published in over a dozen countries. His titles include Letters to My Son, The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life and Neither Wolf Nor Dog. He received his Ph.D. in Religion/Theology and Art from Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and has been praised by Harper Collins as “one of the few American writers who can respectfully bridge the gap between Native and non-Native cultures."
WHEN: Wednesday, April 11, 6:30-8:30pm
COST: $20
PAST PROGRAMS IN THIS SERIES
What Makes a Great Dad?
Lessons from Extraordinary Men on Fathering
Wednesday, January 11, 6-8 pm
Imagine 35 extraordinary men sitting around your kitchen table talking about fathering. Present are prestigious doctors, an NBA pro, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, best-selling authors, philanthropic leaders, and other successful leaders, discussing what worked with their kids, what didn’t, and what lessons they learned as fathers. The result would be a comprehensive playbook of what makes for successful children and an insightful survey into modern-day fathering. That playbook is If I Were Your Daddy, This Is What You’d Learn by Julia Espey. Espey will present her findings and facilitate a lively discussion about fathering.
PRESENTER: Best-selling author Julia Espey is a one-time single mother and a former NASA aerospace researcher. Prompted by the daddy void in her young son’s life, Julia began to research fathering by interviewing extraordinary men who were dedicated fathers and compiling their stories. If I Were Your Daddy was selected as “one of the best parenting/family books of 2011” by the Independent Book Publishers Association at the Book Expo of America. Jack Canfield, cocreator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, writes the foreword, and leadership expert Stephen M.R. Covey and National Fatherhood Initiative President Roland Warren endorse the book.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 11, 6:00-8:00pm
COST: $20
