SFC 101: Intro to Christianity as a Way of Life

Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom of God is an invitation to come and follow - to learn a whole new way of living. This course, hosted by new monastic communities, introduces students to the theology and practice of Christianity as a way of life in five sessions. School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism (Cascade 2005) is the primary text for this course. Students stay with host community and are invited to participate in the community’s common life for three days.

SFC 102: Intro to Christianity as a Way of Life in Latin America

An adaptation and contextualization of the SFC 101 course offered in the U.S., this course serves as a tool to build upon the work already in place among partner communities, local churches, and renewal movements in Latin America.

SFC 103: Building Up the Church Event

Monasticism has always helped the church remember who she is. These events are designed to help local churches explore five practices that have emerged from new monastic communities: reading Scripture as the story of God’s people, relocation to abandoned places, economic sharing, gospel peacemaking, and cultivating a culture of grace and truth. New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today’s Church (Brazos, 2008) is the primary text for this course and will be provided on site to all participants. This is a single day event, hosted by local churches. Lunch will be provided. Registration cost is $30/person for those who are able to pay.

SFC 201: Christian Identity and the Mission of the Church in the Americas

This travel course is a short-term, immersion-learning experience in Argentina or Brazil. It is designed for university and seminary students, as well as other small groups (e.g., short-term missions and/or discovery trips for local churches) who are interested in a first-hand look at the challenges and possibilities for our understanding of world Christianity as both a global and local reality, taking the Latin American context as a “marker” for understanding Christian identity and mission in the Americas.