Prof. Quivik discusses "The Final Goodbye"

Melinda A. Quivik, assistant professor of practical theology-Christian assembly at The Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia, will be discussing Funeral Trends and Burial Practices online from now through January 23. Prof. Quivik, whose book A Christian Funeral: Witness to the Resurrection, was published by Augsburg Fortress in 2005, is quoted in this month's The Lutheran magazine in the article The final goodbye - Death and taxes are constant, but funerals are changing. You'll find the article online on the Lutheran's Web site: http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=6251 You'll also find a link to the discussion on this page.

Mt. Airy Schools Art Show, “Increase the Peace,” at LTSP through King Day

Honoring the spirit of the holiday season and the inspiration of Martin Luther King, Mt. Airy Public Elementary School students were asked to create artwork that symbolized Peace – in their lives, homes, community or the world. Twenty-four students submitted drawings, which will be on display on the first floor of the Brossman Center at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), 7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA (www.Ltsp.edu).

The Mt. Airy Schools Art Show and Contest will run from Mt. Airy First Friday on January 5, 2007 until Martin Luther King Day, January 16, 2007. The community is invited to attend the show and vote on the artwork. Ballots will be tabulated on January 17, 2007, and prizes will be awarded to the students at their schools, shortly thereafter.

The idea for the art show grew out of the escalating violence, and gun violence in particular, in Philadelphia. “With the murder rate at almost 400 dead and the year not yet over, it’s important for community groups, schools, government agencies and religious institutions to breathe life into the situation and help ease neighborhood tensions by acting with a tactical focus toward creating a safe community,” said LTSP organizer and Community Relations Coordinator, Terri Youngblut. “As citizens, we are called to stand up for justice and peace and to teach our children that they too can make a difference. This focus is especially important to help children avoid risky behaviors and crime such as illegal drug use, in order to become healthy, well-adjusted adults.”

The art show and contest idea was initiated by The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) in conjunction with the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement (NIM) Congregation and Community Council Peace Initiative and the Mt. Airy Schools Committee (MASC). It is anticipated to be a yearly event.

You can see some of the entries on the LTSP Web.

“Changing Families” symposium series opens with “Disconnected Young Single Fathers”

“Disconnected Young Single Fathers” is the topic of the first session of the “Changing Families and the Challenge for Urban Ministry: From Surviving to Thriving” symposium series on Saturday, January 20, 2007, at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). Keynote speakers at the first session are Ronald Mincy, Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice, Columbia University, and Joseph T. Jones, Jr., Founder and President of the Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development, Baltimore, MD. The program begins at 9:00 am at The Brossman Center at LTSP, and the public is encouraged to register.

The second session of the series, on Saturday, March 3, 2007, will explore “Vulnerable Young Single Mothers” with keynoters Kathy Edin (University of Pennsylvania) and Brenda Girton-Mitchell (National Council of the Churches of Christ), and the third, on Saturday, April 14, 2007, will address “At-Risk Children of Changing Families” with keynoters Marcia J. Carlson (Columbia University) and Victoria Yancey (School District of Philadelphia). The series is sponsored by the Metropolitan/Urban Concentration and Urban Theological Institute of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, with support from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

For more details and to register for any or all of the sessions, please visit the “Changing Families” website at www.Ltsp.edu/changingfamilies. You may also email changingfamilies@Ltsp.edu or call (215) 248-4616.