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For many
engaged in the work of lifelong learning and professional continuing education,
this time of year is our “bread and butter” time. We’re engaged, day-by-day, in the business of
lifelong learning. There may be a time
when it was not so, but for each of us, we need to attend to this
business. The expectation placed on many
of our organizations is that they will be at least self-sustaining, if not
profit-generating. Fortunately, many of
us are also finding that the learners we’re working with have become accustomed
to paying for good learning experiences.
The addition of a growing number of people who are not employed by
church organizations, but who are seeking substantial theological education, is
also making it easier to attend to the business. But attend we must.
I want to
encourage you once again to take advantage of the opportunity to “come apart
for a time” that the upcoming SACEM Annual Conference. This is our opportunity to gather with
colleagues for the kind of learning, encouragement and refreshment that we’ve
come to expect from each other.
The theme
for this year’s conference, Lifelong Learning: Challenges and Opportunities in the
Digital Age, is certainly timely and gives us the opportunity to engage
learning from Mary Hess who will address this topic, and with each other.
This year’s
conference will also mark the 40th anniversary of SACEM. Begun during the days in which the concept of
professional continuing education was really gaining traction, SACEM has served
for 40 years as the place for those whose energy and passion are being devoted
to equipping leaders in the church for their ministries. It has been the place where the accumulated
wisdom of leaders in lifelong learning has been shared in an ecumenical
setting.
We’ll have
an opportunity for hands-on learning in the workshops, some of which are
devoted to learning in this digital age, including the uses of distance
learning technologies.
It’s time
for us to attend to the business of lifelong learning for ministry. That’s been SACEM’s business for 40
years. I’m looking forward to meeting
you in Columbus.
Dick Bruesehoff, President
See more information about the 2008 SACEM Conference
Read previous columns by the SACEM President
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