Ben Wormleighton offers this rationale for a postdoc spiritual formation group. We're hoping to launch such a group by early November. If you like the idea of connecting in such a group with other postdocs, drop us a note at bob.trube@intervarsity.org. Supporting and ministering to faculty is markedly different to undergraduate and graduate ministry. The season of life for undergraduate or graduate students consists of moments where change is expected, where identity is supposed to be in process, and where new and … [Read more...] about Formative Spaces for Postdocs: Opportunities in the Liminal
Faithful Presence: On Teaching…
Throughout my first year of grad school, I have seen first-hand the value of research and ideas. However, this may come at the cost of losing sight of people's inherent value and worth. People are often valued solely by their ability to create new research and new ideas. Looking back at myself, I find that I took part in favoritism toward high output individuals (see James 2 for some tough words on this). That's where teaching comes in. Teaching is an opportunity to treat all people as valuable regardless of their … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: On Teaching…
Lessons From Plein Air Painting
One of my growing edges is plein air painting. My wife is an artist and through a local art league, we've met a group of people who gather at a different park, homestead, or town square each Saturday morning during the warmer months to paint together. I never thought of myself as an artist, and still think of myself as a rank beginner, but I've come to enjoy the time with my wife, with my easel, and with my painting friends. As I've thought about it, I've also drawn some lessons that I think might bear on the beginning … [Read more...] about Lessons From Plein Air Painting
Beginning Well With the Four Loves
Good beginnings start with clarity about who and what you love. The beginning of a new academic year is a good time to take stock of how we may pursue the things we most deeply care about. InterVarsity's Faculty Ministry, of which the Emerging Scholars Network is a part, has a helpful guide, The Four Faculty Loves, that applies well wherever you are on the academic pathway. I would suggest in these last weeks before fall term begins finding a quiet hour to think about how you might pursue who and what you love in … [Read more...] about Beginning Well With the Four Loves
Event Announcement: Cultivating Mental Health in Grad School
Graduate school in normal times is a stressful experience for many. A study in 2018 found 39 percent of the respondents experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression. This compared to 6 percent of the general population. These are not normal times--a two-year long pandemic with lockdowns, isolation, changing protocols on campuses and personal losses. Add divisive politics, racism, climate concerns, and war, and even the most optimistic among us have days we struggle. Another research study in mid-2020 at … [Read more...] about Event Announcement: Cultivating Mental Health in Grad School