Creative Callings Innovation Hub Gathering at Boston University School of Theology
A Note from the Editor: Upon careful deliberation, we have decided to continue to share CPT Today content in the coming months, as we work remotely from our homes. While we have needed to postpone some of our scheduled content, we hope to continue to highlight the work of theologians and practitioners as we face this time of great uncertainty. The following piece features updates from Creative Callings, and shares a report about an event which took place prior to the mass outbreak of Coronavirus in the United States.
On February 1, 2020, twelve congregational teams with the Creative Calling’s Innovation Hub gathered in the BU School of Theology’s Community Center to continue to explore the images of calling enlivening their congregations and to support one another in implementing creative programing around calling and the arts, restorative justice, resourcing communities, and discernment/discipleship. Each congregation team is in their first year of grant funding through the Creative Callings project, and the Creative Callings leadership team is excited to learn alongside these congregations during this program year and beyond.
Creative Callings Project Director, Dr. Claire Wolfteich, and Associate Project Director, Dr. Wanda Stahl began the morning with a presentation on “Lived Theologies of Vocation.” Through exploring images already present in the twelve congregation with this presentation, teams members shared strategies for centering joy in their work, capacity building, and teambuilding.
In the afternoon, the team members broke into small groups to discuss important challenges in project implementation, such as the role of clergy/lay leadership, congregational conflict, rest and joy, and linguistic challenges. Through culling the wisdom of the group, the teams were able to help each other think more expansively and to develop relationships across congregations.
BU STH MDiv student Cate Nelson provided interactive scribing throughout the day and we hope you enjoy the glimpse into our day through her notes, which are below.
