Andover Newton Theological School

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The Institute | Featured Leader | About Iona | Workshops | Schedule | Register

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Andover Newton and other qualified students who wish to attend the Summer Institute for course credit should register for it via normal Andover Newton course registration procedures. Additional course work and participation will be required for credit registration for the Summer Institute.

For more information about attending the Summer Institute as a credit course, please click here.

The Summer Institute is open to all as a non-credit workshop. To register on line for the Summer Institute and pay by credit card or check, please click on the sign-up button to the left.

For more information about the non-credit program, please send an email to .

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John Bell, a native of Kilmarnock, lives in Glasgow where he studied Arts and Theology. After spells of voluntary work in London and Amsterdam and engagements in student politics, he was ordained by the Church of Scotland and has long been associated with the Iona Community. For ten years he worked in youth ministry with his colleague, Graham Maule, before giving his full attention to music and worship.

John lectures, preaches and conducts seminars across Europe, North America, Australasia, and more recently, in southern Africa. He is a hymn writer, author and regular broadcaster on national radio and television, but retains a primary passion for congregational song and worship. He and the work he shares with his colleagues has been honoured by the Royal School of Church Music, the Hymn Society in the US and Canada, and the University of Glasgow, the first and second of which bestowed on him the status of Fellowship, the third a Doctorate.

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Founded in 1938, the Iona Community is an international, ecumenical Christian community of men and women with headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It maintains several residential centers, including Iona Abbey, on the Scottish island of Iona, which the community restored early in its history. (First established in the 5th century, the original Iona Abbey may have been the birthplace of the famous "Book of Kells" illuminated manuscript.) The Iona Community draws its membership from many different Christian groups and from all walks of life. It is especially well known for its commitments to peace and justice issues and for its innovative approaches to Christian worship.

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Improvising Scripture – Kit Novotny
How might we engage with scripture and church life through the creative lens of improvisational theater? Working from improv fundamentals such as honesty, agreement, physicality, environment, trust and support, we will imagine our way into biblical narrative through spontaneous play and story-telling. No experience necessary: just an open mind and a willingness to say yes.

Voicing the Spirit – Lisa DiFranza
Dive into a fresh examination of what it means to activate and embody your speaking voice. In this workshop, we will focus on releasing restrictive and often unconscious habits, discovering the range and texture of each individual voice, experimenting with the collective sound of the group, and exploring text and story with fresh eyes, ears.

Getting Hands Dirty, Creatively – Charles McCollough
Our creativity imitates God’s own creation, part of which is God’s good earth, particularly clay. Forming clay brings out deep down things in our lives we may not know are there. The experience of sculpting clay can teach us transforming knowledge. Working with clay, we will find ways to enliven our faith, expressing ourselves through this three-dimensional, tactile art, and explore how forming clay can be used in renewing worship. No art training is necessary.

SpiritArts Collage Workshop – Nita Penfold
Human beings have celebrated their spirituality for thousands of years through the use of arts and ritual. We are meaning-makers and creators at our core, with art as the soul’s language of choice. Let Spirit surprise you through the medium of collage, weaving ritual, body prayer, and writing into a deeper awareness of your spirituality. Gift yourself with the chance to transform ordinary print images into visual prayer. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to play. Bring a journal to write in and any images or copies of photographs you wish to include in your collages. All other materials provided.

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Portions of this program will be webcast live. To view the broadcasts, please consult the listings below for webcast events and click the green webcast square at the scheduled time.

PLEASE NOTE: This schedule is preliminary. A complete and final schedule will be available at the time for the event.

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