Sunday Forum - Sundays @ 9:30am - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

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This link will be live at 9:30 am where folks gather for Coffee, Cookies & Conversation prior to the start of Sunday Forum.

Provocative and thoughtful conversations are intended to spark your imagination and help participants explore the full spectrum of faith and life. Guest speakers and featured presenters on a whole range of topics are scheduled and curated by the Adult Ed Committee. Often the topics are intended to compliment the stories that are explored in worship or others areas of our life together.

As we continue to have suspended in-person ministry, we will gather virtually from 10-10:45am each Sunday morning. We use the ZOOM video conferencing platform. Click here for a video tutorial if you are unfamiliar with connecting via Zoom. Note, this does require that you install an application on the device you plan to use (desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone) so you’ll want to be prepared in advance of our scheduled meeting time.

May 16		“H.O.P.E in our Communities” – Ann Ellison, Director of Interfaith Health for M Health Fairview will be discussing H.O.P.E., Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences. The HOPE framework stresses the important role that positive experiences have in mitigating the impact of trauma, supporting healthy brain development, and experiencing healthy child outcomes. We will also discuss the four categories of positive childhood experiences and our role in bringing H.O.P.E. to our communities.
May 9	Video available upon request.	“Councils of the Early Church” Conversation and Reflection with Dr. Lois Farag – Professor of Early Church History at Luther Seminary. What is a Council, why do Councils convene, and how many have there been? Finally, what about modern councils?
May 2		Join Pastor Ruth as she guides us through different ways to engage with scripture using the book of Galatians. Come ready to try out different ways of reading our Biblical stories. Bring an open mind, your Bible, and something to write or draw with as we experiment with various practices.
Apr. 25		“A Couple’s Journey with Alzheimers” is a story of the heartbreaks, road blocks, emotions, financial impact and some delightful humor that offsets the pain of the journey. John Sweeney, a member of our Prince of Peace community will be our featured presenter.
Apr. 18		“Reflections from Minnesotans on Climate Change” – Carol Swanson, a member of our Prince of Peace community will be our featured presenter. Here are links to some resources that were shared: “The Last Harvest” Fox 9 News Minnesota Voices on Climate Change Full Video Presentation
Apr. 11		“Recognizing God on the Road of Life: Theological Reflections on Luke’s Emmaus Story” with Dr. Paul Sponheim. This beloved post-resurrection story invites some deeper questioning. Together, we will explore some of these questions in a theoretical dialogue as Dr. Sponheim engages the positions of a variety of conversation partners. What would a philosopher, a theologian, a physicist, a mathematician, and a poet have to say? It’s not just the start of a good joke, it’s an invitation not to be missed.
Mar. 28 & Apr. 4		No Adult Forum because of Holy Week & Easter
Mar. 21		Join the Special Congregational Meeting regarding Affordable Housing at 10am.
Mar. 14		“Preparing is important in death, just as it is in life” – Anne Christ, Licensed Funeral Director, will be with us to explore how pre-planning for the time of death can be life-giving. There are seemingly countless options and opportunities to consider and taking away some of the mystery of what to expect can offer relief and a healthier mourning process for those left to facilitate the final leg of our baptismal journeys.
Mar. 7		“Helping Our Friends in Tanzania” – Caryn Josephson and Kent Olson will talk about their and other members’ efforts to help our friends in Bomolang’ombe and Vikongwa, our companion churches in the Iringa region, Tanzania. We will describe the building projects for the parish evangelists and preaching points. We will also describe the assistance provided by the microfinance and agricultural organizations supported by Iringa Hope and the amazing benefits for the people and families in Bomalang’ombe and Vikongwa.
Feb. 28		“The Power of Parables” -These simple illustrations are more than just colorful commentary or fables with a moral, they’re stories told with intent. Pastor Peter Christ and retired pastor Steve Sveom are teaming up to uncover even deeper truths about the parables Jesus is using in Luke’s Gospel and, hopefully, inspire you to hear the stories of your own life in a new way.
Feb. 21		“Life during and after military service” – Hear from Andrew Qualy, director of the Lutheran Social Services C(asework) O(utreach) R(eferral) E(ducation) program for Veterans. An Iraq veteran himself, he provides case management therapy and life counseling for veterans and their families, addressing challenges of life during and after military service.
Feb. 14		Learning to Speak “Love & Appreciation” – Everyone gives and receives love and appreciation differently, but with a little insight into these differences, we can be confidently equipped to communicate love and appreciation well. Join Karen Gieseke as you explore how this is true for all forms of relationship – for married or dating couples, for children and teenagers, for friends and coworkers, for long-distance relationships, for those brand-new loves and for the romances that are older than the hills.” Click here to take your 5 Love Languages quiz prior to Adult Forum. Note that there are four different quizzes: Couples, Teens, Children’s, and Singles.
Feb. 7		“Healthcare in a time of Covid” – Conversation and discussion with a panel of health professionals who are members of our congregation. Panelists include: Laurel Cederberg – Pediatrician, Esther Tatley – Retired Public Health Nurse, Suzan Hurlbut – Mental Health Counselor, and Char Ulstad-Warkentien – Family Medicine physician. Topic that will be covered include: Covid and the future, vaccines and mental health issues surrounding Covid.
Jan. 31		Let’s Meet the Pets! People of all ages and their pets are invited to join us on Zoom (if your pet wants to, of course). We’d love to meet these companions who are sticking with us during this long time of pandemic. We’ll also have some fun animal trivia. An Intergenerational Event from 10-10:45 before the Semi-Annual Meeting
Jan. 24		“The Housing Crisis and Covid” – Conversation with an affordable housing developer. Deidre Schmidt, CEO of Common Bond, joins us to look at the need for housing, fears people often hold and how we might roll up our sleeves together.
Jan. 17		“On a Hill Far Away” – From the Capital City to the Halls of Justice, a story is being told about ‘Avengers’ and ‘wonder-women’. Hungry for justice, begging for equality, and calling out in lament, this is the world we live in. Like ancient Israel, we are living under oppressive conditions, and we must announce the promises of God made known in Jesus. Provocative speech that calls into being what it proclaims cannot be assigned to politicians. Christian speech arises from an imagination that reads the exodus as our true past, the exile as our present suffering, and the gathered people of God as a glimpse of what God intends to do with all the world when time as we know it ends. This forum will offer a challenging word for the work of the church in a post-2020 reality. Rev. Dr. Joy Moore will also be our guest preacher for Sunday, Jan. 17.
Jan. 10		“Baptism, the Ancient Catechumenate, and Living Wet” -The text for this day is the Baptism of Jesus from Luke’s Gospel. Scott Tunseth will talk about Baptism, the ancient right of the Catechumenate, and what baptismal living means for us today. Be prepared to take a fun catechism “quiz”. No grading!
Jan. 3		“Covid & Learning” – A panel of teachers (K through college) discuss how the pandemic has affected teachers and student learning. We will also explore what this may mean for how education is conducted going forward. Scheduled panelists: Barb Burkhardt, Amy Hurlbut Juola, Kelly Klecker, Jenna Sethi, Toni Sveom.
20		“Being Found by JOY in Discouraging Times” Stories and discussion with Rev. Gary Olson.
Dec. 13		“Intergenerational Christmas Party” – People of all ages are invited to a virtual Christmas Party. Bring a favorite Christmas ornament or decoration to share the story with the group. We will play some Christmas-related games and have time to connect with one another as we might do at church. You’ll have to bring your own treats, however!
Dec. 6		“Panel Discussion of Women in Ministry” – This year is the 50th Anniversary of the ELCA’s ordination of women. The Adult Forum will be a panel discussion of women in ministry connected to Prince of Peace. Panelists include Anita Beste, Sonja Hagander, Maria Olson Purcell, Cindy Senarighi, Cori Forcey, Pastor Ruth, and Pastor Betsy. Caryn Josephson will moderate the discussion.
Nov. 29		“The Gospel of Luke” – Starting in Advent until Easter Luke will be our guide. Carol Swanson and Steve Sveom will introduce major themes of the gospel: joy, forgiveness, prayer, the work of the Spirit.
Nov. 22		“Investing in the Church with Technology” – Pastor Peter and Chris Thornton will review the variety of ways we’ve been investing in the mission of the church through recent upgrades in technology.
Nov. 15		“Giving that reflects God & YOU” – How do we ensure the harvests we share are done so wisely and with consideration for the bigger picture? Ordained Lutheran Pastor and Thrivent Financial Consultant Ethan Hulme will lead a presentation on best practices for estate planning and charitable giving. Bring your questions.
Nov. 8		“On Gratitude” – We express gratitude by saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. From a scientific perspective, however, gratitude is not just an action: it is also an emotion that serves a beneficial purpose. Through creation then, God has given us another opportunity to thrive through our thanks giving. Join the conversation with Pastor Peter Christ.
Nov. 1		“Our Anxious Hearts” – A time of reflection and spiritual practice with Pastor Ruth Sorenson-Prokosch. This will be time of practice together as we center ourselves in God’s spirit to tend to the anxiety many of us are experiencing.
Oct. 25		“Building Houses Fit for Kings, God & Neighbor” – A conversation with the Prince of Peace Affordable Housing Team.
Oct. 18		“God’s Hopeful Work in a Time of Disruption“ – A presentation and discussion with Dr. Michael Chan, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary.
Oct. 11		“Crossing the Divide and Coming Together” – Is there a right way to fight, without vitriol, name-calling and bad faith arguments? How can Americans have difficult political discussions without descending into all-out conflict? A search for these answers and more with Jordy Sargent, MN State Coordinator for Braver Angels.
Oct. 4		“Held Captive by Covid: The US Public Health Response” – A conversation with Dr. Renée Crichlow, U of MN Assistant Professor and Director of Advocacy and Policy in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and the inaugural Mac Baird Endowed Chair in Family Medicine Advocacy and Policy. Dr. Crichlow is an active practitioner of family medicine here in the Twin Cities and frequent contributor and guest on Minnesota Public Radio.
Sept. 27		“Reconciliation Stories” – A presentation and discussion facilitated by PoP member Stephen Sveom. Steve is a recently retired Lutheran pastor.
Sept. 20		“When Being Doubtful IS Being Faithful” – a presentation and discussion facilitated by Peter Christ, Prince of Peace’s Lead Pastor. The inspiration for this session comes from this resource published by the Women of the ELCA (WELCA).
Sept. 13		“Living in a Cracked World: The Power and Promise of Evil” – A presentation and discussion facilitated by PoP member Scott Tunseth. Scott is an ordained Lutheran pastor who has a long-serving ministry as an editor with 1517 Media (formerly Augsburg publishing).