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.
Sunday Forum takes place 9:30-10:15am on Sunday mornings. We will gather in the sanctuary, enabling us to broadcast our presentations and discussions, using Zoom for those who prefer to connect remotely (see the link above). Frequently, these sessions will also be recorded and available for viewing later.
Going Deeper will take place occasionally on Sunday evenings from 6:30-7:30pm. We will gather virtually on Zoom (see link above). Going Deeper, when it is offered, will be an opportunity to explore a topic or theme presented earlier at Sunday Forum. Invited guests may be present to help us engage topics from new perspectives or offer greater insight.
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 15 – Sunday Forum
You have probably heard the saying that in the church 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people. You actually probably see that to be true. Why is this? There are a lot of reasons why folks do not engage in the work of the congregation- busy lives, not fully bought in, etc. One main reason however that often gets left out of the excuses is because people are not invited to fully utilize the Spiritual Gifts God has given them. In order to help turn the 80/20 divide on its head and to live into the calling of helping people live a life of faith out we need a plan! Gift Oriented Ministry – utilizing spiritual gifts as a way for mission is one way to do this. This forum, led by Justin Grimm, will explore how to create and live out Gift Oriented Ministry in your setting. Are you ready to move from passive participation to active engagement at PoP—then come to this forum!
May 8 – Sunday Forum & Going Deeper
Leaning into the Wind: Resurrection Faith and the Scale of Ecological Crisis.
Here we are, somewhere between Easter and Pentecost … and somewhere between Earth Day and impending (unfolding!) ecological crisis. On Holy Saturday, the scale of crucifixion was so catastrophic that the Jesus movement seemed at an end to Jesus’ followers. Nothing less than resurrection faith—and Pentecost Wind—sufficed to carry it forward into becoming the church. The scale of ecological crisis is its own kind of catastrophe. What forms of faith can match the scale of ecological crisis? How do we become church for an unraveling world? David will explore some of the distinctively Christian ways we might draw on resurrection faith and lean into the Wind as we meet this perilous moment.
David Weiss is a “community-supported public theologian.” With master’s degrees in theology (Wartburg Seminary) and Christian ethics (Notre Dame), he taught theology and religion for twenty years at Luther College, Augsburg College, the College of St. Catherine, and Hamline University. Today he teaches in congregational settings and blogs at the intersections of Theology, Faith, and Contemporary Events—with a particular interest in climate.
Sunday, April 24 & May 1 – Sunday Forum
These sessions will not be recorded by request of the presenters – make sure you attend in-person or on Zoom Sunday at 9:30am!
Christian Nationalism: why it matters and how we can respond.
American Christians have always struggled with the relationship between church and state. But in recent years the alignment between right-wing politics and Christianity has taken on a new intensity in a movement called “Christian Nationalism.” This power grab co-opts the language and symbols of Christianity, deceiving many and harming both our faith and democracy. (Christian nationalism strongly influenced the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington, D.C.). How do we as Lutherans understand this movement and respond to it?
Pastor Rolf Olson and Dr. Nancy Koester will give a two-part presentation on this dangerous development. Session 1 explains what “Christian Nationalism” is and why it matters; Session 2 explores who’s involved in Christian nationalism, what are its components, and ways we can respond.
Sunday, April 3 – Sunday Forum
Spiritual Disciplines for Holy Week – What spiritual disciplines might we engage in during Holy Week to draw us more deeply into the Passion Story? Please join us in person or online as we explore this question at Sunday morning’s Forum.
Sunday, March 27 – Sunday Forum & Going Deeper
On March 27 at our 9:30am forum we will be looking at some of the impacts of the war in Ukraine with special attention on the refugee situation. Information provided by Lutheran World Relief will be shared. Elizabeth Aslesen of PoP served with the Peace Corps in Ukraine and also hosted an exchange student from Ukraine. She will share a video from her student. Also, joining us from Slovakia via zoom will be Naomi Sveholm who will share observations on the refugee situation in Bratislava. At 6:30 pm there will be a “Going Deeper” session on zoom with Emma Wagner of Lutheran World Relief joining us to share about the Lutheran Response and entering discussion with us. We hope you will join us for these sessions.
Sunday, March 13-SundayForum
Befriender Ministry – Come learn about the Befriender Ministry at Prince of Peace and hear stories of befriending from PoP Befrienders.
Sunday, March 6 – Sunday Forum
Mansions and Troubled Hearts: Jesus’ Last Words to His Disciples. The Farewell Discourse brings together the main themes of the Gospel of John and introduces the important role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples. This session will explore this final speech of Jesus to his followers that is full of compassion and love for them – and for us.
Join the conversation with Special Guest Karoline Lewis, Luther Seminary Professor of Homiletics.
Sunday, February 27
| Sunday Forum |
In our scripture reading for February 27 we hear of a blind man who receives his sight when he encounters Jesus. But the story goes deeper to explore his recovery of spiritual sight. In contrast, religious leaders believe that they see, but do not see Jesus clearly. Our forum will explore John 9 and then provide an opportunity to discuss our blind spots as individuals and as a faith community and consider ways to gain sight as followers of Jesus in this community. Led by Steve Sveom, Carol Swanson and Michael Stetzler. |
Sunday, February 20
| Sunday Forum |
“Watershed Discipleship” Jesus speaks of living water. Surrounded by desert and wilderness, he intimately knew springs and wells. He walked and sailed the Sea of Galilee. He stood on hillsides overlooking the Mediterranean. Jesus was a student and teacher of place. You hear his love for the water and the land in how he speaks – in the stories he tells. The Christ, today, calls us to be students and lovers of the lands and waters where we are. The Christ calls us, as Ched Myers and others have said, to be disciples of watersheds. We are to relate deeply to place. To fall in love with them and to mirror how they provide and care for us. Today’s guest will be Mike Rusert, Pastor and Community Curator of Intertwine Northeast. Here’s what Mike has in mind for our time together… “I’d love to take you on a journey – a journey of your already existing relationships with place and with the Water. I’d like to share stories about my own growing relationship with Water and place and share how learning from the indigenous peoples of Minnesota is growing my curiosity for the indigeneity of Jesus, I’d like to share how Ojibew and Dakota elders have inspired me to fall more deeply in love with Water.” |
Sunday, February 13
| Sunday Forum |
“Bread & Life” There’s little surprise that Jesus’ uses bread to show us the centrality of God’s presence in the world. Our guest for today’s forum has a life centered around bread. And God. Nate Houge, baker/biker/tinker/thinker, is co-founder of Brake Bread, St. Paul’s revolutionary bakery and pedal-powered delivery service. Any conversation with Nate inevitably leads to delightful surprises for people of faith seeking new ways to look at the world within which God has placed us. We’re excited to have Nate join us this Sunday morning. |
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Sunday, February 6
| Sunday Forum & Going Deeper |
On Sunday, February 6 we will hear a story of healing from the Gospel of John chapter 5:1-5. At Sunday Forum hear stories of healing and what it means to them from congregation members Anne Haugan, Barry Brahier, and Pastor Marilyn Breckenridge. Continue the conversation around healing at Going Deeper at 6:30pm on Sunday, Freburary 6. |
Sunday, January 23
| Sunday Forum | Insights into the Gospel of John with Karoline Lewis, Luther Seminary Professor of Homiletics. |
Sunday, January 16
| Sunday Forum | How does ministry happen and who’s in charge? Join the conversation with representatives from the Prince of Peace Congregational Council. |
Sunday, January 9
| Sunday Forum | We will introduce our church partners at Reconciling Works and describe the process for undergoing the Reconciling in Christ “RIC” Program. The RIC program has been a public way for faith communities to see, name, celebrate, and advocate for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in the Lutheran church. |
Sunday, December 12
| Sunday Forum | For the next four months the Gospel of John will be our companion as we move through the story Jesus, whose birth we are on the cusp of celebrating. During today’s Forum, Carol Swanson will be offering a brief introduction to this fourth book of the New Testament, highlighting how its uniquely crafted story offers greater insight into the story of Jesus and the God who calls us into relationship. We’ll focus in on the “prologue” (John 1:1-18) which sets the stage for the signs and wonders to follow. | |
| Going Deeper | How has John’s gospel come to shape our understanding of the person of Jesus and the God whom he embodied? This book is the work of “the disciple whom Jesus loved” but what else do we know about this text and how it has come to influence our theology? Pastor Peter will lead a discussion into some of these and other questions as we prepare for the coming of the “Light of the World.” |
Sunday, December 5
| Sunday Forum |
The mission of Prince of Peace is to “build the church and love the world”, but are old ways of organizing our work bogging us down in our efforts to achieve that mission? Is the way we have structured our organization, both in our governing documents and our operating practices still working? Or do we need to liberate ourselves from some outdated and cumbersome structures that are holding us back? Join members of the Congregation Council for an update on the “Liberating Structures for Mission” project that Prince of Peace joined last spring. We are one of six churches in the St. Paul Area Synod that are participating in this eighteen-month process of looking at our structures and how they facilitate or hinder ministry. At the 9:30 a.m. presentation, Council members will discuss topics such as “how do our mission and vision statements help us organize and focus our work?” “Do we need to streamline our council and committee structures?” “What changes in our constitution, bylaws, and resolutions do we need to consider?” |
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| Going Deeper | Rev. Liz Eide from Lutheran Church of Peace will join the “Going Deeper” Zoom meeting at 6:30 p.m. She will share how her congregation has tackled these questions using the tools that Council members are learning about. The session will also include a deeper look at some specific proposed changes to our bylaws that may be presented to the congregation at the January 30, 2022, semiannual meeting. |
Sunday, November 28
| Sunday Forum | Thanksgiving Weekend Intergenerational Event at 9:30am. | |
| Going Deeper | As in scripture, the ancients believed letters were physical embodiments of their authors. Our immigrant ancestors relied on letters to keep connected to particular places. Perhaps you’re preparing to write your own Christmas letter in the coming days. This Sunday evening we’ll trade stories of how letter writing has been significant in our own lives. |
Sunday, November 21
| Sunday Forum |
O Come, O Come Emmanuel – What has had meaning for you in Advent preparations? We will look at some activities that are part of Advent: hymns; Advent wreath and calendar; Jesse tree and perhaps some other ways Christians have used to enhance their Advent season. What are some of the themes of the season and how can they enhance our faith journey? Come, prepared to participate. Click here to download an online resource sheet created by Steve Sveom. |
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| Going Deeper | The presentation and discussion with Reconciling Works will be rescheduled for a later date. There will NOT be Going Deeper on Sunday, November 21. |
Sunday, November 14
| Sunday Forum | Caryn Josephson serves as the chair our Bega Kwa Bega Partnership Committee and helps to coordinate the variety of ways we are connected to our partners in the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. She will give us an update on all the latest happenings, including church growth, building projects, joyful marriages, sad deaths and a tragic fire. | |
| Going Deeper | (Rescheduled from November 7) A Communion of Saints: Roman Catholic Spiritual Practices and the Veneration of the Saints Dr. Jennifer Wojciechowski, a practicing Catholic who teaches at a Lutheran seminary, will present on Catholic understanding around the veneration of the saints and how that translates to spiritual practice with the Roman Catholic church. After the presentation, she will answer questions and lead a discussion on the topic. |
Sunday, November 7
| Sunday Forum | Remembering the Saints, an intergenerational event at 9:30am. | |
| Going Deeper | Rescheduled for Sunday, November 14 at 6:30pm. |
Sunday, October 31
| Sunday Forum | Three events that shaped history for the past 500 years. Celebrating the Reformation and Martin Luther’s impact on how we are the church today. |  |
| Going Deeper | There is no Going Deeper today. |
Sunday, October 24
| Sunday Forum | Join us for an intergenerational “Giving Carnival” to learn all about generosity while playing a variety of games on our midway and receive your 2022 Annual Giving Campaign materials. | |
| Going Deeper | A community discussion on how God is calling us to live generously for the sake of the world. Expanded conversation around anticipated needs for resources to move our ministry forward. |
Sunday, October 17
| Sunday Forum | Hear the stories of four Prince of Peace members – Scott Tunseth, Karen Carr, Gary Olson, and Ruth Hagander as they share stories about times in their lives when they may (or may not) have heard God’s call in their lives. |
Sunday, October 10
| Sunday Forum | Central Park Elementary Principal Becky Berkas will share insight during the Forum into the shifting needs and demographics of the students being served in our neighborhood. | |
| Going Deeper | During Going Deeper, Brian Jones from Every Meal will be describing the dramatic evolution of their program to feed students and families in over 600 MN schools. Cari Gelle will also offer information about the upcoming school levy election for Roseville Schools. |