News reports from Andrews University, Germany, Oakwood University, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, United States

Adventist Theological Schools Receive Pharmaceutical Money

Andrews University and Oakwood University received substantial grants to develop pastoral resources and support ministerial training from the Lilly Endowment Inc.

Andrews University (AU), located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, received $997,444 (USD) to help the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS) strengthen the ability of pastors to serve effectively in urban settings.

Oakwood University, a historically Black Adventist school in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, was awarded a grant of $993,759 (USD). The funds will help the university’s school of theology establish its plan called “Diversity, Health, and Social Justice in Community-Based Ministry: Oakwood University’s Strategy for Cultivating 21st Century Pastoral Leaders.”

Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly Sr. and his sons, Eli and J. K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. According to the Endowment’s website, although the gifts of stock remain a financial base of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with its own governing board, staff, and location.

Sabbath Study

The 176th Week of Prayer of the European Evangelical Alliance, Jan. 9-16, 2022, has a theme dear to the hearts of Seventh-day Adventists — “The Sabbath: Living According to God’s Rhythm.” The week will include daily Bible studies on aspects of the Sabbath: identity, care, rest, mercy, memory, joy, generosity and hope.

The theme prompted German Adventist church leadership to provide additional materials, according to APD, the Adventist press service in Germany. Individual topics can be downloaded from www.adventisten.de (right margin column).

The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) is a grassroots movement from all Protestant traditions, present in 36 European countries, and provides a voice and platform to 23 million European evangelical Christians. The EEA is part of the World Evangelical Alliance (www.worldea.org).

Teachers’ Aid

An app has been developed to support preschool-5th-grade teachers working with children who have been impacted by trauma.

Called noni™ for Teachers, it was developed in partnership with Adventist HealthCare The Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness, a pioneer in research on best practices for supporting children impacted by trauma and adverse childhood experiences.

noni™ for Teachers is an app-based digital coach and collection of classroom teaching resources that guides teachers through providing trauma-informed instruction. The app uses real-time responsive technology, serving up immediate guidance based on teacher input and giving teachers the ability to track and even predict child behaviors that stem from exposure to toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences.

“Even prior to the pandemic, more than two-thirds of children had experienced at least one traumatic event by the age of 16,” said Jimmy Venza, Ph.D., child psychologist and executive director of the Lourie Center. “In the aftermath of these past two years and the resulting stresses placed on families and children, that statistic is only likely to worsen.”

Learn More About Trauma

Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International is holding an online presentation, “Cushioning Trauma Naturally,” on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, 7 p.m. EST, at https://bit.ly/CushioningTrauma.

The presentation will look at the way trauma affects the brain, immune system, and the way we relate to people and institutions. Natural and relational ways to heal from the effects of trauma and how to be people who are part of that process will be discussed.

The presentation will be led by Catherine Taylor, a family therapist who created and facilitated the MOSAIC project for mothers of survivors of sexual abuse.  She has given workshops on sexual abuse at New England camp meetings and helped write the safety protocols for the Southern New England Conference.

Some Coaching on Coaching

The School of Nursing at Southern Adventist University is offering a 16-week course, beginning Jan. 11, 2022, that equips participants to pursue health and wellness coaching certification. No prior healthcare experience is required.

“Anyone with at least a bachelor’s degree who desires to work in the healthcare and wellness space is also welcome, even without a clinical degree,” said Lilly Tryon, DNP, professor in the School of Nursing.

The course follows principles outlined by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching and completes all coaching education requirements to obtain a board-certified coaching credential. It is designed to help participants develop an understanding of health behavior change science, including motivational interviewing and coaching skills to help clients adopt individually designed lifestyle changes that support optimal health and wellness.

Content is delivered in a blend of self-paced learning activities and live training sessions that will be held via Zoom each Tuesday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. (ET). Classes are small, giving participants individualized support and mentorship. The course also is approved for up to 52.8 nursing contact hours.

For more information or to register, visit southern.edu/healthcoaching.

Master an Online Degree

The Andrews University School of Social Work has announced a new online program for those interested in pursuing a master’s degree in social work (MSW). The curriculum will include interventions with individuals, families and communities, non-profit program design and evaluation techniques, treatment for emotional trauma, social policy development, mental health assessment and treatment and therapy techniques for treating adults, children and families. The program will consist of live but fully remote courses, scheduled to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7–9 p.m. EST.

The Master of Social Work online program will not require an undergraduate degree in social work; however, having a Bachelor of Social Work does reduce the length of the program. For students who have completed undergraduate studies in social work, the MSW program will require two years to complete and will begin in the fall of 2023. For students with an undergraduate degree in another subject, the program will take three years and will begin in fall 2022.

The application deadline for the Master of Social Work online program is July 30, 2022. For more information about the program, visit andrews.edu/cas/socialwork. To apply to the program, visit andrews.edu/admissions.

(Photo: The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, seen here, and Oakwood University received almost $1,000,000 each to develop pastoral resources and support ministerial training from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Photo via Andrew University website.)

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