November 11, 2019
I am writing this post while sitting in the Chicago O’Hare Airport. It is a cold and gloomy day outside, but I am anything but gloomy!
This past week, Sioux Falls Seminary was involved in gatherings hosted by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), an organization that accredits and supports seminaries in the United States and Canada. Our Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Nate Helling was invited to give a presentation to a group of CFOs from other schools. Our board chair, Jeremy Bill, and I were invited to participate in a consultation forum where leaders from ATS and In Trust invited input on questions that the industry should be asking as it relates to student educational debt and sustainable organizational models. Finally, we were invited to give a presentation on performance dashboards and how they can be used to keep the “eyes” of an organization focused on what’s important.
The conversations were fruitful, encouraging, and even exciting at times! As I shared a few weeks back, there seems to be a fresh expression of the Spirit moving within theological education, and it is exciting to be on the front end of that momentum. When people ask how things are going at the seminary, I often say, “God is doing a lot of great stuff, and we are just trying to keep up!”
The event this past week was a great opportunity to hear and learn about the many great things God is doing in and through our peer schools. It gives renewed hope and vision for what the future could hold.
At Sioux Falls Seminary, God is leading us into a future that includes ever increasing and deeper partnerships with kingdom-minded organizations. We are stepping into this call boldly and are excited to see where God leads. Join us on the journey!