FTE 2007 ‘Complicating Vocation’: Gearing Up

The final paper topics are all assigned. My in-class exam lurks as it approaches from its horizon-bound holding pattern. This quarter’s about to resolve. Thank heavens.

As I prepare for my summer, I realize there is so much more additional work I have to complete this quarter (post Spring Break) than I expected. The first three weeks of April were my most productive weeks of the past calendar year. Typically the first weeks of a quarter entail learning the professors’ styles and planning the reading loads and writing regiments accordingly. During those three weeks, in my case, I had to finish my OT in John paper from the previous quarter and also write two new drafts of my FTE proposal since the first one was ‘returned requesting revisions’.

In the end, I revamped my summer with the title: Complicating Vocation: Communication, Creative Arts, and Congregational Ministry

Here’s the final proposal along with the calendar:

The Proposal


The Calendar

Some of the highlights I’m going to explore this summer:

• Communicating my vocation — to communicate — after undergoing the process that healthily explores my vocation’s boundaries.
• Learning on-site many techniques for audio gathering. I’m adding this skill to my hobbies so I can use all of the technique’s of today’s photojournalists … they’re some of the best communicators. Their take on the world is holistic not only in the perspectives they express, but also the methods they use to express them.
• Encountering a huge array of ministers with multi-faceted vocations. I want models for ministry that are rarely accused of being boring.

Here is a brief list of the calendar for those of you not wanting to open the PDF above:

• “Breaking Out of the Vocational Box” with Mickey Anders at South Elkhorn Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – June 10th – June 24th.
• Creative writing workshops at the University of Iowa’s Summer Writing Festival – July 8th – July 15th.
• Video ministry with the crew of Good News Television Ministry in St. Louis, MO – July 16th – 19th.
• Photography at the Disciples’ General Assembly in Ft. Worth, TX – July 21st – 26th.
• Video ministry with the GNTV crew in Macon, GA – August 5th – August 11th.
• Podcast production from Chicago and Des Moines (very flexible travel plans) – August 19th – September 15th.
• Retreat in reflection and vocational discernment post-summer in Louisiana – September 17th – 21st.

Oh – and with regards to the title: I’ve been slowly adding to my technology gear this quarter to “hit the ground running” once the summer begins. It’s going to be sweet!