New College Berkeley                                                 Spring 2007 

Para-Professional Counseling II   Margaret Alter, Peter Coster, Sandi Hedlund, Susan S. Phillips, Martha de Laveaga Stewart, and Charles Wickstrand

Tuesdays, 7:10-9:40 p.m., beginning January 30 and ending May 8 Room 310, McKinley Hall, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, 2407 Dana Street, Berkeley Co-sponsored by FPCB’s Christian Lay Counseling Service Cost: $325 (one semester)

"Para-Professional Counseling II" is half of a year-long, certificate-granting course designed to combine practical counseling training with theory, integrating psychology, Biblical theology, and spirituality. Participants will be prepared for service in para-professional counseling programs in churches and communities and will learn skills for use with family, friends, and in professional relationships, especially those of ministry. Contact NCB for information about GTU academic credit and/or MFT and LCSW CEUs.

Margaret Alter (M.Div., Ph.D., LMFT) is NCB professor of psychology and Christianity, and is a licensed marriage and family counselor in private practice in Berkeley. Her most recent book is Resurrection Psychology. Peter Coster (M.Div., M.A., Ph.D., LMFT) is a psychotherapist in private practice in Berkeley and Sonoma. He is a clinical supervisor for graduate level trainees in psychology at John F. Kennedy University. Sandi Hedlund (M.A., LMFT) is the director of Lay Counseling Services at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, and a therapist in private practice in Berkeley. Martha de Laveaga Stewart (M.S., LMFT) is a licensed therapist and maintains a private practice in Orinda. She chairs the NCB Board of Trustees. Susan S. Phillips (Ph.D.) is the executive director of New College Berkeley, teaches Christian spirituality at the GTU and other seminaries, and is a spiritual director. She is the editor (with Patricia Benner) of The Crisis of Care. Charles Wickstrand (M.A., LMFT) maintains counseling practices in Oakland and Alameda. He supervises the FPCB lay counselors.

Prayer Retreat: Contemplative Prayer with Scripture  Susan S. Phillips  

Saturday, March 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  Co-sponsored by New College Berkeley and First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley  Held at FPCB, 2407 Dana, Room G213  and Chapel  Cost: $25  (no lunch) This retreat is limited to a maximum of 25 participants.

“Holy reading” is a way of receiving God’s word into one’s own heart and circumstances. This retreat will invite prayerful immersion in Scripture, in the company of others who can help us turn our life toward God. New College Berkeley and First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley are offering this morning of contemplative prayer and guidance in prayer, in lovely rooms (including the chapel and prayer garden). Join us as we encounter God’s Word in new and empowering ways.

NCB’s 3Oth Anniversary Weekend     Earl Palmer

Faith in Everyday Life: The Ten Commandments for Today’s Christian   Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.–3:00 p.m.        Sanctuary,  First Presbyterian Church Berkeley, 2407 Dana Street  Cost: $50; $80 couple; $40 student (includes lunch)

Are you looking for more integration of your faith into your daily life?  Many Christians want to develop a stronger relationship between Sunday morning worship and their responsibilities the rest of the week. Please join us for this landmark conference as Earl Palmer explores the New College Berkeley mission—bringing Christians together to work out the relevance of their faith to the struggles, issues, and questions of their contemporary lives, roles, and responsibilities.

Earl Palmer (M. Div.) is senior pastor at University Presbyterian Church, Seattle, and the author of many books, including A Faith That Works, and The 24-Hour Christian.

Women: Empowered to Serve  Sharon Gallagher    

Saturday, April  21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.   Parlor, Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Ave.   Cost: $25 (no lunch)

This seminar will focus on female leadership in the church. We’ll discuss some of the pertinent Biblical passages and look at the examples of key female leaders in the New Testament and church history. There will also be time for feedback from women and men about their own experiences in church leadership.

Sharon Gallagher (M.T.S.) is associate director and professor of Christianity and the media at New College Berkeley.  She is also editor and film critic of Radix magazine.

Grace Under Fire: Films About Extraordinary Faithfulness   Margaret Horwitz

Two Saturday seminars, May 5 and May 12, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Room #103,  First Covenant Church of Oakland, 4000 Redwood Road   Cost: $40 each seminar; $70 for both; students: $25 (no lunch) You may attend one or both events. 

Contact NCB for information about GTU academic credit. In this class we will look at cinematic portrayals of remarkable charitable acts on behalf of the persecuted, the neglected, and the poor, performed by individuals acting out of their faith in God. Week One: Holocaust Rescuers: Films to be shown include The Hiding Place, Visas and Virtue, Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness, and Weapons of the Spirit. Week Two: Advocacy for the Poor, Abandoned and Disenfranchised: Films to be shown include: Mother Teresa and Let the Church Say Amen.

Margaret McBride Horwitz  (Ph.D.), an independent scholar with a doctorate in Film Studies from UCLA, is visiting professor of Christianity and literature at NCB.

NCB Seminars (Call NCB for locations)

Russell Yee, Wednesday, February 7, 7 p.m.  The Search for Asian American Worship

Russell Yee (Ph.D.) is adjunct professor of worship and pastoral ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Northern California.

Bonnie Howe, Wednesday, April 18, 7 p.m. Speaking about her book “Because You Bear This Name: Metaphor and the Moral Meaning of 1 Peter.”

Bonnie Howe  (Ph.D.) is visiting NCB professor of New Testament studies and Christian ethics.

See NCB's current registration/payment form for upcoming events. Click here to add your name to our mailing list or to request specific information.