Winter Gathering Days!

This week, Iliff students from across the country came together on campus to learn, collaborate and build community during Winter Gathering Days.

Top Right: students and staff making buttons with the Iliff Community Engagement Group.
Bottom Right: first meeting of Michele Rayner-Goolsby, Florida State House of Representatives, District 70, and Emily Bruno, Chief Legislative Analyst, Florida Senate Democratic Office.
Bottom left: Students, staff and faculty enjoy lunch and mountain views.
Thursday, February 16th
1:00 to 2:30 pm MST via Zoom

What Now? Church in the Post-Covid World

What does the church--locally, globally and in between--look like in a post-COVID world? Can pastors and congregations ever go back to the worship and community they had before the pandemic? How does the modern church pivot to something new?

In our first Renewal session of 2023, Iliff alum Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, author of Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World, will guide us as we consider these questions and discuss the future of faith-focused communities. Rebekah has extensive experience coaching church leaders as they reimagine and revitalize their congregations. Join us Thursday, February 16th at 1:00 pm MST to learn about how churches and faith leaders can step into a post-pandemic future. We will hear from Rebekah on this topic and break into small groups for discussion.

Registration: $5 | Free for all students and Iliff faculty and staff.
Presenter:
Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter is passionate about reconnecting spiritual leaders with their God-given powers to co-create miracles with the divine. Her award-winning group coaching program, Creating a Culture of Renewal® has energized church leaders across the country to reclaim their calling and to grow their ministries. Known for teaching leaders how to bring out the best in the people who frustrate them the most, her work transforms church leaders and the congregations they serve. She is also an avid hiker, dog mom, wife to Jerry, lover of coffee, and a gratitude junkie.

In addition to Forging a New Path, Rebekah is the author of Dream Like Jesus®, The Jew Named Jesus, Green Church, Green Church Leader Guide, and 7 Simple Steps to Green Your Church. Check out her work here and purchase Forging a New Path here!
Pulpit+ Exchange
February 13, 2023
How The New Testament Became White (And How To Start Reading It Differently),
A Lecture and Q&A with
Dr. Eric C. Smith

Please join us on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 5:00 pm for a light meal (gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options available) and from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm for the lecture. An opportunity for questions and answers will follow.

All are welcome! Please indicate any dietary needs/restrictions and confirm your attendance by emailing [email protected].
February 27, 2023
Race, Racialization, and the Hebrew Bible
A Lecture and Q&A with
Dr. Amy Erickson

Please join us on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 5:00 pm for a light meal (gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options available) and from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm for the lecture. An opportunity for questions and answers will follow.

All are welcome! Please indicate any dietary needs/restrictions and confirm your attendance by emailing [email protected].

Iliff’s Pulpit Exchange Series (supported by the Pathways for Tomorrow
Initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc.) is designed to help ordained clergy and lay leaders interrogate the continued status of racial segregation in American churches. It is also designed to place new foundations for education, dialogue, action, and growth in and between congregations.
Douglass Day 2023

Celebrate, Sing, Remember, Transcribe, Compete, and Eat

Tuesday, February 14th from Noon – 1:30 PM
Shattuck Hall, Iliff School of Theology
Come Celebrate the birthday of Frederick Douglass through song, speech, transcription, competition, food, and drink.
Please join us on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at noon (MST).



What can I expect?

  • Eating lunch (gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options available)
  • Singing the Negro National Anthem
  • Transcribing the papers of Mary Ann Shadd Cary with other colleges and universities across the U.S.
  • Reenacting and remembering the wisdom of the ancestors
  • Judging cakes created in Douglass' image and honor.

All are welcome!


Read About Mary Ann Shadd Cary here.
Learn more about helping Iliff students
seeking internships!
It's that time of year again! Our students are working to discern their internship plans for the next academic year, September 2023 to May 2024. As Iliff provides guidance and support for our students on this journey, we seek to advocate and promote your ministries and missions. This mutually beneficial opportunity allows for growth of new leaders and helps strengthen communities.

We would love to have a conversation with you about what it means to be an internship site and supervisor.

Sign up here for our meeting on February 16th at 2:00 pm MST.

If you already have an account in our Professional (In)Formation Network and/or have posted an internship opportunity previously, you can login any time to post an internship for 2023-2024. New internship positions may be posted by creating an account.
Are you a veteran or
currently serving in the military?

We are reaching out to you because we want to find our Iliff students and alumni who are or have been in military service. We want to hear how you heard about Iliff. We also want to identify those who work/want to work in a military or veteran setting.

Thank you for completing this one-minute survey, which will help us better serve our active military and veteran students and those who want to work in military/veteran contexts.


If you have any questions, please reach out to Kat Harrell at [email protected].
DEI Consulting with the Iliff Innovation Lab
Exciting things are bubbling up in the Iliff Innovation Lab around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting. We do DEI differently since we've been on the forefront of social change for 130 years. Check us out on the website or email [email protected] for more info.
Coming to a City Near You!
Every year, the Iliff Enrollment Team travels across the US to meet prospective students and attend events and fairs. And we may be making our way to a city near you or an event you're planning to attend!

In the coming months, the Iliff Enrollment Team will be visiting:

Atlanta, GA for the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
February 20th to 23rd, 2023

Will you be attending either conference? Come say hello! We would love to see you.

Know of a prospective student in the area? Connect them with our team via an email to [email protected]!
Complexified Podcast
The Iliff Institute for Religion, Politics and Culture, directed by Rev. Amanda Henderson, has launched its new podcast.

The podcast, Complexified, dives into topics of religion and politics and unpacks these topics with transparency and honesty. Learn more here!

Listen to Complexified wherever you find podcasts!
Faculty and Staff Updates
Iliff is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Lyndon Shakespeare as Anglican Studies Director at Iliff, beginning February 1. The Anglican Studies Director provides support and mentoring to Anglican Students enrolled at Iliff School of Theology, acts as a liaison between Iliff and the Office of the Bishop, and seeks to link the resources of Iliff with the parishes and people of The Episcopal Church in Colorado.

Lyndon Shakespeare is the Rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Broomfield. Prior to Holy Comforter, he served parishes in Virginia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and Long Island. From 2011-2013, Lyndon was the Director of Program and Ministry at Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C. In 2015, he completed the Archbishop’s Examination in Theology with a cohort that gathered at Lambeth Palace, London biannually for several years, culminating in the bestowal of a Ph.D. by the Archbishop of Canterbury. His thesis was published in 2016 with the title, Being the Body of Christ in the Age of Management (Cascade). He has taught causes on leadership and missional theology in the D.Min program at Virginia Theological Seminary and has several articles and reviews published in the Anglican Theological Review.

Lyndon is married to Margaret Peel-Shakespeare who serves as the Priest in Charge at St. John's Chrysostom Episcopal Church in Golden. Lyndon has three college-age children: Xavier, Madeleine, and Aidan. When not engaged in church matters, he enjoys roasting coffee, catching up on Australian Rugby League and Cricket, and seeking the next trail to hike with Margaret.
Dr. Miguel De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies, gave an interview on his book Resisting Apartheid America: Living the Badass Gospel. View the interview here.
In Memoriam

Rev. Mark J. Hill (MDiv '12) passed away on January 25th, 2023, after a lengthy illness. Information on the Celebration of Life service and a space to leave condolences can be found here.

Mrs. Dorothy Templin (MT '54) passed away in late January 2023. Dorothy was an early female graduate of Iliff and wife of Dr. Alton Templin, an Iliff graduate and faculty member for 30 years. Dorothy worked at various churches around Denver, furthering Christian education, and taught at Kenya Methodist University. Dorothy's memorial service will be held at University Park United Methodist Church at 2:30 pm on February 25th.
Share Your News!

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Did you know that Iliff is on Instagram? Come check us out for events, updates, and institutional news!
Iliff's Professional Information Network (PIFN)
Iliff hosts an online list of available positions for the community. You can sign up to submit positions directly, too!

To visit PIFN, click here.
Something You'd Like to Share?
Talking
Have you been recently ordained or promoted? Or, have you started something new or celebrated a personal milestone?

Connect with us using this online form if you have news you would like us to share in future issues of this alumni/ae newsletter.