Monday, September 3: We pray for guidance and energy for all those participating in the Registration and Orientation Week and the annual ICS community fall retreat later this week.
Tuesday, September 4: This is Registration Day for our returning Junior Members. We pray for safe travel for all new and returning Junior Members who are coming to study at ICS this fall. As the students arrive, we ask God to help with energy and flexibility for their back-to-school transition.
Wednesday, September 5: Today is ICS's Community Fall Retreat. This event has traditionally served as a wonderful start to another year of our life together at ICS and we pray that this year will be no exception.
Thursday, September 6: Today is Registration Day for our eight new Junior Members. We offer prayers of thanks for the addition of eight new Junior Members to the ICS community this fall. Please continue to remember them in your prayers as they make the final preparations and transitions this summer in order to begin their program studies here next week.
Friday, September 7: We thank God for all of our Junior Members and ask God to bless them as they begin another year of studies at ICS.
Monday, September 10: The first week of classes begins today! The first course of the new academic year starts today: "Biblical Foundations" with Senior Member Nik Ansell. We ask for God's blessing on all the course participants.
Tuesday, September 11: Two new courses begin today: "Nietzsche, Foucault and the Genealogical Approach to the History of Philosophy" and "Religion, Life & Society: Reformational Philosophy", both with Dr. Bob Sweetman. We offer prayers for God's blessing on all the course participants.
Wednesday, September 12: Today is the first class of two new courses: "Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit" and "Person, Family, and Society", both with with Senior Member Shannon Hoff.
Today the new Junior Members will be visiting the Toronto School of Theology and the University of Toronto Library. We pray for an informative experience for all the participants.
Also, we remember in prayer Jennifer Constantine-Jackson, a ThD candidate at Regis College under the direction of ICS's Bob Sweetman, who will defend her thesis titled "Redeemed Conversation: Selected Medieval Contributions to a Theology of Discourse" today.
Thursday, September 13: Today is the first day of three new courses: "The Aesthetics of Compassion" and "Art, Religion, & Theology", both with Senior Member Rebekah Smick, and "Community, Faith & Judgement: Hannah Arendt & Religious Critique" with Senior Member Ron Kuipers. We pray for God's blessing on all the course participants.
Friday, September 14: Today is the first class of Senior Member Nik Ansell’s course "The Ground of Be(com)ing/The Horizon of Hope: Creation, Time, Eschatology". We ask for God's blessing on all the course participants.
Monday, September 17: Three distance education courses begin this week: "Ways of Learning" with Senior Member Doug Blomberg, "Art, Religion, and Theology" with Senior Member Rebekah Smick, and "Person, Family and Society" with Senior Member Shannon Hoff. We pray to God to bless all the course participants,
Tuesday, September 18: We offer prayers of gratitude and give thanks to you, the many supporters who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation, especially during the quieter summer months. We truly value our relationship with you, as we are constantly blessed with your interest and support.
Wednesday, September 19: Today is the first Academic Council meeting of the 2012-2013 academic year. We pray for God's wisdom to guide the discussions and decisions at this meeting.
Thursday, September 20: We remember with gratitude the life of Margaret O'Gara, ecumenical theologian extraordinaire, and holder since 2007 of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto Chair in Systematic Theology at the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael's College. She was long a dear friend of our own George Vandervelde and a tireless worker for mutual understanding between the various communions of the Christian Church. She died on 16 August 2012. May we remember her husband Michael Vertin, family and friends as they adjust to life without her gracious presence.
Friday, September 21: Please pray for the ICS Board recruitment process, that committed and able candidates for Board vacancies will be offered to the ICS membership for approval this fall.
We offer prayers of praise for the talent of Junior Member Diane Bergsma who will be presenting a paper at Brock University this weekend.
Monday, September 24: Today we pray for God's help for those who are struggling with illnesses. We ask God for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.
Tuesday, September 25: We pray for energy and enthusiasm for those who are involved in planning the upcoming issue of Perspective.
Wednesday, September 26: Today is the first Faculty meeting of the 2012-2013 academic year. We pray for God's wisdom to guide this meeting.
Junior Member Jelle Huisman is presenting a paper about "translation as/of philosophy" in Madrid today. We pray for energy and wisdom for the preparation and the presentation itself.
Thursday, September 27: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.
Friday, September 28: We ask God to bless the Rev. Dr. Thomas Wolthuis and Ms. Dawn Wolthuis who have been appointed to the position of President of the Institute for Christian Studies. We pray for energy and a smooth transition.
