PTS Alumnus Excels All-Around
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
Earlier this year, Dr. Patricia Sharbaugh ‘99 was honored at PTS Alumnae/i Days as the 2022 recipient of the PTS Distinguished Alumnus in Academia Award. Area of Concentration: Biblical Theology Patty is an associate professor of biblical theology at Saint Vincent College, where she has taught since 2006. She holds a bachelor of arts in business economics from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, a masters of divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. The title of her dissertation was Uncovering the Roots of the Crucified G ..read more
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Pets of PTS
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
Our pets are important to us. These furry or feathered friends work their way into our hearts, shape our schedules, and offer unique companionship. They show us what it looks like to receive care as we are called to rely upon and trust in God and community. They also hold us accountable to God’s call to extend care. The love we share with our pets can draw us deeper into love and wonder for our common Creator. St. Francis of Assisi is well-known for his love and generosity, especially toward animals and nature. Annually on Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis, Christians celebrate the gift of ..read more
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Valentour Scholar Studies Pandemic’s Impact on Mission Trips
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
It was a globe-trotting summer for 2022 PTS Valentour Scholar Hannah Ostlund, who traversed to Peru, Malawi, and the U.S./Mexico border over 10 weeks. During her journeys, she studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on short-term missions and what it means for the future of God’s mission in our world. Here are a few excerpts and photos from Hannah’s travel blog, Travel With Hannah. PERU “The concept of remaining connected after the trip occurs has been something many in the mission field of research have been exploring for a while. As I think about the pandemic’s impact on our world in ge ..read more
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Creating a Narrative Budget
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
This is part 2 of 2 in a series about church budgeting. Read Part 1, “Budgets Tell a Story” A mentor once taught me that no one has ever been inspired to give by looking at a line item budget. Yet year after year, I hear of churches passing around the budget so congregants can read every line of projected expenses. And no one—not even the accountants, not even those who put the budget together—bothers to read it. Most nonprofits know this. That’s why they send me colorful newsletters and email me videos that tell the story of how my gifts are making an impact. Often some numbers will be includ ..read more
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Budgets Tell a Story
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
For many churches, fall is budgeting season. In the best case scenario, the process is excruciatingly boring. The worst case? Anxiety, conflict, and division. Budgeting may be necessary, but few clergy or laity enjoy it. Endure might be the more fitting word. But ideally, the church budgeting process should be more than filling out numbers next to each line item. Budgets always tell a story. This year, invite your church’s leaders to zoom out from the line item budget and ask the following questions: 1. Who are we? If you look at my personal bank or credit card statements, you will learn a lot ..read more
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Pop Culture In the Classroom
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
As a new class of masters students entered Pittsburgh Seminary this fall, many of these first-year students enrolled in “Genesis through Esther” taught by Dr. Kimberly D. Russaw. In this class, they will engage in the challenge of critical analysis of the biblical text. They will also discover a healthy dose of popular culture. Connecting Ancient and Modern As readers of her work already know, Dr. Russaw is a biblical scholar who can creatively explain the Old Testament story of Miriam by examining the career arc of singer Janet Jackson—a skill demonstrated in her essay in Stony the Road We Tr ..read more
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Sabbath Rest as Equality
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
One of the best things about attending a small Christian college in the Midwest was worshiping in a local congregation on Sunday alongside professors and university staff, factory workers and business owners, and even the university president. No matter who someone was at the university or in town during the week, in worship we were all equals. On Sundays, I talked with professors about football or our families. Occasionally, I would sign up to be liturgist or a communion server, meaning I sometimes led my professors and the university president in liturgy and served them communion! A similar ..read more
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The Opening
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
by Andrew Taylor-Troutman The Opening … where the newly open view is good, I can see is what I was pointing to, what I was saying quietly to Myself — Ross Gay 1 15-501 to I-64 to Highway 421 North — all familiar to me, a Tarheel for the last five years and my first 23; so, to break the monotony of this eight-hour drive to Pittsburgh, I go old school, FM radio, Top 40 station, and boogie down the road, chuckling at that part of myself complaining about how come kids these days don’t play their own instruments, and when did grunge rock become classic? 2 US-52 across the state line — the billboar ..read more
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Rev. John Creasy Tends to Missional Ministry
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
The Rev. John A. Creasy ’06 was honored in April as the 2022 PTS Distinguished Alumnus in Mission. He is the founder and executive director of the Garfield Community Farm. He is also the founding co-pastor of The Open Door Presbyterian Church, a missional community in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Garfield. Creative Missional Theology John is passionate about helping people and faith communities connect with God and nature. He does this through works of social justice, environmental justice, and eco-theology. Garfield Community Farm is a place of experimentation of missional faith practices ..read more
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Miller SYI Interns Explore and Learn
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Blog
by ptsblog
1y ago
In 2022 the Miller Summer Youth Institute welcomed six college interns into the SYI family. Representing five different colleges and universities across three different states, the interns were joined by SYI staff for a five week, virtual internship experience that created space for all to explore two essential questions: “Who is God calling me to be?” and “What is God calling me to do?” Welcoming a New Director New SYI director Dr. Tanner Capps helped lead a bi-weekly seminar course on Douglas Ottati’s newest book, Living Belief. Meanwhile, three SYI alums and current seminarians—Simeon Roger ..read more
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