• Christian Blessing Rituals
• Enneagram Workshops
• Enneagram Staff Enrichment
• Enneagram Retreats
• Shalom Retreats
| Workshops Led by Mary Nilsen • Christian Blessing Rituals • Enneagram Workshops • Enneagram Staff Enrichment • Enneagram Retreats • Shalom Retreats |
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| Christian Blessing Rituals: |
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Creating a Climate, Creating Rituals A One or Two Day Event for Clergy and Laity involved in Christian Education or Family Ministry. Can be organized by local congregations, conferences or synods. Description of the Workshop A blessing ritual is a time when an individual, family, or group intentionally invites and celebrates God's presence in the ordinary and extraordinary events of their lives. Such intentionality is a key factor in the faith formation of children and in deepening the faith of adults. During our time together, we will experience one or two rituals, learn about the importance of the incorporation of blessing into the ordinary and extra-ordinary moments of life, explore the possible components of a blessing ritual and discover how rituals can be shaped for any occasion. Then we will work on writing rituals. Also, we will discuss ways to create a climate of blessing in our own families and among the members of our congregations. |
For more information, contact Mary Nilsen at 1-800-996-2777 or maryenilsen@aol.com These words of recommendation from Jessica Crist, Director of the Northern Rockies Institute of Theology "I want to commend Mary Ylvisaker Nilsen as an excellent workshop leader. Mary is creative, organized and gracious. She is theologically informed, pastorally sensitive and pedagogically flexible. "Those who attended our workshop were very enthusiastic in their response. Each found something significant in the workshop. One said, "It was absolutely seditious. She started off so safely, and in the end challenged our whole lifestyle." People who attended the workshop have told me that they continue to process its implications for their lives and ministries. "What is so compelling about Mary? She dares to claim that everything that we are, everything that we have, everything that we experience is of God. And she dares to challenge us to express that of-God-ness through rituals. She dares ask us to consecrate the humble and the unnerving, the grand and the unsettling. In her workshop she gently guides the participants through the construction of a ritual, and opens the door into a whole new way of thinking about life."  Enneagram Workshops, Staff Enrichment or Retreats Mary Nilsen, a spiritual director, learned about the Enneagram in the early 1990s and has found it an invaluable tool for working with people seeking emotional well-being and spiritual growth. She gained her certification in Enneagram instruction from Loyola University in 1996. The Enneagram is a geometric figure that graphs out nine basic personality types and their complex interrelationships. Though it has its roots in the ancient spiritual wisdom of many different traditions, it is a recent development of modern psychology and spiritual direction. One assumption of the Enneagram was voiced by St. Paul 2000 years ago. "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate," (Romans 7:15). According to Enneagram theory, we are all born with a particular gift and a related curse, causing us to "do the very thing we hate." With God's help and through understanding, we can allow the blessing to flourish and minimize the damage the curse causes for us and for those around us. For more information about the Enneagram, see www.authenticenneagram.com Workshops: These one or two day teaching events present the Enneagram through video, power point presentations, and informal discussion. Directed exercises lead people toward discovering their type and understanding the ramifications of this discovery. Depending on the interests of the participants, the workshop can focus on: • The Enneagram in the Workplace: How to understand your work style, deal with co- workers or bosses of differing styles, and many other ways to use the Enneagram in the workplace. • The Enneagram for Spiritual Growth: Special emphasis is placed on prayer styles, biblical texts that liberate each type, and how each type can grow spiritually. • The Enneagram for Parenting: Every parent of more than one child knows that children come into the world hard-wired in different ways. This workshops helps parents understand core differences in children and how best to parent each type. • The Enneagram in Relationships: What strengths do the various personality types bring to relationships? What are the innate problems? How can I grow in self-understanding so I can be a better spouse or friend. For more information, contact Mary Nilsen at 1-800-996-2777 or maryenilsen@aol.com Enneagram Staff Enrichment: Church staffs and staffs of other organizations have found the Enneagram an extremely helpful tool in enhancing the strengths of staff members and minimizing misunderstandings that lead to friction and dissension. Mary comes to local congregations or organizations and gives personal interviews to all the staff members, helping them discover their personality type. Then she conducts a one day retreat at which time participants explore their behavior in the workplace as it relates to their type and seek to understand each other by sharing responses to such questions as: When I am under stress, my behavior changes in this way... What I most need from people around me at that time is... For more information, contact Mary Nilsen at 1-800-996-2777 or maryenilsen@aol.com Enneagram Retreats Many congregations and others groups, who have a core group of people familiar with the Enneagram, are looking for someone to come in and lead a spirited one-two day retreat. Mary Nilsen has led a number of such retreats that include meditation, singing, some lecture, exploratory exercises, type panels and worship. These spirited retreats filled with good humor about the foibles of human nature, give participants a deep acceptance of themselves and of others and a joyful desire to grow in spiritual understanding. For more information, contact Mary Nilsen at 1-800-996-2777 or maryenilsen@aol.com Shalom Retreats Shalom, a program created by Mary Nilsen, has helped hundreds of people grow toward spiritual and emotional wholeness. The wisdom of the Enneagram is combined with a modified version of the Twelve Steps of AA and Al Anon. Together they first enable people to discover their core spiritual issues and then illuminate a path out of the quagmire of counterproductive, self-defeating behavior. During this five-day retreat, all participants will be given an Enneagram interview to help determine their type. The group process will focus on learning about and working the Steps. A Shalom retreat is for anyone wanting to jump-start his or her spiritual growth or recover from dis-ease, weariness or lethargy of soul. Begin now to plan a Shalom retreat for you and your friends or for members of your congregation. For more information, contact Mary Nilsen at 1-800-996-2777 or maryenilsen@aol.com  © 2008, Zion Publishing. All Rights Reserved. |