The Creative Community Care Virtual Residency brings together eight Christian artists in an exploration of creative practices in extending care through community engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath from March - December 2021. Our residents hail from Charlotte, Chicago, Corsicana (TX), Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and New York City. The big idea that threads throughout is: "Through creative storytelling, we mourn and dance together; we learn again how to care for our neighbors and communities." The residency will continue in spring 2022 to prepare for online public programming in fall 2022, and culminate in a group exhibition that opens in 2023.

We have been exploring the concerns and questions of the pandemic period (mutual aid, care re-imagined for social distance) at the intersection of the arts, learning, faith, and the city; journeying together to learn and document how creatives and communities are experiencing the pandemic and its aftereffects; and considering implications for ministry in the city through creative, place- and arts-based practices.

The CCC residency is part of the learning and research work of the Ministry in the City Hub. We are grateful to the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for their support of this work.

Become part of a growing community of pastoral ministry and leadership practice across church traditions and networks in the metropolitan New York area. The goal of the Thriving in Ministry initiative at City Seminary of New York is to walk alongside pastors and ministry leaders from the diverse Body of Christ in our city to nurture networks of mutual support, care, and well-being in a complex and ever-changing urban context. This is done through pastoral conversation collaborative inquiry groups, reflective praxis groups, spiritual direction retreats (fall and spring), pastoral portraits, and an annual reunion. New groups are formed and meet throughout the year.

Due to current circumstances related to COVID-19, these sessions will meet online via Zoom (or hybrid) until further notice. Attend an online open house or email us for more information.

This is for pastors (and their spouses) who are new to pastoral leadership, those seeking peers who have been pastoring for several years, or others are transitioning into retirement. This is also for those serving in an official ministry leadership capacity in a church or ministry context.

Retreat dates for 2022 are: March 11 and October 7. Our annual reunion will be hosted on November 10, 2022. Join us to learn more. Email Geomon at learning@cityseminaryny.org.

Many thanks to the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for their generous funding and support.

City Seminary of New York is a truly unique place to be. It is where the diverse Body of Christ comes together in a new "Ephesian moment" in our global city, learning and walking in mutuality. From my community development days in Sandtown to the building of an evolving ecosystem of theological formation in New York City, my journey has been shaped by friendship and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Join us for a bi-weekly virtual yarn circle from June until August 2021, as we support the Chinatown Yarn Circle project, a collaboration with Harlem artist Naomi Lawrence and community organizer Tina Lin. Be part of a large-scale civic awareness and community solidarity yarn mural that will be installed in Columbus Park (in Manhattan's Chinatown) in October 2021.

Come to learn basic stitches to make a 2 1/2 inch square, flex your crochet creativity and make flowers or leaves, or just come and hang out for conversation. Materials pickup in person at the Lower East Side People Care Garden (25 Rutgers St, NYC) on August 1 and 8, 3:30 PM - 5 PM) or at the Fresh Oils Community Garden (Harlem; by appointment only).

Register for a virtual yarn circle date at the link below, or email wogc@cityseminaryny.org for more information.

Bible for Life Summer 2022

We Make the Road by Walking: A Journey from Genesis to Revelation

In this new Bible for Life non-credit, intensive short course, we look at the Biblical story as a journey.  How is God a God of our journey, and what roadmaps are we given along the way?  What is our journey like?

Our learning journey together will take us from Genesis to Revelation, with stops including the Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, and New Testament letters. 

Course Instructors: Mark Gornik and City Seminary faculty

This course meets the prerequisite requirement for applying to the City Seminary of New York Graduate Center Master of Arts in Ministry in the Global City.  

Thursday, June 30, 2022 @ 6:30-8 PM EST

Thursday, July 7, 2022 @ 6:30-8 PM EST

Thursday, July 14, 2022 @ 6:30-8 PM EST

Thursday, July 21, 2022 @ 6:30-8 PM EST

Thursday, July 28, 2022 @ 6:30-8 PM EST

All classes will be held on Zoom. There is no cost for this course.

For more information, please contact learning@cityseminaryny.org.

As part of a multi-year grant awarded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. to create the Ministry in the City Hub, City Seminary of New York is pleased to announce a series of grants that further the work of doing, thinking about, and connecting together around ministry in cities across North America. We are truly inspired by the commitment of these churches, educational institutions, and community organizations.

Prophetic Ministerial Leadership and Creative Responses to COVID-19 Challenges in Inner-City Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry at Boston College

Building Capacity for UniteBoston's Bridge-Building Work at Unite Boston

Community Greater than COVID (Community > COVID) Initiative at Esperanza Health Center, Philadelphia

Design for Cultural Exchange and Racial Reconciliation Among Children at Real Community Covenant Church in Marion, Indiana

"The Timothy Project" at DSI International, New York City

 Urban Ministry Leadership Cohort at Seattle Pacific Seminary, Seattle

We're grateful to the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for the opportunity to support these six groups and their important community work.

At City Seminary, I have the privilege to cultivate spaces for faculty, staff, students, and visitors to interact in creative ways. We interpret Scripture together with our bodies in tableau and practice hospitality with neighbors through food and art-making. This process is a way that we "become" God's peace in the city, living out our faith in unexpected ways as well as pointing others to Christ.

The Walls-Ortiz Gallery and Center has been "on the move" in the neighborhood starting Fall 2019.

Last summer, we launched Planting for Peace, a Justice Seedbed Project, with a group exhibition exploring creative ways to respond to our environment's call for care. This past year, we partnered with the New York Public Library in East Harlem to host monthly art workshops for the Fisher Day Center. During the spring, we hosted weekly virtual art-making gatherings for a community outdoor yarn installation in collaboration with local artist Naomi Lawrence in the Fresh Oils Community Garden (163 St. Nicholas Ave.). We installed this bright colorful sign of hope in September 2020 and hope to continue adding to the collaborative work, as we meet together to crochet (virtually and eventually in person, socially distanced) over conversation and food.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see who we're connecting with in the neighborhood...

With the global city of New York as the classroom and the focus and background of every course, the MA degree program prepares students for the challenges of living and thinking theologically in a growing and changing, increasingly diverse world Christian church. It equips those living in the global city for ministry and leadership practice across generations, cultures, and traditions. In these COVID-19 times, being equipped for ministry in a complex world is more important than ever before. Download the brochure here.

If you are interested in applying for the upcoming cohort (spring 2023 start), attend an online open house. Note: Ministry Fellows Program and Bible for Life courses are prerequisites for admission.

One way we hear God together is through the words of Scripture. Just Show Up (JSU) is a way of meeting regularly in community for extended listening and reading of Scripture. In the Bible for Life and across program areas, City Seminary shares in this movement and the practice of the public reading of Scripture.

I began my journey at City Seminary in the very first Ministry Fellows Cohort in 2009. Since then, I have come to be known as "the glue that holds things together" in my role coordinating operations and leading the community as a prayer warrior. 

The Brown Bag Lunch Talk Series is a lunchtime gathering held on select Wednesdays during the fall and spring. This is an opportunity for us to dialogue and to interact with local partners and international scholars in the arts and public faith. Bring your lunch and join us for conversation. With the Walls-Ortiz Gallery "on the move," we will hold our Brown Bag Lunch Talk series at Hope Campus, 302 West 119th St, 3rd Flr, NYC, and other locations in the neighborhood.

Check back soon for details on upcoming events.

Understand the city better, experience the broader church, get equipped for ministry, and become formed for leadership. Through experiential learning, dialogue and reflection, prayer, worship, and wrestling with Scripture, walk together with a diverse community of ministry leaders for a season.

The Ministry Fellows 2022 cohort will meet Thursday evenings via Zoom (6:30p-8:30p) and one Saturday (9:30a-3:30p) per month in person. Classes will run from September to November 2022. Tuition is $500, with scholarships available for financial need. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster are required to participate in the program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the cohort is filled. Apply now!

Please attend an online open house to learn more about the program. The Ministry Fellows Program is a prerequisite for application to our Master of Arts Program in "Ministry in the Global City."

"The city is the seminary... All roads lead to New York. The whole world is there. A vision of world Christianity is already being lived out, right there in New York City."

City Seminary of New York's (CSNY) library is focused in four specific subject areas: Global Christianity (defined as works on Christianity in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the West Indies), Urban Ministry and Mission Studies, Biblical Studies, and Applied Theological Studies. Because of our specialization in Global Christianity, we have internationally published materials that are not available anywhere else in the city. 

The library has a small but focused collection of journals mainly within the subject area of Missions Studies and Global Christianity. Additionally, we subscribe to more general theological journals and a small number of journals that examine urban Christianity, as well as the American Theological Library Association's journal database ATLAS, an online full-text collection of major religion and theology journals. 

We welcome pastors, ministry leaders, researchers, and students to use our library as a resource on campus during library hours (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 1-6 PM). Books are for reading-room access only. Contact library@cityseminaryny.org for more information.

As an administrator, faculty member, and pastor, I enjoy introducing people to our learning communities as well as walking alongside students and alumni over time. It has been a joy to play the role of mentor as well as co-learner over meals, on walks around the city, and in prayer together.

Since 2013, women in leadership and ministry from across the city have gathered annually for a time of learning and retreat from the everyday challenges and opportunities of "being" in the city. In a year when we feel these challenges and opportunities more keenly than ever, we focused our time on how we could "Care for the Peace of the City." This gathering created intentional space for restoration of the body and spirit through the arts and reflection, as well as engagement of the mind through panels and conversation.

We asked: What does it mean to flourish as women in leadership and ministry in a city filled with uncertainty and complexity? How do we become God’s shalom, embodying care in our neighborhoods, city, and world?

As a way to continue building relationships formed or deepened at our annual gathering, we are hosting informal lunchtime fellowship meals "together apart." We will meet on the wonder.me platform for Friday lunch on the following dates:

Friday, May 6, 2022 12-1 PM EST

Friday, July 15, 2022 12-1 PM EST

Friday, September 23, 2022 12-1 PM EST

Friday, December 9, 2022 12-1 PM EST

To participate, please email events@cityseminaryny.org and indicate which dates you will attend. A Seamless card for your lunchtime meal will be sent to those who RSVP by noon the day before each lunch date. These gatherings are meant for women pastors and ministry leaders in the metro New York area to connect and build community. We are grateful for the support of the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for this work (Thriving in Ministry initiative).

"Ministry in the city begins with what is right in front of us, perhaps right under our feet or just out of the way, but unfolds in ways that fit into the context.

Look around, pray, think, share this journey with others, wait on the Spirit, try to see afresh what is right in front of you, and take the time that is needed. Because no two settings, neighborhoods, or cities are alike, the Gospel takes shape in the local."

My relationship with City Seminary is a match made in heaven. I was introduced to the seminary at a time when I was desperate for direction and tools for doing ministry in the urban context of New York City. I not only found a seminary but I found a community that embraced me and helped to mold my theological view of ministry in the city. It is the only place that I know of where I can say you will truly learn how to view ministry in the city. 

In January of 2019, the first cohort of the MA in Ministry in the Global City program went on a pilgrimage to Medellín & São Paulo. As Father Emmanuel Katongole explains, pilgrimage is a way of life, a way of listening and feeling the dust beneath our feet as we learn from cities and churches around the world. Many of our cohort came to New York by way of other global cities, and immediately saw connections to Medellín and São Paolo, which you can read about in the journal excerpts displayed.

As you journey with us, we invite you to wonder about how the stories of these cities illuminate aspects of your own context. How might you be an everyday pilgrim in the city, attentive to the forces of urbanization, spiritual life of the city, and encounters with the suffering, joy, and humanity of your neighbors?

Featuring work by the MA in Ministry in the Global City Class of 2020

The goal of WE LEAD NYC is to nurture youth communities in the city for lives of purpose and joy through leadership development, spiritual formation, and ministry practice. We cultivate active Listening as a practice, encourage vocational Exploration as a journey, equip Ambassadors to build bridges, and root Disciples in the Word. With the city as our classroom, engage in experiential learning, Scripture reflection, prayer, worship, and fun. The program is open to high school students (rising 9th–12th graders), college freshman, and their church youth leaders. Email us to learn more (learning@cityseminaryny.org).

Christ's completion as we have seen, comes from all humanity, from the translation of the life of Jesus into the lifeways of all the world's cultures and subcultures through history. None of us can reach Christ's completeness on our own. We need each other's vision to correct, enlarge, and focus our own; only together are we complete in Christ.

As an educator, lifelong learner, and creative, I enjoy designing and curating learning experiences for theological education. I love drawing on the arts, place, and community to spark ways of thinking and doing theology together in a global city and learn alongside the vibrant body of students at City Seminary.

Explore the legacies of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass through the perspectives of contemporary artists. Douglass advocated for freedom and justice as an orator and writer while Tubman journeyed under the cover of night through the Underground Railroad. This portion of Conversations with Harriet engages ways in which their legacies continue in the public and private domains, making visible the stories of lesser known journeys and inviting us into dialogue and inspired action.

Artwork by Maria de los Angeles and Mahtab Petrami, Carol Fields, Naomi Kuo and Queens Memory, Nate Ladson, Camilo José Vergara, and Kim Worthmann.

"No longer "wandering and lost," Brian expressed a sense of home in God, in the body of Christ, and in the city of Toronto."

Every January, women involved in leadership and ministry from across the city gather for a time of learning, sharing, reflection, and retreat from the everyday challenges and opportunities of "being" in the city. The symposium, which began in 2013, focuses on the annual seminary theme. The year we will unpack ways to "grow for the peace of the city." An integral part of this gathering is intentional space for quiet and restoration of the body and spirit through the arts and reflection, as well as the engagement of the mind through panels and conversation.

How does life in the city shape our growth, and how does our growth contribute to the peace of the city? How might our lives be the water, nutrients, and soil for the growth of others? How can the stories of Biblical women inspire our approaches to growing? Our 8th Annual Symposium on Women in Leadership and Ministry was spent collaboratively reflecting and learning in response to this year's theme, Grow for the Peace of the City. 
 

"At City Seminary of New York, we have found that ministry in the city is most generative and sustainable when it begins with the senses, with our everyday experiences as embodied beings with diverse callings and vocations. Our approach to ministry begins with how we see, hear, taste, smell and touch the city."