Thank you to everyone who took time to respond in some way to our "Future of Cherry Hill Seminary" message in August.
A special welcome to all the new students who have started the fall semester with us.  You are the reason we are here, and you are helping shape the future of Paganism.

And heartfelt thanks to so many of you who not only made a spontaneous contribution, but several who are now monthly automatic donors.  You have helped to provide a stronger foundation for CHS.

Finally, thank you to everyone who took time to write us with your ideas, your concerns, your offers of volunteer assistance and more! 
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We are not out of the woods yet, but are encouraged. Meanwhile, we still receive inquiries every week from people who have just discovered CHS, or who have just come to a time in their life when they are ready for classes

Last week a full-time prison chaplain called me to ask what courses would best help him support the 200 Pagan inmates he serves. Another person has just been assigned duty as the Pagan religious group coordinator at her military base. Then there are those who are drawing close to finishing their CHS Master of Divinity degree - a shout-out to them for sticking with their program and making us look so good.

So what does the future hold?  I can tell you this  - the board of directors and administration are carefully reviewing our budget, student registrations, and any other information that can help guide us.  For those who actually read this column, here's a teaser - we are hard at work on a new non-degree program that many of you have asked for over the years.Help us out by completing the short survey in this newsletter. 

Stay tuned,
Holli Emore
Executive Director


 
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Important Dates
 
For Students
Sep 12 Fall classes begin
Sep 21 Military Families begins
Sep 23 Drop/Add deadline midnight tonight
Oct 17 Insights 2 classes begin
Oct 19 Military Families ends
Nov 13 Insights 2 classes end
Nov 21 Insights 3 classes begin
Dec 18 Insights 3 and Regular Fall classes end   
For Faculty  
Now Spring course proposals due  click to submit  
Nov 28 Insights 2 grades due to office
Jan 2 All Fall grades due to office


 
Cherry Hill Seminary
is the leading provider of education and practical training in leadership, ministry, and personal growth in Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities.

For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org, or  click here to email us

 
Survey of Your Interests   

Will you share your ideas and interest in a possible new Cherry Hill Seminary program?  Click here to take a short survey.

Community Ministry Program Survey 
Still Time To Register
Ministering to Military Families 
Tuesdays 9:00 PM ET, Sept. 21 - Oct. 19 on Skype 
Covers the general pastoral functions of ministering to the military community in a diverse and pluralistic environment and surveys some of the special situations that the military chaplain is likely to encounter, like deployment, reintegration, relationships, loss, and spiritual injuries of returning service members. More Info & Register 
Self-Care For Pagan Leaders
Oct 17 - Nov 13, no live meetings 
Self-care is sometimes seen as selfishness or the domain of the privileged, but it can and should be accessible to every person. We'll use a variety of tools to come into greater awareness of ourselves and to generate ideas for our own self-care. By the end of the course participants will have an actionable plan for nurturing their own self-care practices.More info and register
Effective Web Site Development for Pagan Organizations
Sept 19 - Oct 9, no live meetings
Create a strategic plan for the development of the web site for your Pagan organization. This includes identifying key decisions about site navigation, software applications that will be used for the development of the site, and implementation of the strategic plan with the assistance of individuals with the necessary technical knowledge. A great way to build your first site with skilled backup in class. More info and register
Queer Pagan Theology Crash Course
Nov 21 - Dec 18, Wednesdays, 8 ET
From our many myths of gender-bending deities to the celebrated statement that "All acts of love and pleasure are [the Goddess'] rituals," Pagan traditions are full of queer-friendly elements. Unsurprisingly, Pagan communities are also full of queer people: some studies suggest that fully a third of all Pagans identify as gender or sexual minorities. This class will help students clarify their beliefs about gender and sexuality; explore how our religious practices could embrace more fluid and diverse gender and sexual expressions; and prepare students to advocate for LGBTQ Pagans in interfaith contexts.More info and register
The Wounded Warrior: Bringing Them All Back Home
Thursdays 8 PM ET, Nov. 16 - Dec. 14
War leaves invisible wounds upon the mind and the soul of our combat veterans. Here we'll explore the impact of such wounds on the lives of veterans, including an increased risk of suicide. And we'll discuss ways of intervening with these invisible wounded in both mundane fashion and through using methods more in tune with Pagan beliefs. The course will consist of a weekly group Skype session and individual work between sessions. More info and register

Bookshelf

War and the Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
By Edward Tick

News About Our CHS Family

Professor Ronald Hutton reveals some little-known facts about his background and the struggles and challenges in his path to his brilliant academic career in this video interview

Former CHS board chair Kirk Thomas writes us, "
I've just recently been added to the religious advisory committee for the state of Washington Department of Corrections, and I just attended my first meeting. It was fascinating. And I guess I've just been appointed the clearinghouse person for resources and book lists for all the various religions in the state, to be disseminated to the various prisons here."

CHS professor Ali Beyer writes us, "A physical field trip broke out for the class 'Secrets of the Effigy Mounds.' We went to the Edgewood College campus in the Lake Wingra area of Madison, Wisconsin, and found 3 conal mounds, a linear mound, a bird effigy, a bear effigy and a water spirit (panther) all in one place, which was amazing. It was great to walk around with students Sarah and Peter and look at these ancient earthworks with others!"  Visit our Facebook page to see all the photos. 


To learn more about our programs, including degrees and certificates offered, click here.