GMU wishes our Global Family all the Blessings of the Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Happiness and Peace.

Jesus was born in a time when his parents had to find lodging in a stable and in a land controlled by foreign powers. Many families today in the Middle East, Central and South America, Africa, and Bangladesh find themselves in similar circumstances. The message of Hanukkah and Christmas is that the Light cannot be extinguished despite the darkness that seems to be prevalent in the public square. Our heavenly Light continues to burn brightly behind the storm clouds of our era. This beneficial illumination provides us an interior presence and focus that guides us into a future of hope and renewal of our civilization. We have within us the power to devise new spiritual, social, and political structures that will meet the needs of our generation and generations to come. Global Ministries University stands as a beacon of light for our students, staff, faculty, and supporters around the globe. May each of us draw strength from the New Light seeking expression in the most humble of circumstances throughout the world. May we give fuller expression to the Divine Light in this holy season that transforms our own lives, our families, and communities around the globe.

For families everywhere...

Google Scholar

A very helpful, free resource that is often overlooked is Google Scholar. It’s overlooked because it’s hard to find—Google seems to be hiding it. There’s no mention of this resource on Google’s main home page. It’s a freely accessible web search engine that indexes scholarly articles, theses, books, conference papers, and more. Designed to provide a convenient way to search for scholarly literature across various disciplines, Google Scholar is particularly useful for academics, researchers, students, and anyone interested in accessing scholarly information.

The articles in Google Scholar come from a variety of sources: academic publishers, conference papers, theses and dissertations, unpublished scholarly research, books, and book chapters, in addition to open-access journals. 

You can find Google Scholar by clicking on this link: https://scholar.google.com/. Or you can do a Google search for “Google Scholar” and it will probably be the first item that shows up. Once you are on the Google Scholar website, you can type your terms into the search bar and refine your search using the “advanced search” options and filters.

Some articles and books are available full text. Look over to the right of the citation and you may see “PDF” or “HTML”. Click on these, and the full text of the item will appear. Need more help? Look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of the Google Scholar homepage.) Click, and you should see a "Help" option.

And remember, please contact me for research assistance. I’m here!

~Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

Religion and Politics within Orthodox Christianity

Dr. Nazar Sloboda will give a free presentation on "Religion and Politics within Orthodox Christianity" on February 5, 2024 at 7 PM EST as an introduction to his seminar which will be presented in March. Please be sure to look for invitations and registration in the coming weeks.

Dr. Sloboda received a Doctorate in Sacred Theology Ecumenism and Dialogue from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), Rome, Italy. He will direct GMU graduate studies programs in Orthodox theology and history.

Creation Spirituality

Make a New Year's Resolution to connect with nature. To help everyone afford this unique experience, Dr. Margie Schneider is offering her two 8-week courses, Creation Spirituality TH580 and Eco-Art & Creation Spirituality TH581 to be taken in succession in March at the substantially reduced price of $150 each. That's less than $20 per session! Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to "Embrace Creation!"

Doctorates in Senior Care and Hospice Chaplaincy in Collaboration with Pacific Institute

GMU will oversee a Doctor of Ministry in Senior Care and a Doctor of Ministry in Hospice Chaplaincy. Prospective students should have the interest and background necessary to work with senior populations. Students will take one unit of CPE with the Pacific Institute for Essential Conversations led by John Jeffrey. GMU will credit the cost of one unit of CPE ($1656) and grant the students 12 credits toward the GMU Doctor of Ministry. Students would need to take four GMU courses including one of the chaplaincy courses taught by Teri Smith Jones, the "Introduction to Chaplaincy, Spirituality and Aging," taught by Marita Grudzen, and "Ethics and Pastoral Ministry," taught by Joseph Sebastian. A fourth course would be at the student's option, including Directed Studies.

These four courses would count for 12 credits. The final 12 credits could be earned through a mentored research project on ethical or spiritual issues involved in senior or end-of-life care. A second option would be a supervised internship in a senior facility or a hospice.

Community Chaplaincy

Negotiations are underway for collaboration with All Faiths Seminary on a Community Chaplaincy Program. The curriculum and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) structure are being developed. Stay Tuned for updates. 

Religion and Science

A new cohort in the GMU's Religion and Science Program will begin in the spring of 2024. Engage in the compatibility of scholarship and faith.

All of us at The Center for Celebrant Training wish you the happiest of Holidays and a New Year filled with joy, good health, and peace!

People’s Catholic Seminary presents Three Forums on the Journey Together in a Synodal Church for Everyone: Next Steps

Imagine Synod 2024 with Women Priests at the table in Rome presenting theologies and ministries in a Church for everyone!

People’s Catholic Seminary presents Three Forums on the Journey Together in a Church for Everyone: Next Steps in a Synodal Church. 

Join us for three sessions of mutual listening and sincere dialogue to continue exploring possible paths ahead on the journey together in a Synodal Church.

Session 1: January 16, 2024, 1 pm-2 pm EST: 

Topic: The Face of the Synodal Church on the Road Together

Session 2 February 6, 2024, 1 pm-2 pm EST

Topic: All Disciples, All Missionaries

Session 3: March 12, 2024, 1 pm-2 pm EST 

Topic: Weaving Bonds, Building Communities

These sessions will be recorded and a report sent to the Vatican for the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024 in Rome. 

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In this seven-week course we will make our way through this powerful little book, discovering a very human Jesus and the transformative movement that came alive in Galilee all those centuries ago. Each week we will explore ways of sharing the themes of expanded consciousness, mutual care and spiritual renewal with your religious communities as well as with your “unaffiliated” or nonreligious friends. 

Course begins Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 7:30 pm Eastern Time. For six Wednesdays (skipping Ash Wednesday) Cost: $100.

Please consider making an end-of-year donation to GMU. Your gift is completely tax deductible. GMU operates as a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization under the auspices of the Federation of Community Ministries of California DBA Global Ministries University EIN: 77-0195794.

Please support your university!

GMU cannot succeed without YOU!

Wishing everyone a universe filled with

Peace and Blessings!