Online Update

Dear Praying friends,

I thought I would send this anniversary note/summary to you today, in addition to the prayer mail that I intend to send out in the next couple of days, as an example of some of what I am doing as a missionary, and as a way of bringing you closer to the actual online ministry program. This SAMS ministry continues wherever I am in the world, as long as I have internet service.

This way, you see some of what is happening as part of my SAMS missionary activity, and you can use this as a basis for prayer as you pray about our ministry. Similar in the way that I send out weekly prayer mails to you all, I also send out weekly online updates to the students, and other interested parties who participate in the online program.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie

Today's update, for Saturday, 22 August 2015:

The start of a new course is almost upon us. We have passed the three year mark of courses, with one more year of courses to go before the current curriculum will have completed its cycle of live courses. The curriculum is intended to continue after that with 24/7 courses and supplemented with workshops, other materials, and new or revised courses as needed. 

Graduates of the entire program will have satisfied the Belize ATI requirements pertaining to any Lay Ministry or ordination course requirements, according to the Regulations of the Diocese of Belize and the Provincial Canons, keeping in mind that this is only one part of the Lay Ministry or ordination process.

1) C ourse A301 Pastoral Ministry (live) begins 29 August, next Saturday at 9 am, Belize time, and the course ends before the Cursillo weekend in Belize in October. Please contact me to register. 

2) I have finished preparing the live Preaching Course, B300, which will be held from 31 October to 12 December 2015, beginning after the Belize Cursillo weekend. Please contact me to register.

3) I have been working on the General Church History course, 24/7 version.   

4) I plan to be making plane reservations for my October trip to Belize on September 1, and depending on Bishop Philip's preference: to be in Belize somewhere between October 14 and November, with the main focus being the Cursillo weekend from October 22 to 25. The plans for the trip, may affect some of the interactive session aspects of either the Parish Ministry course or the Preaching course. 

5) The 2016 plans for online courses has been changed, due to Dr. Charles' current change in schedule. The schedule is now: A303, Parish Development and Stewardship, will begin in January. This will be followed by T201 Christian Ethics and Moral Theology, and the full cycle will conclude with Dr. Charles' Old Testament Scriptures course in later 2016. 

6) At the end of October 2016, ideally all courses would be available in a 24/7 format of some kind, with possible textbook, workbook, audio, and/or video alternatives in the works after that point. Even now, new students are entering the program, and so there will be a continuing use of the courses, though perhaps not with the same concentration of interactiveness as previously. The courses may make greater use of available library materials, though. 

7) For all ATI students: to access ATI library books at the ATI building in Belmopan (second floor), contact Shirlene. Or, contact Sue Harris for more information if Shirlene is not available.

8) New students are welcome to start the online program at any time after their application form has been accepted. Potential students should contact me. 

9) Help on the ground:

For inquiries about the availability of printed materials in Belize, contact: Ms. Cecile Reyes.

For assistance on the ground in Kasulu contact: Anthony Ngugi or the Rev. Meshack Manyaga.  

10) I you have trouble reading any of the links in any of the courses, please contact me, to see what we can do.

11) Please notify me when you have successfully completed a course (revdrsmudge.oatc@yahoo.com) or if you wish to register for a course.

12) If you need a new password and/or new user i.d., please let me know.

God bless you. 

Dr. Shaw

presently in Connecticut