Conversations

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are well into our new year here at the Academy. Osprey Point in January affords beautiful, snowy scenery and we are watching the Bay slowly turn to ice. The fireplace in Windrush is a welcome respite and a warm gathering spot for conversation and times of worship.

Greg Wolfe, Editor of Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, spent the first week in November at the Academy as a Scholar in Residence. He led the Fellows in a four-day seminar on writing creative non-fiction; challenging us to make concrete observations about our everyday lives and, in the process of writing about them, discover deeper meaning. This is not easy. It is tempting at the Academy to drift into theories and ideals amidst books and lectures, all apart from the hustle of much community. Finding coherent meaning in the chaotic and mundane tasks seems as tedious as the tasks themselves, but because such tasks take up a large proportion of all of our lives, finding meaning in them can lead to a rich sense of spiritual abundance. This is the primary reason Academy Fellows engage in volunteer service at Osprey Point Retreat & Conference Center, to exercise their hearts and minds to worship God as they serve others.

In this issue of Conversations we are excited share more about the Trinity Forum Academy Class of 2010 and their Personal Statements. In the Personal Statement each Fellow leads a class period on a topic drawn from their experiences, professional skills and academic discipline. Topics this year ranged from a workshop on appreciating poetry and an evaluation of just war theory to considering our cultural definition of “normal”. I encourage you to review the Fellows bios and teaching topics.

In 2010 we look forward to hosting Integrity Weekend 2010: Responsible to Risk, January 29-31 featuring Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, and D. Michael Lindsay, author of Faith in the Halls of Power. We have also been busy preparing to launch our new Alumni Council at our annual Alumni Weekend in March. The new council will serve alumni by facilitating ongoing reflection, accountability and engagement with the Academy.

In all of these endeavors we appreciate your prayers, support and participation.

Blessings from Osprey Point,

Grady Powell
Executive Director
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Academy Update

Class of 2010 Personal Statements
Fellowship Recipients for the Class of 2010 began their Academy tenure in late August. They join us from around the world, hailing from Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Washington, DC and Vienna, Austria. They represent a range of professions including art gallery management, investment banking, health care, worldview ministry, and the Army Reserves; as well as a range of academic disciplines including bio-engineering, creative writing, economics, political science, journalism, graphic design and historiography. Read more about each Fellow and what this dynamic group is learning from one another. Click here for PDF.

Recent Guest Faculty and Speakers

• Fred and Susie Harburg – Trinity Forum Senior Fellow and strategic consultant Fred Harburg led the Fellows in a leadership seminar on identifying patterns of success and failure in our lives. Susie Harburg, a regular Trinity Forum Moderator, facilitated a dynamic discussion on the Forum Reading Shantung Compound.
• David Turner, real estate developer and Bible teacher from Charlottesville, VA, taught one week on the doctrine of the Trinity.
• Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Founder of The Veritas Forum, lead a series of discussions on spiritual formation and abiding in Christ.
• Greg Wolfe, Editor of Image Journal, led the Fellows in a series of creative writing exercises.

Recent Guest Speakers: The Hon. Ed Meese (on leadership), Doug Forrester (on the Trinity), Bob Kramer (on civic responsibility), LCDR Brian Weigelt (on cohesion in community), Rich Dean (a life of calling), Barbara Armacost (legal ethics), Don Flow (on a life lived fully for God), Victor Boutros (on the biblical call to justice ministry)

Upcoming Faculty: Makoto Fujimura – Trinity Forum Senior Fellow and head of International Arts Movement, Jennifer Wiseman – astronomer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Chris Simmons – Former Director of the Faith & Culture Project

Accepting Fellowship Applications for the Class of 2011
Each year the Academy grants twelve full fellowships to rising young leaders with two to four years of professional or graduate school experience. A well suited candidate should demonstrate a sense of career vision and a proven track record of academic excellence and leadership, the desire to serve in a community, a proactive attitude, eagerness to learn, and strong commitment to following Jesus Christ. Second Round Applications due: January 29 Final Application deadline: March 20. Contact Jake at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Integrity Weekend 2010 – Responsible to Risk, 1/29-31
The Academy will host its Annual Conference at Osprey Point Retreat & Conference Center this year focused on the responsibility Christians have to use their cultural and social influence to creatively serve others. Keynote speakers are Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling and Dr. D. Michael Lindsay, author of Faith in the Halls of Power and Professor of Sociology at Rice University. Trinity Forum Senior Fellow Dr. Bill Edgar will moderate.

Academy Mentor Named Executive Vice President of Dalit Freedom Network
Dr. Ana Aspras Steele, former Harvard Law Professor and Mentor to Academy Fellow Davita Maharaj, has recently been named EVP of the Dalit Freedom Network. We offer our congratulations to Dr. Steele as she continues her work to end caste-discrimination and human trafficking. You can read more about Dr. Steele in an interview conducted upon her recognition as a Case Foundation Leader in Action.

Donate to the Academy - We need your support!

The Academy is funded solely through private donations. Please consider how you might help us continue to invest in the lives of our Fellows and promote the renewal of our culture. You can give securely online through our PayPal account by clicking here. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your consideration.

Reflections

How Much Was Improv?

James Hall (Academy Fellow, Class of 2010)

Thanks to the generosity of a Friend of the Academy, James Hall (’10), a concert trombonist and recent jazz band leader in Vienna, had the opportunity to attend jazz legend Monty Alexander’s performance at the historic Avalon Theater in Easton, MD. Read his concert review here and check our James’s own music and album reviews at jameshallmusic.com. Join James at his Academy capstone performance in New York City on May 28. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.