As we strive to start 2,000 new congregations by 2020, the ordained leaders for those churches will pass through seminaries. Disciples seminarians are an important part of the church, and HELM works in partnership with seminaries across the country to provide networking opportunities and additional resources.

The primary way we minister to and with seminarians is the Seminarians Conference, which hosts M.Div. students who have completed at least their first year in seminary. The next conference will be March 5-8, 2009, at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn. Traditionally students pay a nominal registration fee, though travel stipends will be available. This conference is supported financially and logistically by the general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Each fall HELM contacts all seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools to gather a list of Disciples seminarians. While many schools are able to provide updated mailing addresses, collecting this information is growing harder as schools implement student privacy laws. If you have not received information about the Seminarians Conference by Thanksgiving 2009, please contact HELM to make sure we know how to contact you about the Seminarians Conference.

Another way to stay in touch is to subscribe to our seminarians listserv. It offers updates on class offerings, general denominational news, special events, and other opportunities. To subscribe, visit http://lists.helmdisciples.org/listinfo.cgi/seminarians-helmdisciples.org. After you subscribe, you can send messages to the listserve at seminarians@helmdisciples.org. Only subscribers can post to the list.

If you have any questions about the Seminarians Conference, or if you have a suggestion for ways to improve our work with seminarians, feel free to contact HELM by e-mail or by phone at (314) 991-3000 if you have any questions.