Lancaster Region

We use various sayings and phrases in our common language every day, but what do they mean and where did they come from? We will also explore some nautical sayings and look back into where the word “Okay” came from.

Sherwood Lingenfelter, a Ph.D. author and retired professor, will interview a different interesting individual each week. You will learn about lives and work of: 1) Peter Teague, President Emeritus, Lancaster Bible College (October 29) 2) John Maietta, Retired Army Officer, Pathways Institute Faculty Member (November 5) 3) Jack Crowley, President, Water Street Mission (November 12) 4) Connie Bender, CEO, Show Ease Inc., Ephrata, PA (November 19)

Today, the person next door does not always look like us, talk like us, or believe the same things we do. Various cultures, religions, and worldviews are part of our everyday lives, and many come to our shores as refugees fleeing violence and persecution around the world. Christ calls his followers to serve them with love and compassion. Learn more about who refugees are, why they come to seek safety in the United States, and what we can do to make them feel welcome and part of our community.

We’ve all got family histories, some more intriguing than others. But turning our ancestors’ tales from simple word-of-mouth recollections into a novel that’s descriptive, detailed, and filled with tension is daunting. Especially when your long lost relatives are no longer alive and there is little factual information upon which to draw. On the other hand, sometimes the writer prefers to remain faithful to the actual story rather than embellishing it to follow a dramatic arc. Author Kyra Robinov describes the challenge of both recreating the survival story of her grandmother Luba in her fictional Red Winter and finding the drama in her father’s story, which spanned the 20th century and the globe, in her non-fiction memoir/biography, HiStory.

Americans typically think of the 1950s as a decade where women left the World War II labor market and resumed the roles of wife and mother. But labor market forces, trends in education, and pent-up consumer demand propelled many wives and mothers back into paid employment. Why did this happen? How did it affect employers and families? And what were the implications of this trend for the women's movement?

The culture of conflict around us can be wildly unsafe or suffocatingly controlled. How do we find a balance and handle conflict in healthy ways, whether in our communities, families, congregations, or other relationships? Based on the mediation and restorative justice work of Lancaster-based Advoz, this experiential session on "conflict, communication, and culture" provides a framework, language and skills to handle conflict and harm in healthy, restorative ways.

Tales from the cockpit is a lighthearted look back at some of the funny things that happened to the instructor while flying all over the world for almost 40 years. Lou will share stories of things that happened both on and off the plane, all showing what can happen when you least expect it.

During Jerry’s 48-year career in the aerospace industry, there were more than 30 occasions when his jaw dropped. It’s those “ah-ha” moments that he would like to share with you. They are not things buried in long complex equations, but rather things that happened in ground simulators or with real flying machines. Things that happened in the air or on the ground and with real people - engineers, test pilots, etc. All of these stories are not based on rumors, but will be things in which the instructor had a personal involvement. He will try his best to make these stories equally puzzling to the non-engineer.

Sherwood Lingenfelter, a Ph.D. author and retired professor, will interview a different interesting individual each week. You will learn about lives and work of: 1) Peter Teague, President Emeritus, Lancaster Bible College (October 29) 2) John Maietta, Retired Army Officer, Pathways Institute Faculty Member (November 5) 3) Jack Crowley, President, Water Street Mission (November 12) 4) Connie Bender, CEO, Show Ease Inc., Ephrata, PA (November 19)

Many of us plan our vacations, at least in part, with some spiritual or patriotic motivations. It might be visiting and appreciating the grandeur of a National Park, what some have called “Nature’s Cathedrals.” It might be visiting a heritage or historical tourism park, like Colonial Williamsburg. Or it might be visiting a memorial, museum or commemorative site like the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This course will look at eco-tourism and relations with Native American tribal groups who hold certain sites as sacred.