about sofe
The School of Formation and Engagement offers holistic learning opportunities focusing on array of subjects from faith and theology, to culture and compassion, to wholeness and global events. These opportunities will come in one day and two day intensives, with possible longer cohort learning in the future.
school of
formation & engagement
2026
upcoming events
SEPT 12th
9:30am - 11:00am PST
THE JUSTICE OF JESUS
Webinar with Fr. Joash P. Thomas
Priest, Public Theologian & Author.
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
What if following Jesus by seeking justice was never meant to be easy? In his thought-provoking talk, Fr. Joash P. Thomas will explore how Empire has shaped the way many Christians understand faith and justice—and how Jesus offers a radically different vision for the same. Drawing from Scripture, church history, and global Christian perspectives, Fr. Joash invites audiences to rediscover a gospel that is rooted in justice, solidarity with the marginalized, and the liberating way of Christ. This session challenges participants to imagine a faith that is both spiritually transformative and publicly faithful.
https://www.joashpthomas.com/about
Zoom Webinar. $20.00
NOV 7th
9:30am - 11:00am PST
SCAPEGOATS
The Gospel Through the Eyes of Victims
Webinar with Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, Ph.D
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims has several goals at its core: to introduce the work of René Girard, who proposed that Jesus's scapegoat death should be the key to ending human scapegoating; to explore how Jesus's ministry among scapegoats sets an example for how Jesus-followers should live; and to reveal how the Church continues to scapegoat the vulnerable in society even as it claims to follow Jesus. Scapegoats revisits the Gospel narratives with the understanding that they tell scapegoats' stories, and that through those stories the kingdom of God is revealed. The scapegoat stories work together to illuminate an essential truth of the Gospels--that Jesus modeled a reality in which victims become survivors and the marginalized become central to the kingdom
This webinar will use Scapegoats as a foundation for discussing the scapegoating rampant in our society today. We will review some of the examples from the Gospels and church history, but our focus will be on how vulnerable groups such as women, the poor and infirmed, and outsiders, are targeted and systematically marginalized as scapegoats under our watch. Finally, we will address practical solutions as to how can Jesus-followers can work toward protecting scapegoats and removing the targets from their backs in this day and age.
ABOUT JENNIFER
Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, Ph.D (Fuller Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry at Campbell University. She is the author of Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims, John for Normal People: A Guide through the Drama and Depth of the Fourth Gospel, and the recently released, Serving Up Scripture: How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself and Others. Dr. Bashaw is an ordained American Baptist minister who enjoys training and resourcing pastors and she is a Teacher-in-Residence at Crosspointe Church in Cary, NC. Check out her new Baptist News Global podcast, Bible Divas, that brings four women Bible scholars together to discuss scholarship and society.
Zoom Webinar. $20.00
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