NEWS

September 18, 2008

Just back from faculty retreat with our new President, though we have learned that our Dean (Charles Hambrick-Stowe) is shortly returning to the pastorate. So my life at Northern Seminary has further personnel changes ahead. Overall, I sense (with my faculty colleagues) large measures of buoyancy and faith....frankly, while I am preaching on Abraham (see my blog) I can only be buoyant in faith!

One major event since my last report - Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park where I have been helping as interim preacher for two-and-a-half years has called a Senior Pastor. He is Dr. Todd Wilson and he takes up the preaching reins on October 5th. I am thrilled for the church that the long wait is over and, of course, my plans to preach through to the end of the year have therefore been changed. We shall miss our many friends at the church, though hopefully shall keep contact with some of them. Interim preaching is a great privilege, enabling you to grow close to a congregation with consecutive Sundays and other contacts.  Carol and I have loved being there and pray enthusiastically for the next chapter.

Orientation of new students occurs next Saturday and the cycle of teaching whirrs into action shortly afterwards. It looks a full Fall program and, alongside teaching, I aim to redouble writing efforts on my manuscript about preaching and worship.   As always, these few (occasional) website words are accompanied by large slabs of words on my blog, where I shall try to keep channels open as I write this book. Your support is invaluable.

August 15, 2008

Returning after a tiring but exhilarating visit to Europe, I have been immediately caught up in the turmoil of re-entry. None of my email messages addressed to seminary.edu reached me while I was abroad, (normally they are forwarded to my yahoo account....leading to confusion, irritation as well as some missed extra work!

While I was away, Northern Seminary trustees told employees that this would definitely be our last year at the Lombard campus.  Some of us start moving soon to temporary accommodation at International Teams, on the periphery of the Judson University campus, Elgin (- nearly an hour north for me).  As a faculty member, I shall not have to move finally until June 2009, but already I have a new office designated. Actually, employees took a bus trip two days ago to view our new home.  The implications for the kind of seminary we shall be are still being worked on, but already a vision has been fleshed out for different campuses and developing on-line resources. There's a mixture of excitement and dread....who really likes change (apart from babies with diapers)?

So after eight stable years at Lombard I enter some instability. Our new Scottish President, Dr. Alistair Brown, is due here within a few weeks, and we look forward to his leadership. I know that friends will be praying for us as we move ahead.

Outstanding personal family news - we are thrilled to find out that Rob and Lori's second child (due November 2008) is a girl. This delightfully breaks the generational pattern of male Quickes. You can see their own blog which imaginatively posts regular photos of the pregnancy (and other happenings) at realquicke.blogspot.com.

June 25, 2008

The next few weeks promise fun and (some) hard work. Top of the fun list will be our celebration of 40 years of marriage!  Carol and I will be back in England, and though it's not proved possible to arrange a formal get-together we shall take every opportunity to rejoice. When, as pastor, I used to attend ruby weddings (as the Brits call them) the couples often seemed rather elderly with all their best years behind them. I am sure they didn't feel that way....but we certainly don't.  We give thanks for LOVE that bears all, publicly committed to on July 6th 1968, and undergirded by God's faithfulness ever since. We are truly grateful for each other. Ahhhh!

Our visit to Prague for the Baptist World Alliance meetings, and the Conference of Theological Educators will happily thrust us into renewing international friendships, as well as me making two formal contributions via papers (see my blog!) Other writing projects will keep any spare moments full.

Today I received first copies of the English language edition of 360degree Leadership, published by Authentic for the Middle East and the Far East. How extraordinary to see the book in a different format for a completely different readership! I really pray it is going to make "waves" in such contrasting cultures.

Though my blogging will inevitably slow down while visiting internet cafes etc. I hope to keep some contact going over these next weeks and remain grateful for all our on-line friends all over the place.

June 14,2008

Last week I managed to complete all but a couple of delayed student papers....and was able to begin tasting some end-of-academic-year bliss. Commencement was a great occasion - to see graduates moving on into Christian service with smiles on their faces, (and even appreciation for our teaching), is one of the most delicious experiences of seminary teaching. I give thanks for eight years completed in the U.S.!

Now it is time to be creative!  Readers of my blog will know of my two latest projects for conferences in Prague.  Questions about "new wine/new wineskins" and "ethical preaching" are really giving me much to think about. Ahead lies a visit to Europe to present these papers and, along the way, an opportunity to catch up with family and friends in UK.

By the way, speaking at the Pastors' Conference at Moody last month was thrilling and has led to some encouraging feedback.  I continue to juggle my writing with my preaching (never easy!)....Calvary Memorial Church enters its fourth year without a pastor this Fall, so I have just committed myself to returning to preach in September, October and December 2008. 

Meanwhile I continue to work on book projects and other publications. So during the next few weeks my laptop will never be far away, switched on! Thanks for reading this, and don't forget to dip into my blog which I try to keep activated.

April 14, 2008

On the eve of filling my tax returns (why am I always last minute?) I pause to add a bird's-eye view of recent Quicke life. Of course, for more exhaustive (ing) comments see my blog.

Easter was glorious this year...as it should be every year. Five services over Good Friday and Easter Day at Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, were humbling opportunities.  Then term began with a bang (March 25). Alongside teaching an advanced preaching course - Models of Effective Preaching - 17 students began the on-line course Preaching and Worshiping through the Christian Year. I was warned that threaded-discussions, plus other assignments, would make daily impact. And how!  Someone calculated that on average 2 hours a day will be needed through the rest of the term....they could be right!

On Sunday April 6 I preached at the University Baptist Church, at the Univ. of Illinois. It was a double joy. Not only did I meet a great bunch of students but I also preached a new sermon intended for publication in "Preaching the Incarnation" by Peter Stevenson and Stephen Wright.

I return to First Baptist Church, Wheaton (where I was interim preacher 2000-2002) on April 27th and May 4th. However, the big event looming on my horizon is the Moody Pastors' Conference May 19-22. I need to be awake for that! 

March 1, 2008

These last weeks have been dominated by collaborative preaching at Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, writing the on-line course Preaching and Worshiping through the Christian Year, and surviving grading. It's been a heady mixture of life in the pulpit and behind the desk.

Carol had cancer surgery to remove a growth on her chest since my last entry. We rejoice that the surgeon believes all cancer was removed, but Carol is now on the watch list. And the healing process has been slow.

January 18,2008

I am startled by sheer blogging momentum as I continue preaching at Calvary Memorial Church. Alongside the blog's public comments, many private emails have led to significant conversations. At times it seems like full-time pastoral ministry again!

My fourth article on Preaching and Trinitarian Worship is now published in Preaching, Jan/Feb 2008. It has laid foundations for my worship book project (slowly continuing). Designing a new on-line course: Preaching and Worshiping through the Christian Year has dominated much of the last three months.  Working with a worship specialist, Karen Roberts, we hope to launch the course at Easter.

December 7 2007

One item of BIG NEWS (in contrast to my blog's wanderings)!  I have said "Yes" to some interim preaching at Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, Chicago in early 2008. There's quite a story about my journey towards accepting this role - first a fairly convinced "No" followed by much prayer and a mystified "Yes." You can follow my preaching and collaboration progress on the blog (of course!)

November 23 2007

Since my last published entry much has happened. First, my website disappeared for several days (during which I had knee surgery!) Second, my techy son Rob managed to relaunch my site in this new format. Third, he inveighled me into blogging. From now on, I shall be reserving this page for BIG NEWS EVENTS, while my blog will sieve out flotsam and jetsam from my daily/weekly experiences. Who knows whether this will be a worthwhile exercise but now I have started I need to keep on....at least until enough people complain.

October 1 2007

This month sees plenty of action! I return to preach at Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park for Sundays 7 and 15, and speak at Berwyn Baptist Church's Heritage Sunday on 21st.  I also speak at two conferences - Chautauqua at Green Lake Wisconsin, 9-10, and (more unusually) the JC Penney Retirement Community in Florida, 26-28. Meanwhile teaching blazes along with a great group of students.

On a personal health note, I prepare for knee surgery that is scheduled for November 2nd.  I am trying to exercise and swim so that my knees are in best shape possible (!), so that I can make rapid recovery afterwards.

To my double amazement, alongside news a couple of months ago that 360degree preaching was going to be translated into Chinese, I have just learned that 360degree leadership is going to be published by OM Authentic Media, an organization based in India. Fancy that!

September 8 2007

Just back from England, I am preparing for the new academic year at a canter. Next week sees our annual faculty retreat, followed by student orientation and first day of teaching on Monday 24th. However, before then I am speaking at two pastors' conferences - in Missouri September 17-18, and Trinity Christian College on September 19. Other events this month include a further preaching practicum at First Baptist LaGrange on September 30th.

My second article on Preaching and Trinitarian Worship is now published in the Seotember/October issue of Preaching magazine, and I gladly report that the final two articles have also been submitted. So this is one deadline successfully met!