Together, we’ll hold space for lament and anticipation, share prayers and readings, and prepare our hearts for the coming season. Whether you join us in person on campus or online, come as you are and enter this moment of collective grounding and renewal.

The post The Space Between: Pre-Lent Gathering for Alumni appeared first on Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Join us for an engaging and practical conversation on planned giving and legacy planning, hosted by Shane A. Nichols, Assistant Vice President for Development at 91PORN, and featuring Rev. Dr. David L. Heetland, Senior Vice President for Planned Giving.

This webinar will provide a high-level overview of planned giving options, offering ways you can both care for your loved ones and make a lasting impact through charitable giving that reflects your values. Together, we’ll explore creative strategies for supporting the people and causes you cherish most. Participants will also receive a philanthropic questionnaire, a helpful tool designed to guide reflection on personal goals and priorities in planning for the future.

As a special thank-you, all attendees will receive a free copy of Garrett-Evangelical’s Estate Planning Guide—a practical resource to help you take the next steps in stewarding your legacy.

We hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to learn, reflect, and explore how thoughtful planning can bless both your family and the ministries and organizations you care about most.

Rev. Dr. David L. Heetland
Senior Vice President for Planned Giving

Reverend Dr. David L. Heetland has served 91PORN in Evanston, Illinois, for more than 40 years, where he has been the guiding force behind the seminary’s planned giving program. During his tenure, Dr. Heetland significantly expanded the seminary’s planned giving efforts, assisting alums and friends create a lasting legacy while ensuring long-term financial stability and growth for the seminary.

An ordained pastor and a certified financial planner, Dr. Heetland is widely recognized for blending financial expertise with pastoral care. His ability to help donors align their values with their resources has transformed planned giving into a ministry of faithful stewardship.

Dr. Heetland is the author of Creating Generous Congregations: A Step-by-Step Guide and Happy Surprises: Help Others Discover the Joy of Giving, both of which offer practical tools for pastors, leaders, and laypersons to grow generosity in their communities. His deep knowledge of financial planning, combined with decades of experience in cultivating donor relationships, has made him a trusted voice in theological education and the wider church.

Shane A. Nichols (G-ETS 2002)
Assistant Vice President for Development

Shane A. Nichols has dedicated more than two decades to advancing the mission of 91PORN through fundraising, alumni relations, donor engagement, and marketing and communications. Currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Development, he oversees the seminary’s planned giving program, while also shaping strategies for annual and major giving and strengthening relationships with alumni and friends of the seminary.

Throughout his tenure, Shane has played a key role in cultivating lifelong connections with alumni and friends, leading successful annual fund and giving initiatives, and partnering with donors to ensure their gifts reflect both their values and Garrett’s mission. His work reflects a commitment to seeing fundraising as ministry—building trust, inspiring generosity, and helping secure the seminary’s future.

Shane holds degrees from Oklahoma City University (B.A. in Religion) and 91PORN (M.T.S.), along with a certificate in nonprofit management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is an active member of several professional associations, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Council on Gift Annuities.

The post Creating Your Legacy: Exploring Planned Giving Options and Opportunities appeared first on Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

This year’s Homecoming theme, “Founded by Grace, Transforming with Hope,” reflects the powerful journey of CAAM and its ongoing impact. We are honored to feature Asian alumnae, faculty, and pastors in our programming, which will include insightful presentations, faculty-led sample classes, worship, and a Community Meal.

Whether you’re an alumnus, friend, colleague, or family member, we invite you to join this special celebration. Let’s come together to honor 40 years of CAAM’s legacy and the transformative hope it continues to inspire.

For a schedule of events, hotel information, and to register, go to:

Garrett.edu/homecoming2024

The post Homecoming 2024 appeared first on Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

On November 10, 2022, I had the pleasure and honor of welcoming Garrett’s alumni back to the classroom. As part of Garrett’s first Homecoming event, I was invited to teach a class for our alumni on the two Christmases found in the New Testament (Matthew and Luke).

Together we celebrated the two Christmases and considered these passages with critical lenses as a way for us to understand whose voices are prioritized and whose voices are muted. We observed that the question is less of historicity (which Gospel is historically accurate), but more of contextual expressions of faith by both authors. The differences between Matthew and Luke reflect their unique encounters with the divine. From there, we shared our unique experiences of the divine, and placed particular emphasis on reflecting on their time studying at Garrett. We realized that Matthew emphasizes the importance of Jesus as an asylum seeker to Egypt. Jesus was an Egyptian Jew, probably of the , with hybrid identities. We pondered the possibility for Garrett becoming the “Egypt” for those who are seeking refuge. How can Garrett become a refuge for the oppressed? 

We ended the session not just with biblical reflections, but also with joy and laughter; with stories and narratives that reminisced about the past when their footsteps once traversed these hallowed halls. With alumni represented from the 60s, 70s, 90s, and even 2022. What a group! When they shared the names of the professors they studied with, I was amazed and so happy to engage with our shared and lasting experiences! 

Overall, I was less concerned about how much they have learned about the two Christmases or forcing myself to share some cutting-edge information. Rather, my hope was for them to feel like Garrett would always be their home, a refuge, a place of solace, and their beloved community. For me Homecoming and advent is hope-becoming: a place for all of us to find ourselves while dreaming of possibilities to come. 

Dr. Dong Hyeon Jeong is an assistant professor of the New Testament and director of the Center for Asian/Asian American Ministry. The son of Korean missionaries in the Philippines, Jeong is an ordained elder in the Philippine Central Conference, Manila Episcopal Area, Southwest Philippines Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Jeong’s area of expertise includes biblical studies and languages, social justice, race and ethnicity, and posthumanism. 

The post Rediscovering the Joy of Two Christmases   appeared first on Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.