Central College’s Central RED Society invites its members to three presentations of “The January Series,” a collection of speakers at Calvin University in Michigan that is designed to provoke “deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day in order to inspire cultural renewal and make us better global citizens in God’s World.”
The three presentations will be livestreamed at Third Reformed Church, 708 E. 13th St. in Pella. All programs stream from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is no cost and no registration.
On Thursday, Jan. 12, Central RED participants will listen to “Following Jesus in a Warming World” with Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, vice president of the Evangelical Environmental Network. His forthcoming book, “Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action,” Meyaard-Schaap uses stories from the field, theological and scriptural exploration and practical advice to offer hope to Christians paralyzed by the scale of the climate crisis and turn it into action. A field guide for Christian climate action, the book is set to be published on Tuesday, Feb. 21. For the last 10 years, Meyaard-Schaap has educated and mobilized Christians around the world to address the climate crisis as an act of discipleship and neighborly love.
On Friday, Jan. 20, attendees will hear “Diversity in STEAM from a Real-Life Guardian of the Galaxy” with Moogega “Moo” Cooper, Ph.D. and planetary protection engineer. She is a real-life “guardian of the galaxy.” As the planetary protection lead of the famed NASA 2020 Mars mission, she is responsible for keeping the red planet safe from any of Earth’s contaminants. Her work with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is integral to the ongoing mission to discern whether Mars could be habitable for humans and that we do not harm what is already there.
On Friday, Jan. 27, Kate Bowler, will discuss “Life After Perfect.” Bowler is a New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, associate professor of American religious history at Duke University and incurable optimist. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering and whether (or not) we are capable of change. At 35, she was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage four cancer, causing her to think in different terms about the research and beliefs she had been studying.
Central RED (Ready to Engage and Discover) is a volunteer-driven, lifelong learning and social organization with an abiding partnership with Central alumni and friends who wish to share knowledge, talents and experiences.
To celebrate Central RED’s 10-year anniversary, no membership fee will be charged from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. All classes and workshops are available for the public to attend. You must register and pay meal costs in advance for each class you will be attending.
No affiliation with Central is required to join. For more information, visit central.edu/red or contact Mary Benedict by email at benedictm@central.edu or phone at 641-628-7641.
