November Professors 

Granholm has trained and equipped leaders to thrive in their leadership and life, empowering them to make a lasting impact. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, served, traveled, and studied in 25 countries on six continents. For more than 10 years, she served as a pastor in both mainline and non-denominational churches in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. She has also held advisory and leadership roles in both state government and non-profit organizations. Alicia has her Doctor of Strategic Leadership with a focus on Global Consulting from Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA), a Master of Divinity from Bethel Seminary (St. Paul, MN), and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN).

Dr. Granholm taught her first course with MI in Nov 2021, called Pastoral Leadership and Innovation: 

About the course: We live in changing, uncertain, and ambiguous times. Worldwide, people are leaving Christianity as they know it. Across the U.S., church doors are continuously closing for good. All the while, we’re still entrusted with sharing Jesus’ good news with our neighbors and we long to be part of a Gospel movement that truly transforms people’s lives and our communities at their core. This course will equip and empower you to identify and eliminate barriers to the Gospel so that your neighbors can experience the difference that Jesus makes in their everyday life. Pastors and ministry leaders are guided step-by-step through how to embody innovation best practices to foster innovative churches.

Students read excerpts from these books and articles: 

1. Kuyper, Abraham. Wisdom & Wonder: Common grace in science and art.

2. Pew Forum. The Age Gap in Religion Around the World, Pew Research,

3. Zscheile, Dwight. The Agile Church: Spirit-Led innovation in an uncertain age

4. Berkun, Scott. The Myths of Innovation

5. Cormode, Scott. The Innovative Church: How leaders and their congregations can adapt in an ever-changing world.

6. Granholm, Alicia. Pastoral Leadership for Innovation: Eliminate barriers to the Gospel in a changing world.

Students and auditors enjoyed the discussion and were thrilled that Alicia engaged the students in many breakout discussions and practical applicable activities that they can use in their own contexts. THANK YOU, Dr. Granholm and all of our adjunct faculty!!!! 

Michael Gatlin, Senior Pastor, Duluth Vineyard Church & National Coordinator of Multiply Vineyard, he co-pastors the Vineyard church of Duluth MN, with his wonderful wife Brenda. The Duluth Vineyard is an amazingly creative and diverse community of disciples who are learning to live out the reality of the presence and power of Christ in northern Minnesota.

Michael is also the national coordinator for Multiply Vineyard: a team of men and women located throughout America who encourage, train, and empower local churches; as they multiply disciples, leaders and churches.  He serves on the Executive Team for Vineyard USA, helping to provide oversight to the Vineyard movement in America.

One of Michael's life-long passions is helping people discover, embrace and express all that God has created them to be: "Each of us are created as God's own personal work of art, and I love helping others learn to live out the beauty of the presence of God in every aspect of our lives."

 Michael and Brenda are the parents of three amazing adult children, their incredible spouses, and two amazing granddaughters. His hobbies are many: motorcycle riding, mechanics, watercolor painting, leather working, listening to very fine LP records, playing drums and harmonica, cooking with cast iron, lots of reading and of course, long walks on the beach.

About the course: Mission Development will help students to understand and personally embrace a biblical theology of missional engagement with direct application to our current cultural realities and to each local context. Specifically highlighting practical application for established congregations, the starting of new churches, and in our everyday missional opportunities. The goal is that students would be excited about and further empowered to participate with what God is already doing in their local communities. This class meets November 18th-19th and picks up again in person January 6-7.

Students will be reading excerpts from:

1. Sent to Flourish, edited by Len Tang and Chalie Cotherman

2. Strange Rites by Tara Isabella Burton

3. Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger

He recommended also looking at excepts from:

1. Planting Missional Churches by Daniel Im and Ed Setzer

2. Culture Care by Mikoto Fujimora

3. How (Not) to be Secular by James K.A. Smith

4. Breaking the Missional Code by Setzer and Putnam

5. Surprising Insights from the Unchurched by Thom Rainer