The Boston Seminar
In August of each year, the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies conducts the Boston Seminar at the Congregational Library in Boston, Massachusetts.  The seminar is a requirement for graduation from the CFTS Program.  It is also open to Ministers serving NACCC Churches.  Students spend five full days in the Library.  Each morning is devoted to a lecture  on Congregational history and classic polity of the Congregational churches.  During the afternoons, the students are free to use the facilities of the Library for the initial phases of research for a major paper on some aspects of Congregational history and/or polity.  The seminar leaders are available to offer direction and counsel.  Evening sessions a leads instruction and discussion on theology and ecclesiology of Congregationalism. The sixth seminar day is devoted to visiting sites in and around Plymouth, Massachusetts which are important to the early history of our churches.  
                                     
CFTS students are expected to attend the Boston Seminar at the beginning of the second year in seminary and to complete the paper and the Directed Study by the end of the first semester of the second year of seminary.  Students attend the Boston Seminar once during their seminary experience.

Students attending the seminar are expected to complete and submit an acceptable paper by the end of the following semester.  They are asked also to report on a series of books on a reading list prepared by the Foundation office.

Students should take the course to their advisor or academic dean to see if the seminary gives credit for the course.  If this is the case, the student should request that one of the regular faculty members serve as an instructor for the course.

Ministers new to our Association are encouraged to attend this seminar.  A slot for the seminar must be reserved early, however, because attendance is quite limited due to the size of the room in the Library.  Please contact The Rev. Dr. Thomas Richard at the NACCC Office 414-764-1620 or his assistant, Tressa Stein  to learn about this very special program.

The Fall CFTS Seminar
In fulfilling its mission to supply especially trained and well-educated Congregational ministers for our Association churches, the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies provides student seminars in the fall of each year on subjects that are pertinent to Congregational Churches.  Seminary students must attend at least three fall seminars to receive a CFTS Graduation Certificate from the program.

In the past years many Fall Seminar topics on ministry in Congregational Churches have been presented.  In 2006, Fall Seminar participants attended the 5th Congregational Symposium entitled "The Church, Born for a Time Such as This" and was held at the First Congregational Church in Wauwatosa, WI. 

The subjects of the Fall Seminars are carefully chosen to give all of the seminary students in the CFTS program a well-rounded education unique to our Association Congregational Churches.