COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

In a world that is thirsty for deep connections with God, preaching can become one pathway towards deeper spiritual awareness, transformation, and connection with God.  Using the Barrier-Pivot-Passage Model for Preaching for Spiritual Formation (developed by the instructor during her own D.Min in Preaching studies), preachers will make a connection between the spiritual journeys of biblical characters to those of their listeners. In making these connections, congregation members are able to move from a cognitive experience of the sermon to a deeper engagement with their hearts and souls–opening space for response, discernment, and deeper participation in God’s ongoing work.

This class will help build the capacity of preachers to craft sermons that deliberately preach for spiritual formation. Participants will learn about the process through preparation worksheets for sermon design, practical experience using the method, and feedback from fellow learners.

Instructor: The Rev. Canon Tracie Little, D.Min.

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm CT

Dates: February 3-April 14 (no class March 31)

COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

This course introduces Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) as a transformative, strengths-based model for congregations seeking deeper and more sustainable community engagement. Participants will learn how to identify and mobilize the gifts, talents, and resources already present in their churches and neighborhoods, shifting from a needs-based model of ministry to an asset-based mindset grounded in relationship and abundance.

Through weekly sessions, case studies, and practical tools, learners will develop skills in community listening, partnership-building, and collaborative leadership. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to map local assets, cultivate meaningful partnerships, and co-create community-driven initiatives that support long-term well-being and congregational vitality.

Asset-Based Community Development for the Church empowers faith leaders to become catalysts for change by building on the strengths God has already placed in their midst.

Instructor: Sean McConnell, M.Div.

Day/Time: Fridays, 4:00pm-5:30pm CT

Dates: February 6-March 27

COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

This course is designed for ministry leaders who want to strengthen their pastoral care skills and deepen their capacity for compassionate, spiritually grounded presence. Participants will learn practical tools for connective communication, active listening, building spiritual trust, and responding to the spiritual needs of others with wisdom and care. Through guided practice, real-world reflection, and feedback on current pastoral encounters, learners will grow in their ability to accompany others in times of crisis, transition, grief, or discernment. 

Instructor: Sarah Knoll

Day/Time: Mondays, 6:00pm-7:30pm CT

Dates: February 2-March 23

COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

“We are called to pay attention, to notice the small miracles that surround us every day.”
Barbara Brown Taylor

This course invites lay and ordained leaders into a reflective and experiential exploration of spiritual practices that can enrich congregational life. Through prayer, contemplative listening, and creative expression, participants will discover ways to nurture both personal spirituality and communal faith. Emphasis will be placed on practices that can be adapted and shared within diverse congregational contexts, fostering connection, awareness, and transformation. Participants will engage in hands-on exercises, guided reflection, and dialogue that illuminate the interplay between individual spiritual growth and the life of the community. 

By the end of the course, leaders will be equipped with practical tools and insights to foster deeper engagement, enrich worship, and support ongoing spiritual formation and congregational vitality. This is an invitation to notice, attend to, and embody the sacred in everyday congregational life.

Instructor: April Williams, Spiritual Director

Day/Time: Thursdays, 5:00pm-6:30pm CT

Dates: February 5-April 16

COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

This course introduces a regular, formative practice of Christian discernment that the instructors have used both in and outside of congregations for 25 years. This group process enables participants to engage faithfully with the events, challenges, and joys of their daily lives and work, as they make living connections with the Scriptures. Over time, participants will find that they are integrating the spiritual and the daily in ways that are natural, practical, and inspiring. As one participant in a reflection group said, “It’s like living my life in full color.” This course will also lay the groundwork for helping others to be formed more deeply in the image of Christ.

There is no advance preparation for meetings, but regular attendance is needed for steady formation.

Instructor: The Rev. Jane Patterson, Ph.D. & The Rev. John Lewis, D.Phil.

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 4:00pm-5:15pm CT

Dates: January 20-March 24

COURSE FULL FOR SPRING 2026

This course prepares congregational leaders to guide others in the work of Christian spiritual formation—helping people connect at a deeper level with the divine power and presence of God. Participants will learn how the spiritual journey unfolds as a Spirit-led process of inner transformation and awakening, shaping a more authentic relationship with God, self, and community.

Through a series of teaching videos, curated readings, and contemplative prayer experiences, learners will reflect on their own personal formation and will have the opportunity to take the  Enneagram Personality Profile Test as a tool for self-awareness and growth.

Instructor: The Rev. Craig MacColl

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 5:00pm-6:30pm CT

Dates: February 10-April 14

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

For some “heresy” is a “dirty word”: it conjures images of people who have “gotten out of line” with ecclesiastical officials, leading to excommunication or being burned at the stake. Others think it simply means “false teaching” or that it doesn’t matter. However, heresy is far more theologically complicated, technical, and important than that. When looked at historically, heresy proves to have been the catalyst for orthodoxy; without certain heresies the Christian Church would have never arrived at certain foundational beliefs, e.g. Nicene-Constantinople Creed. The goals of this course are to: (1) provide theological definition of heresy and its relationship to the creation of orthodox; (2) identify those ancient–about a dozen–officially defined heresies and how to avoid “accidentally falling” into them; and (3) examine how “secularism” and “fundamentalism,” byproducts of the European Enlightenment, aka “modernity,” can be seen as the new “heresies,” that continue to plague the Western Christian Church yet also present an opportunity for a renewal of orthodoxy in today’s deeply divided Church and world.

Instructor: Prof. Greg Zuschlag, Ph.D.

Day/Time: Wednesdays, 5:00pm-6:15pm CT

Dates: September 3-November 5

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

This course offers a transformational approach to tough conversations that starts with the assumption that disagreement and even conflict are ordinary. So, we develop frameworks and practices to work through these conversations constructively, with a view to strengthening our relationships while promoting the common good. Students are introduced to several promising skill sets, including public deliberation, adaptive leadership, and nonviolent communication. Students are encouraged to reflect on episodes from their careers and ministry contexts, experiment with new practices, and process these experiences with peers.

Offered through a collaboration with Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Jacob Alan Cook and Canon Dr. Josh R. Ritter

Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:00pm-3:30pm CT

Dates: September 10-November 12

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

This class will include short readings, videos, and a workshop-style approach to aging with grace and dignity. Together, we will discover the process of aging as a consummation of wisdom and strength, and we will focus on wellness, creativity, and joy.

Instructor: Dr. Sally H. Lombardo

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 6:00pm-7:15pm CT

Dates: September 9-October 28

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

This series will introduce a regular, formative practice of Christian discernment the instructors have used both in and outside of congregations for 25 years. The group process enables participants to engage faithfully the events, challenges, and joys of their daily lives and work, as they make living connections with the Scriptures. Over time, participants will find that they are integrating the spiritual and the daily in ways that are natural, practical, and inspiring. As one participant in a reflection group said, “It’s like living my life in full color.” This course will also lay the groundwork for helping others to be formed more deeply in the image of Christ. There is no advance preparation for meetings, but regular attendance is needed for steady formation.

Instructor: The Rev. Jane Patterson, PhD and The Rev. John Lewis, DPhil

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 4:00pm-5:15pm CT

Dates: September 9-November 11

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

Someone once asked Jesus what the key is to living a faithful life. Jesus responded with the ancient words of the Shema, which Christians call the Great Commandment, to love God with all our Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. But what do these four things mean and how do we live them out in purposeful and practical ways? Jesus implores us to put love of God and neighbor at the center of all four of our “identities” – our vocational, relational, intellectual, and incarnational self. Over ten weeks we will explore the meaning of the Shema/Great Commandment and how it serves as a wholistic, balanced, and integrative framework for a life of discipleship and spirituality. You will be resourced for your own spiritual life and also given tools to implement Jesus’ Great Commandment as a model for Christian formation in the congregation you serve.

Instructor: The Rev. Rich Nelson, M.A.C.F.

Day/Time: Tuesdays, 4:00pm-5:00pm CT

Dates: September 9-November 11

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

The current climate emergency and other environmental perils call faith communities to respond. But how? What might it mean to appreciate how a “green” faith qualifies today as a central—rather than special interest—component of Christian belief and practice? How in particular might we find an ecological vision of life rooted in traditional church teachings such as those bearing on Creation, Salvation, Incarnation, the Holy Trinity, and Resurrection?

Our course’s full immersion in “ecotheology” will involve us in questions like these. We’ll also discuss faith practices linked to “ecospirituality,” including meditative engagement with the green world and the observance of Sabbath rest.

For most of our sessions you’re asked first to absorb key points of theological content through an asynchronous recording and a brief reading assignment before meeting online to share discussion and reflection on that content with other class members.

Offered through a collaboration with The Center for Deep Green Faith

Instructor: Dr. John Gatta

Day/Time: Thursdays, 7:00pm-8:15pm CT

Dates: September 4-October 30

COURSE CLOSED FOR FALL 2025

Brené Brown discusses burnout in terms of vulnerability, boundaries, and resilience. She believes that burnout arises not just from excessive demands but from neglecting what restores us—rest, connection, and meaning.
Burnout reflects a deeper issue: losing ourselves amid a culture that equates busyness with worth. This group spiritual direction invites us to explore spiritual practices as sources of renewal. Together, we will cultivate habits that nourish our souls and support our callings.

We must reflect on what truly matters beyond productivity—relationships, creativity, joy. Transformation requires community, where we learn that we are more than our outputs. Through connection, we embrace humanity, allowing ourselves to rest and reimagine our lives. This work is challenging, but as we find strength in community, we nurture our spiritual resilience, helping each other on this journey.

Let’s tell our stories as lay leaders. Let’s embrace this together and hold one another up.

Instructor: Aneya Elbert, Spiritual Director

Day/Time: Thursdays, 6:30pm-7:30pm CT

Dates: September 4-November 6