By Jennifer Johnson
In the last few years, several Christian church and church of Christ colleges and universities have created new degree programs in spiritual formation. It”s representative of a wider movement in the academic world; as Richard Foster wrote in a recent article on TheOoze.com, “Seminary courses in spiritual formation proliferate like baby rabbits.”
Neal Windham leads a spiritual formation group at his office at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University.
However, these new programs are purposeful as well as popular””each one is designed to develop mature leaders who are growing in the image of Christ and taking him into the world.
Here are several of the degrees and programs we”ve discovered among these schools.
Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University offers both undergrad and graduate options, with a bachelor of arts (BA) in spiritual formation and ministry as well as a master of arts (MA) and doctor of ministry (DMin). Dr. Neal Windham, professor of spiritual formation and New Testament, and Dr. J.K. Jones, professor-at-large of spiritual formation, began developing the undergraduate program six years ago and launched it in 2011.
Lincoln offers its two-year master”s program in partnership with Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois; most of the classes are held on Eastview”s campus and Jones, who also serves as pastor of spiritual formation on the church staff, leads the program. The 36-hour degree includes four courses students can customize for their professional or personal goals.
The DMin in spiritual formation equips students to lead both individuals and congregations, and includes opportunities to specialize in areas of interest.
The DMin in missional and spiritual formation at Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee, combines intensive individual reading and academic work with “residency” weeks where cohorts gather to practice disciplines and discuss the material. Postresidency work challenges students to integrate learning into their own ministries.
The doctoral program was initially launched as part of Lipscomb”s Institute for Christian Spirituality (ICS) before being moved to its Hazelip School of Theology. The institute remains closely connected, with faculty teaching classes in both programs. The ICS also offers conferences, seminars, and workshops. The Growing Deeper program includes retreats, assigned readings, and ongoing work with a mentor, and the Spiritual Deepening program helps ministers enrich their own spiritual practices.
On the other side of the country, Hope International University, Fullerton, California, offers an MA in ministry with an emphasis in spiritual formation. Like Lipscomb, the program combines residency weeks with online and individual coursework. The new concentration offers six spiritual formation classes; even students choosing a different emphasis for their MA are required to take at least two.
Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, also offers a spiritual formation and leadership concentration as part of its MA in New Testament. Students attend two summer classes and a retreat as well as the three campus visits required of all MA students. Dr. Jody Owens, professor of Bible and pastoral ministries, says 60 percent of Johnson”s incoming MA students are choosing the track.
Finally, at Manhattan (Kansas) Christian College, Dr. Brian Medaris developed a spiritual formation emphasis within the Christian ministry department. In addition to classes on spiritual mentoring, small groups, and Christian spirituality, Christian ministry majors may choose additional areas of focus such as children”s ministry, Bible and theology, worship, or intercultural studies.
Good Questions
While the specifics of each program vary, similar philosophical and practical issues affect each school. One of the biggest is how these new programs fit with traditional Christian education initiatives like Sunday school and small groups.
J.K. Jones, of Lincoln, resists attempts to make spiritual formation part of the “larger ocean” of Christian education.
“Spiritual formation is a unique discipline with an emphasis on how the Holy Spirit is forming and calling people to be attentive to the church,” he says. “It”s more of a listening ministry.”
His colleague Dr. Barney Wells, assistant professor of Bible and ministry and DMin program director, says there”s value in incorporating spiritual formation practices regardless of the church”s programming.
“We completely recognize the validity of Sunday school, small groups, and youth groups,” he says. “But I do think when those formats are used, we must be intentional. Too often we let adult classes study whatever appeals to them, with no structure or comprehensive plan for their growth.”
At Manhattan Christian College, the spiritual formation emphasis combines classic resources and disciplines with a practical ministry focus.
“I didn”t want to leave behind the vast amount of resources Christian education programs had brought to the table,” says Medaris, associate professor of educational ministry. “We introduce these concepts with an emphasis on using them in the local church.”
Another recurring theme is the need for both individual and corporate formation.
“Spiritual formation is not just an individual exercise,” says Dr. John York, professor of Bible and ministry at Lipscomb and director of its DMin program. “It”s in service to the larger kingdom of God, and we are called to deepen our relationship with him in community. We want to promote individual practices, but in the larger context of what God is doing in the world. Spiritual formation will always be bigger than an individual or a small group.”
Several professors agreed, but commented on the necessity of strong spiritual formation for the individual as a “well” to draw on in leadership.
“You can only take people as far as you”ve gone,” says Dr. Carl Toney, associate professor and chair of the Graduate Ministry Department at Hope. “Our goal is a holistic focus. You can be the best exegete in the world, but if you don”t let God”s spirit impact your life, things eventually break down.”
At Johnson, the program also reinforces the importance of “soul care” and personal spiritual development. A highlight of the program is a one-week intensive retreat experience.
“Each day we follow a monastic rhythm,” says Owens. “We begin with morning prayer and a short liturgical worship service before breakfast. After the meal is a lecture followed by silent reflection. We come back together to share as a group, and then begin the cycle again: prayer, lunch, teaching, and reflection. During the week we”ll also have a whole night without speaking called “˜The Great Silence.””
Working It Out
The emphasis on personal growth, spiritual receptivity, and community is welcomed by students””each of the schools reports steadily growing enrollment for their programs””but most people pursing advanced degrees are also motivated by professional growth. What are the graduates of these programs equipped to do?
Leaders say the answers are as varied as the students who enroll. Some graduates are pursuing the positions you might expect: pastors of discipleship or small groups, campus ministers, spiritual formation ministers, or adult education directors. However, even the undergrad programs””arguably more focused on beginning a career path””equip students to incorporate spiritual formation into a lifetime of work.
“We want to be sensitive to what positions are available, but also keep a broad focus that exposes students to classical spiritual disciplines,” Medaris says. “Churches have become so specific in defining their job descriptions”””˜I”m the junior high worship minister”””but taking even a few classes in spiritual formation can help students no matter what job they take.”
Others, especially at the graduate level, are using the degree to enhance their current roles as hospital or military chaplains, public school teachers, or leaders in business or technology.
“One of our interns is a personal trainer, so she”s combining her love of athletics with training in prayer and small groups,” Windham says. “She wrote devotions and curriculum””we”re finding many of our students are creating their own materials.”
“I think our students see the DMin as a way to better steward the ministries they”ve been given,” agrees York. “My fear is the pragmatic side of our movement will see spiritual formation as just the next method to accelerate church growth.”
Just a Fad?
It is possible to view spiritual formation as simply the next trend. But the rapid expansion of these programs and their growing popularity suggest they”re filling a deep need for both individuals and the ministries they serve.
“Historically, the church has been good at seeing “˜holes” and creating resources to fill them,” Wells says. “I think the interest in these programs is less a fad and more a recognition that we need to go deeper in our preaching, teaching, and community life.”
In other words, the momentum of interest surrounding spiritual formation may indicate something missing in our current models. The church will grow if we lead our people to more mature Christianity, these teachers say, but that”s not the primary goal.
“All ministers are aware this is a pressing need,” says Owens. “But there are sermons, and programs, and fires that need to be put out, and they”re finding little time to dedicate to intentional discipleship. After I led our first intensive course, a student from a large church said he”d no longer be using his professional development budget to attend conferences. “˜For the same money I can participate in a weeklong retreat,” he said. “˜I don”t need to hear the next big speaker””the content and impact of a week like this will make me a better leader.””
“In our church assemblies and classes, there”s been a focus on assimilation,” Wells concludes. “We”ve become pretty good at bringing people into the life of the church””now we need to help them mature in Christ.”
Jennifer Johnson, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors, lives in Levittown, Pennsylvania.
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