This component of the spiritual formation program explores several dimensions of the discipline of Sabbath-keeping in contemporary cultural contexts through intentional practices of solitude and silence.

Students develop habits to support personal and communal spiritual formation and discipleship that can sustain them through the challenges and joys of ministry. Truett's spiritual formation program attends to the development of students through instruction, practice and reflection, and prepares them to minister to others who are also on the formational journey.

Truett's spiritual formation program attends to the development of students through instruction, practice, and reflection, and prepares them to minister to others who are also on the formational journey.

Students develop habits to support personal and communal spiritual formation and discipleship that can sustain them through the challenges and joys of ministry. Truett's spiritual formation program attends to the development of students through instruction, practice, and reflection, and prepares them to minister to others who are also on the formational journey.

This course introduces students to the ministry of Christian spiritual direction. Biblical-theological and historical perspectives on spiritual guidance are explored. Students begin participating in a practicum by receiving spiritual direction and practicing prayerful listening. Students who complete Spiritual Direction I-IV will receive a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Truett Seminary.

This course examines methods for discerning the invitations of God and responding to these invitations in various circumstances and seasons of life. Students continue in a practicum by receiving and giving spiritual direction. This course should be taken immediately following Spiritual Direction II. Certificate in Spiritual Direction given after completing Spiritual Direction I-IV.

This series will be offered fall and spring as a weekly conversation with an invited speaker to examine various issues related to the practice of medicine, healthcare, and faith.

This practicum will connect students to community clinics, affording them the opportunity to interact with and shadow individuals—physicians, administrators, nurses, chaplains, and other personnel—providing an array of healthcare services.

This course explores the craft of spiritual direction and provides opportunities to sharpen skills for companioning others by coming alongside them as they attend to the presence and activity of God in their lives. Students continue in a practicum by receiving and giving spiritual direction. This course should be taken immediately following Spiritual Direction I. Certificate in Spiritual Direction will be given after completing Spir Dir I-IV.

This course considers the practice of spiritual direction in various ministry roles with special attention to the role of leader as spiritual guide and corporate discernment in ministry. Student continue in a practicum by receiving and giving spiritual direction. This course should be taken immediately following Spiritual Direction III. Certificate in Spiritual Direction will be given after completing Spiritual Direction I-IV.

Appreciation of the scope of Christian religious education and its relationship to the local congregation. The course demonstrates how trained leaders in the fellowship of the local church create an environment in which evangelism and Christian nurture take place. Students will understand how faith is formed and experienced through age appropriate, developmentally sensitive educational activities.

This course explores biblical and theological foundations for Christian spiritual formation and considers models for spiritual formation in the congretation. Students will reflect upon the qualities of formational leadership and give attention to spiritual formation in various tasks of ministry such as pastoral care, preaching, teaching, and administration. The course moves toward developing a "rule of life" for personal health in ministerial leadership.

This course considers the process of spiritual formation from a lifespan development perspective. The course addresses the following topics: (1) current theoretical models and interdisciplinary research in human development; (2) the process of spiritual formation from adolescence to late adulthood, with an emphasis on understanding particular spiritual practices useful at various life stages; and (3) application of a developmental model of spiritual formation to spiritual guidance and soul care.

This course explores varied streams of Christian spirituality through the devotional writings and life stories of spiritual masters in the history of the church. Students will study writings from various Christian traditions and periods of church history to consider the nature of the spiritual journey and reflect upon the prayer-filled life. Students will also participate in a few diverse worship experiences off-campus.

This course examines the spiritual life of children from their earliest days up to the teen years and raises questions about how children grow toward maturity in faith. Readings and reflection upon scripture, theology, psychology, and cultural influences provide a foundation for understanding a child's formation with special attention to the roles of congregations and families.

Spiritual formation occurs in many communal contexts, including small groups and retreats. The first part of the course addresses small group leadership. Theological foundations for communal life along with practical wisdom for leadership and healthy group dynamics are considered. A second part of the course applies similar principles to the context of the retreat setting. During the semester, students lead various kinds of groups and participate in planning and leading a retreat for seminary students.

A study of Christian worship, its biblical foundations, its historical development, its practice in both free church and liturgical traditions, and of materials and methods for planning orders of worship and leading worship in the local church.

This course focuses on the theological, spiritual, and pedagogical foundations for a participatory and empowering approach to religious education and Christian faith formation. This course gives particular attention to helping students try out imaginative methods of teaching and discover best practices for teaching and learning that nurture growth.

This course explores the social, emotional, mental, vocational, and spiritual lives of youth and emerging adults. Particular attention is given to connecting with "religious nones" and mitigating "religious dones" as well as foundational elements of meaningful ministry that will nurture faith formation in youth and emerging adults.

This course will introduce theological anthropology. It will examine ideas of the Imago Dei, personhood, the soul, vulnerability, research, death, and transhumanism. The aim of the course is for students preparing for careers in healthcare to consider the significant issues and questions in play about the nature of personhood that profoundly impacts decisions about care and treatment.

This course will situate healthcare within the context of the Christian theological tradition. It will examine the history of the intersection of medicine and faith, the historical understandings of healing, theological accounts of the human person and well-being, the moral formation of the physician, and introduce ethical questions around healthcare and suffering.

Through theological reflection and creation-oriented spirituality, this course explores how to integrate a theology of creation with contemporary ecological concerns.

Provides students a foundation for effective ministry to youth and their families in churches and other settings. Historical foundations as well as emerging trends in youth ministry will be examined. Students will have an opportunity to observe class topics applied in ministry settings through planned interactions with vocational youth ministers.

This course introduces the student to a variety of crisis issues and means to address them. It serves as a counseling "first-aid", meaning that students learn basic helping skills but do not qualify as professional counselors. Students are exposed to issues, intervention, prevention, coping strategies, referral systems and counseling techniques. In particular, problems that grow out of the developmental process and disorders that begin with and/or are unique to adolescence are addressed.

This course focuses on the "being" of a disciple and its natural progression toward evangelization and the making of disciples. Students will be required to integrate reading, course work, and class learning into various projects throughout the semester.

Investigates the foundations of campus ministry and enables students working with faculty and ministry professionals to discover effective research models and ministry programs. Students will set objectives and develop a philosophy for effective ministry with college students in churches and on the college campus.

A study of the complex nature of families in America today. Statistics from the U.S. Census are studied as a basis for comparison with the nature of families in a local church. Programs to minister to parents as well as through parents are discussed.

This course addresses issues (and possible intersections) of theology and pop culture with adolescents in mind. This necessarily goes beyond casual conversations regarding God in culture, and offers grounding in methodology and critical thought. It thus creates a common language opening dialogue between pop culture and theology from a variety of perspectives.

A look both broadly and narrowly at what it is to pass on the Christian faith. This course is comprised of two major areas, both formal/traditional and informal/non-traditional moments of teaching. This includes the development of instructional designs and utilization of teaching resources for effective communication of the scriptures and theological principles as well as considerations of necessary logistical and administrative elements.

In this course, a special topic related to Christian spirituality will be explored in a focused and intensive way. The topics will vary from semester to semester and students may take this course more than once as topics change (for a maximum of 6 credit hours).

This course integrates the student's biblical, theological, and ministerial knowledge within the praxis and context of ministry. Attention is given to calling, theological reflection, the church, and sustainability in ministry. This course should be taken in the last semester of the student's coursework.

In both the Old and New Testaments, the "wilderness" experience play a significant role in the spiritual formation of the people of God. "Wilderness" spirituality has been fostered and preserved in the life of the church through the monastic movement. This course is designed to enable students to become familiar with the "wilderness" tradition and its significance for contemporary spiritual formation through readings, discussions, presentations, and participation in the life of a monastic community.

This course explores specific topics of particular relevance within family ministry in a focused and intensive way. The topics vary from semester to semester and this course may be taken more than once as topics change. Maximum of 9 hours credit.