Wisdom of the Christian Mystics (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Class is Full. No longer accepting registrations.

From John the Evangelist and Paul the Apostle to Thomas Merton and Evelyn Underhill, Christianity has been blessed by a variety of men and women, clergy and laypersons, Catholics and Protestants, known as mystics — persons who have had profound and life-changing experiences of the presence of God, and even of union with God. But do the great mystics have anything to say to us today?

This program will introduce you to some of the greatest Christian mystics, from well-known figures like Francis of Assisi and Julian of Norwich to lesser known (but important) individuals like John Cassian and Jan Ruusbroec. We’ll look at some of their key writings, reflect on the major themes and principles of Christian mysticism, explore how their teachings on prayer can be applied in our lives today, and discuss how we can apply their wisdom to Christian discipleship here in the third millennium. Our schedule will include presentations, small group discussion, shared silence and prayer, and time for journaling and personal reflection.

Instructor Carl McColman is the author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and The Lion, the Mouse and the Dawn Treader. He is a lay associate of Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia. He blogs about Christian spirituality at www.anamchara.com.

Listen to Carl McColman speak about Christian Mysticism in this short video clip.

You may receive credit toward the Certificate in Spiritual Formation for completing all course assignments. Non-Certificate students are welcome! There is a reading list for this course. If you have not received the reading list by November 1, 2011, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

Instructor: Carl McColman     Instructor's Bio 

Course Schedule - Link to Course Schedule

Program Fees:

$50  deposit toward program fee

$265 program fee

$190 CSF (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) Graduate

$ 0  Full Time CTS faculty/staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0 – PCUSA Missionary

Housing  Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room, plus 7% tax) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy, plus 7% tax - if available).

Meal plan Please note that the Welcome Dinner on Thursday evening is included in your program fee and the Saturday Dinner will be paid on site as we will visit a local restaurant that evening. If you do not register for a meal plan you can pay a la carte in the Dining Hall. Also a kitchen is available for your use in the Harrington Center.  Meal Plan Lunch Only: $15; Meal Plan -All Meals: $36 

Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Harrington Center

Event Registration - Class is full. No  longer accepting registrations.

Contact:  LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu 

CALL FAIR 2012

Seminary Weekend for Prospective Students

Join us for a full weekend on campus when you can consider your personal sense of call and get a good idea of what it's like to prepare for ministry at Columbia. If you are considering a call to ministry, please come to the Seminary Weekend for prospective students. Register by February 17, 2012 for our February 24-26th Seminary Weekend.  More information

Thomas Merton and Contemplation (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Please note that this course will be held in Winterville, NC at Peace Presbyterian Church.

The “Thomas Merton Course” will focus on his life and work. His life before Gethsemane was one of wandering and seeking; after entering the Order he became a disciplined follower, author, novice master and strong social reformer.

The course will examine several of Merton’s books: New Seed of Contemplation, The Inner Experience, and Contemplative Prayer. Each of these books will help us understand how he came to his vision of the contemplative life.

Like most courses in the Spirituality Program, the method of instruction will include lecture/discussion, small group sharing, reflection on portions of the Merton Texts. This course aims to introduce Merton and invite the participants to engage his work with a high degree of seriousness. The Instructor will provide a presentation and guidance in the discussion of Merton’s core ideas.

Please note that housing is NOT provided. Below you will find a list of suggested local accommodations. Meals covered in the registration fee are Thursday dinner, Friday lunch, and Saturday lunch.

Instructor: Dr. Ben Campbell Johnson

There is a reading list for this course. If you have not received the reading list by 11/1/11, please contact trotmanc@ctsnet.edu.

Non-Certificate Students Welcome!

This event is being held at Peace Presbyterian Church in Winterville, NC. Onsite accomodations are not available. You will need to make your own housing arrangements. Below are links to suggested locations.

Program Fees

$50    Deposit toward program fee

$275  Program fee

$50    Deposit toward CSF graduate 

$190 CSF (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) Graduate

$ 0     Full Time CTS faculty/staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0     PCUSA Missionary

Event Registration

These are convenient to Peace Presbyterian Church:

Hampton Inn                     Hilton Inn          

City Hotel and Bistro      The Fifth Street Inn

These are across town near Pitt Memorial Hospital (probably a 15 min. drive):

Holiday Inn Express         Courtyard by Marriott              Microtel

Contact: LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu

Dedication of Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center

On Wednesday, March 7, at 10:00 a.m., the seminary will dedicate the center and honor the memory of Dr. Vernon S. Broyles Jr. A longtime friend of the seminary, he was pastor for many years at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, in Atlanta, where he was also a prominent civic leader and advocate for social justice. A reception and tours of the center follow the service. 

Sacred Listening: Group Spiritual Direction (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Please note that this course will be held at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC.

Sacred listening as practiced in group spiritual direction is a unique and powerful way of tending to the Spirit of God in our daily lives. Gathered in circles of 5 or 6, we listen for the deep stirrings of the Spirit, who is alive within, among and around us in ever surprising and transforming ways.

This class will explore the assumptions and process of group spiritual direction with special attention to the contemplative grounding which undergirds this spiritual practice. Presentations will address the following themes: listening, discernment, intercessory prayer, contemplative presence, and spiritual community as well as address practical tools for forming and facilitating sacred listening circles in local areas.

Participants will experience these circles throughout the class and thus, can notice and claim what is powerful and healing about this way of being together and how sacred listening can transform our communities and our world. There will also be time for reflection and enjoying the beautiful rural setting.

This model of group spiritual direction is based on the book: Group Spiritual Direction by Rose Mary Dougherty. This class could benefit spiritual directors, pastors, lay leaders and all those who want to cultivate sacred listening as a way of nurturing peace and unity in our world. We welcome diversity of background, color, age and religion as this process nurtures deep respect and love for the differences of the human family.

Instructors: Lalor Cadley and Patience Robbins  

You may receive credit toward the Certificate in Spiritual Formation for completing all course assignments. Non-Certificate students are welcome! There is a reading list for this course. If you have not received the reading list by January 1, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

Program Fees:

$50 Deposit toward program fee

$390 Program fee

$50 Deposit toward CSF graduate rate

$315 Program fee for Certificate in Spiritual Formation Graduates

$128 Full Time CTS faculty/staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$128 PCUSA Missionary

Event Registration

Housing Registration - Register with Montreat Conference Center for housing.

Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu  

Installation of Deborah F. Mullen as dean of faculty and EVP

 Dr. Mullen's service of installation is at 7:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall Chapel. A reception follows in the Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Leadership Center. 

Colloquium 2012 - Standing in Awe: Reclaiming Wonder in Life and Ministry

Mark your calendars now and plan to attend Colloquium 2012. This event will be led by seminary faculty, with William P. Brown, professor of Old Testament, the keynote speaker. The schedule includes small group faculty presentations ; interactive, sensory, and creative worship; small group Bible study (lectio divina) and prayer time; also a student-alumni/ae “ come ask us” fellowship time, the alumni/ae awards luncheon, and more! Details will be mailed to all alumni/ae in early 2012.

Living Prayer: Experiencing Prayer in Many Forms (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Please note that this course will be held at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC.

Have you longed for an intimate, alive relationship with God? Have you ever wanted to cry out with the disciples, "Lord, teach us/teach me to pray. . .please." God meets us where we are and knows our longings. Come with fellow pilgrims to enter a time set aside to be still and explore ways of engaging with God in prayer through scripture, art, journaling, movement, nature, music, silence, and finding new meaning in ancient words. Come with openness to the surprises of God, the hidden holies of ordinary life. We will worship together, have time in community together, time in small groups and time alone.

Instructor: Roberta Martin              Instructor's Bio 

You may receive credit toward the Certificate in Spiritual Formation for completing all course assignments. Non-Certificate students are welcome! There is a reading list for this course. If you have not received the reading list by February 1, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

Program Fees:

$50 Deposit toward program fee

$390 Program fee

$50 Deposit toward CSF graduate rate

$315 Program fee for Certificate in Spiritual Formation Graduates

$128 Full Time CTS Faculty/Staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$128 PCUSA Missionary

Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC

Event Registration

Housing Registration

Contact:  LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu

Women’s Contemplative Retreat (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

IN THE WARMTH OF LOVE'S FLAME: Exploring the Sacred Mystery of God's Love

Each Spring Columbia Seminary offers a contemplative retreat for women--open not just to members of the CTS community, but to any woman seeking a deeper experience of God. Under the sheltering arms of the Benedictine Monastic Community of Cullman AL, we will explore the mystery of God's great love and longing for us, and seek ways to open more fully to this transformational experience.

Jesus speaks with the ardent love of a mother when he says in John 10: "I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly." Irenaeus, a 3rd century Doctor of the Church, echoes Jesus' cry when he says: "The glory of God is the human person fully alive." God's love brings us to life!

The more aware I am of my belovedness--my dearness to God just as I am--the more free I am to surrender to God's healing touch, to become more fully alive in Christ. My service is now solidly grounded in love and gratitude. I cannot help but become salt for the earth and Light to God's world.

Join us as we dwell with this holy invitation in the company of one another.

The women’s retreat may be taken for credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. A reading list will be emailed to participants by January 30, 2012. Please contact trotmanc@ctsnet.edu if you have not received the reading list.

Instructor's Bio: Lalor Cadley and Sister Kathleen

Event Registration  

Location: Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL

Program Fees:

$50      Deposit toward program fee and Single Room and Board

$568    Full program fee and Single Room and Board

$50      Deposit toward program fee and Double Room and Board

$543    Full Program Fee and Double Room and Board

$50      Deposit toward Full Time CTS Fac/Staff/Basic degree students & spouses- Single Room & Board

$368    Program fee for Single Room & Board - Full Time CTS Fac/Staff/Basic Degree students and Spouses 

$50      Deposit toward Full CTS Fac/Staff/Basic Degree students & spouses -Double Room & Board

$343   Program fee & Double Room & Board for CTS Faculty/Staff/FT Basic Degree students & Spouses  

$50     Deposit toward CSF graduate rate Single Room and Board

$468  CSF graduate rate with Single Room and Board

$50     Deposit toward CSF graduate rate Double Room and Board

$443  CSF graduate rate with Double Room and Board

Contact: LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu

Breathing Life into Young Adult Ministries (Thompson Scholars 2012)

NOTE: Applications closed as of January 3, 2012.

How can our congregations reach and disciple young adults, in an age when so many young adults see the church as unhelpful or non-essential? That’s the challenge participants in the 2012 Thompson Scholars seminar will explore. This application-only seminar is designed for senior pastors; pastors of young adult ministries; and leaders in churches with an absence of young adults, or who want to make their young adult ministries more vibrant.

We will discuss – with each other and with young adults themselves – the major issues around young adult ministry (young adults being those from age 18 to 35). Together we will strategize how we might birth, develop, and grow young adult ministries in our congregations.

Among the questions we will address:

Why is it important to bring young adults into the life of our congregations?

How do we disciple young adults in the midst of the media and digital age?

What are ways to use the virtual world to breathe life into young adults’ real world?

What do we need to understand about being a young adult – especially in today’s culture?

What aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ can captivate young adults?

How do we provide space for young adults to ask their tough questions and grow in their faith

What is foundational to birthing and developing a thriving young adult ministry?

How do we bridge the gap between our more mature adult members and young adults?

This seminar begins after lunch on Tuesday and concludes after lunch on Friday.

Applications will be evaluated as they arrive. Qualified applicants will be accepted until we reach the maximum enrollment of 15 people. Applications closed as of January 3, 2012. Final review of applications will be completed and applicants notified by January 8, 2012.

Instructor: Ralph Watkins and a panel of young adults.

Program Fee: The $175 program cost covers the course fee, three night’s lodging (double-occupancy), and meals. The program cost with a single-occupancy room (limited availability) is $230. Start time: TBD.

Immersion Experience: An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

This course will explore the origins of the Christian Spiritual Tradition. Participants will study the formative elements of Biblical Spirituality, Monastic Spirituality, and Reformed Spirituality. Participants will also have the opportunity for personal reflection through guided meditative journaling, exploring their own unique journey with the living God. Community and practical application of acquired knowledge are also part of this experience. This course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. Participants not enrolled in the Certificate in Spiritual Formation are welcome.

There is a reading assignment for this course. Please contact the Spirituality Program Office (spirituality@ctsnet.edu) if you have not received the assignment by 4/22/11

The course fee includes Sunday dinner and lunches Monday – Thursday. Thursday evening we will celebrate our time together and eat at a local restaurant. Everyone will pay individually at the restaurant for Thursday dinner. Otherwise, breakfast and dinner will be available a la carte in the dining room. The Harrington Center also has a kitchen available for your use.

Instructors: CTS Faculty

Program Fees:

$50   Deposit toward program fee

$420 Program fee

$ 0 Full Time CTS facultySstaff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0 PC USA Missionary

Housing  Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room, plus 7% tax) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy, plus 7% tax - if available).

Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Harrington Center

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu 

Event Registration

Growing in Wholeness: Spiritual Formation and the Adult Life Span (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

Across cultures, adulthood is understood a the time to fulfill roles and responsibilities to family, community, and society as a contributing member. Yet, there are many nuances during the sixty or so years that make up the adulthood. Over that time, the process of human development and changes in life often provide natural openings to explore spiritual dimension of life more fully.

Models of adult lifespan development that emerged in the 1970’s presented adulthood as a series of stages and transitions marked by life events commonly found among many people. As adult life patterns became less linear because of social changes including the frequency of major geographic moves during adulthood, changing jobs and careers, divorce and remarriage, and changes in family structure, more dynamic models of development emerged based on cycles and themes that emerge over adulthood.

By considering the observations made by researchers in the field of adult developmental psychology, the patterns of adult development can lead to a deeper appreciation of natural movements in spiritual formation for adults.

Course work includes reading from selected journal articles; presentation of models of lifespan development over adulthood; reflection and journal assignments; discussion.

Credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will be given to those who complete the pre and post course assignments. This class is open to everyone. If you have not received the reading list for this class by August May 23, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

The program fee includes Thursday dinner and lunch Friday and Saturday. Saturday evening we will celebrate our time together and eat at a local restaurant. Everyone will pay individually at the restaurant for Saturday dinner. Otherwise, breakfast and dinner will be available a la carte in the dining room. The Harrington Center also has a kitchen available for your use.

Instructor: Lou Kavar

Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Harrington Center

Housing Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room, plus 7% tax) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy, plus 7% tax - if available).

Program Fees:

$50   Deposit toward program fee

$285 Program fee

$50   Deposit toward CSF graduate

$210 CSF (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) Graduate

$ 0     Full Time CTS FacultyStaff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0     PCUSA Missionary

Contact: LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu

Event Registration

Embodied Spirituality: Embracing the Fullness of Life

St. Irenaeus wrote, "The Glory of God is the human person fully alive." What does it mean? Is it possible to be fully human and to live fully alive? For centuries Christianity has viewed the human body as separate and secondary to spirit, even suggesting the body is a primary source of sinfulness. What if we reframed our view of the body as God’s gift, a sacred part of being made in the image of a creative and loving God? Perhaps the distance between head and heart would not be so far, or intentions take so long to be truly lived. In this course we will consider the body as primary instrument of learning and knowing and as central to our connection and experience of God. The structure will attempt to integrate the physical (affective, intuitive, sensory), intellectual (knowledge), and spiritual (connection with holy mystery) realms in content and practice. Sessions will be physically active and experiential, using InterPlay* and other embodied practices in addition to bearing intellectual content. Themes will include the gift of the body; waking up body and spirit; body as an instrument for discernment; prayer, playfulness and spiritual freedom; forgiving one’s body; wholeness and authentic living in the world. Though an active workshop, participants of all abilities are welcome as each is invited to participate in ways that are safe, suitable and enjoyable for all.

*InterPlay is a creative, expressive practice that reintegrates heart, mind, body and spirit and unlocks the wisdom of the body. Based in the ethic of play (not work!) InterPlay has simple, fun, body-based practices for living life with greater ease or joy even when life is hard.

Credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will be given to those who complete the pre and post course assignments. This class is open to everyone – certificate and non-certificate participants. If you have not received the reading list for this class by June 20, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

The program fee includes Thursday dinner, Friday lunch, and Saturday lunch. Saturday evening we will celebrate our time together and eat at a local restaurant. Everyone will pay individually at the restaurant for Saturday dinner. Otherwise, breakfast and dinner will be available a la carte in the dining room. The Harrington Center also has a kitchen available for your use.

Instructor: Debra Weir

Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Harrington Center

Housing:  Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room, plus 7% tax) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy, plus 7% tax - if available).

Program Fees:

$50  Deposit toward program fee

$285 Program fee

$50 Deposit toward CSF graduate

$210 CSF (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) Graduate

$ 0 Full Time CTS FacultyStaff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0 PCUSA Missionary

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu

Event Registration

Seminar to Greece: Pauline Theology and Eastern Orthodox Spirituality

The Seminar to Greece is offered through the Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is open to anyone interested in an educational and spiritual adventure.

The Seminar to Greece is a journey of a lifetime as we travel to Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, the place where much of the ministry of the apostle Paul took place, and where the early history of the church was deeply influenced. We will walk in the steps of St. Paul exploring the Epistles that he wrote and learning from recent scholarship the various possibilities for understanding and interpreting his theology and its contemporary significance. We will share together in daily worship and prayer, and explore some of the spiritual riches of Eastern Orthodox spirituality.

This will indeed be a seminar of discovery and reflection on the Christian life. The seminar will begin and end in the grandeur of Athens, a city rich in archaeological sites from the ancient world and from the early history of Christianity. Indeed, from the Acropolis to Hadrian’s Arch, from the Temple of Zeus to the Olympic Stadium, from Mars Hill to the foundations of ancient churches there are rich reminders everywhere of a history and culture which transformed the world. We will also visit some of the interior cities and sites of Greece which are also a part of this dramatic story, places like Delphi, Kalambaka, Meteora and Thessaloniki. Then, to top it all off, we will enjoy a three night cruise on the beautiful Aegean Sea, including such ports of call as Mykonos, the St. Tropez of the Aegean; Kusadasi, which is the gateway to the magnificent city of Ephesus; Patmos, where legend says that St. John was inspired to write the Book of Revelation: Heraklion, Crete, home of the ancient Minoan civilization; and Santorini, with its spectacular volcanic cliffs.

Please refer to the links below for a detailed itinerary, travel information and the registration process.

Travel Brochure and Registration Information

Instructors- The Rev. Dr Bruce Rigdon & The Rev. Deedra Rich

Online Registration

Contact Information: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu

Exploring Wisdom’s Wonder (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

One of the greatest hymns of the church is "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," which has in its final stanza, "lost in wonder, love, and praise." Today it seems we are losing wonder more than getting lost in it. This class will explore the power and spiritual relevance of wonder in the life of faith. As a point of departure, we will focus on the wisdom literature of the Old Testament: Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, each of which

conceives of wonder and wisdom in unique ways. The goal is to cultivate a desire (eros) for God's wisdom in wonder. The class will feature interactive lectures, multi-media presentations, discussion, prayer, worship, scripture readings, small groups and personal reflection.

Instructor: William P. Brown

This class is open to everyone. Credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will be given to those who complete the pre and post course assignments. If you have not received the reading list for this class by July 25, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC

Program Fees:

$50 Deposit toward program fee

$390 Program fee

$50 Deposit toward CSF graduate rate

$315 Program fee for Certificate in Spiritual Formation Graduates

$ 128 Full Time CTS Faculty/Staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 128 PCUSA Missionary

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu

Event Registration

Housing Registration

Spiritual Practice: A Way of Life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation)

St. Iraneus wrote in the second century: “The glory of God is the human fully alive.” One way to become fully alive is to engage is spiritual practices. When we do we honor God’s presence in our lives and discover ways to bring our beliefs faithfully and authentically into the world. This class will examine and experience many spiritual practices, both traditional and organic, available to us and to our congregations. We will play with intentional practice and spontaneous practice that together guide us toward a spiritual practice that becomes a way of life. The course will be experiential including prayer, small groups, individual reflection, and silence as well as presentations and discussion.

This class is open to everyone. Credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will be given to those who complete the pre and post course assignments. If you have not received the reading list for this class by August 11, 2012, please contact spirituality@ctsnet.edu.

The program fee includes Sunday dinner and lunch Monday - Thursday. Thursday evening we will celebrate our time together and eat at a local restaurant. Everyone will pay individually at the restaurant for Thursday dinner. Otherwise, breakfast and dinner will be available a la carte in the dining room. The Harrington Center also has a kitchen available for your use.

Instructor: Jane Vennard

Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Harrington Center

Program Fees:

$50 Deposit toward program fee

$395 Program fee

$50 Deposit toward CSF graduate

$320 CSF (Certificate in Spiritual Formation) Graduate

$ 0 CTS Full Time Faculty/Staff/Basic Degree students/spouses (limited number)

$ 0 PCUSA Missionary

Housing: Guest rooms for this event: $32 (per person per night, 2 people in room, plus 7% tax) OR $49 (per night, single occupancy, plus 7% tax - if available).

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu

Event Registration