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Spirituality & Leadership
For more than 25 years, Columbia Theological Seminary has offered courses leading to the Certificate in Spiritual Formation (CSF), a journey through which modern-day pilgrims may quench their spiritual thirst.
Participants in the spiritual formation certificate program will gain a broad understanding of the Christian spiritual tradition and the various practices which have emerged from it. They will cultivate spiritual practices and skills to deepen their own relationship with God as they support others in their transformative growth. Persons in this course of study will discover the relationship of Christian Spirituality to compassion, justice and holistic ministry. Participants can take courses to earn credit towards the Certificate in Spiritual Formation or enroll for personal enrichment. These courses are open to everyone.
Become a Spiritual Director through this program comprised of four week–long residencies on the CTS campus, and an 18–month supervised practice in the art of spiritual direction. The certificate can be completed in two and a half years. Admission to the program is by application only. Get Spiritual Direction application information. Apply HERE for Cohort IV.
The Spiritual Formation program is designed to be completed in one to three years, depending on the focus of your concentration and the pace at which you take the required courses. The primary program components include the following:
The Certificate in Spiritual Formation, general course plan, includes:
Participants who wish to complete the Certificate in Spiritual Formation will complete a Statement of Intent so we may track your progress toward completion.
In addition to its general course of study, the Certification in Spiritual Formation program offers two concentrations through which participants can deepen their spiritual formation in either Spirituality in the Second Half of Life or Contemplative.
The Certificate in Spiritual Formation, concentration in Spirituality in the Second Half of Life includes:
The Certificate in Spiritual Formation, concentration in Contemplative Living includes:
To learn more details about the Contemplative Living Concentration course, click Contemplative Living I and Contemplative Living II
These spiritual formation courses fulfill the Certificate in Spiritual Formation requirements. They are open to anyone interested in taking classes as an occasional participant. You do not need to be enrolled in the Certificate in Spiritual Formation program to register for a Spiritual Formation course.
Seeking God: An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life ONLINE
Contemplative Retreat
Unforced Rhythms of Grace (A Contemplative Retreat)
Elective Courses
While you may take electives of your choosing, you are strongly encouraged to take a well-balanced offering of electives including a class from each area: Biblical (B), Historical/Doctrine (HD), and Practical (P).
Meister Eckhart as a Guide for the Perplexed in Our Times
Sacred Listening ONLINE
(NEW) Contemplative Living I: Contemplative Practices in Daily Life ONLINE
Soul Tending: An Exploration of Spiritual Practices for Nourishment and Growth ONLINE
(NEW) Contemplative Living II: Contemplative Practices in Daily Life ONLINE
Are you interested in sharpening your leadership skills or becoming a coach? TCI@CTS is a rigorous, proven coach education program accredited by the International Coaching Federation. The full course includes 60 hours of instruction and preparation, the majority delivered during the intensive session in January and during the virtual tele–classes.
TCI@CTS is a proven coach training program that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to navigate their own way forward or guide others in a process of discernment and accountability.As a participant in TCI@CTS, you will:
Information for the 2024 Cohort will be posted by May 2023
COACHING PROGRAM DETAILS
January Intensive on Campus: January 9-12, 2023
Virtual Class Schedule: January –July, 2023 (twice a month, Thursdays from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM ET)A virtual introductory session will take place on January 3,2023 from 7:00 –9:00 PM ET.The program starts at 9:00 AM ET on Monday and concludes by 12:30 PM ET on Thursday. The schedule includes a mix of plenary sessions, with an emphasis on practice coaching, in groups of two and three, throughout the week, and frequent breaks. A training manual will be provided to participants, and an online course site will support the entire course of training through July 2023. The leadership team will utilize Zoom as the platform to engage participants, along with the course site.
The ICF has revised its core competencies and code of ethics. The leader team of TCI@CTS has incorporated revisions in the course design to reflect and support those revisions.
Beginning in 2021, pre-course readings and reflections as well as a virtual introductory gathering of the Cohort are part of the course design. In the event a participant must miss a virtual gathering, they are required to view the recording of that session and provide written responses to topics posed by the session leader.
The virtual classes (also referred to as tele-classes) will run approximately twice a month beginning in late January through mid-July 2023. Each class session is scheduled from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm ET on Thursdays. Specific dates will be shared during the January residential courses. The virtual classes will also include required reflections, and any missed sessions must be documented by viewing the recording of that session and providing written responses as instructed.
Applicants will need to have a copy of a current resume or CV, and a letter of recommendation available at the time of the application. These documents must be submitted with the application.
Applications for the 2023 closed in December. 2024 Cohort information posted spring 2023.
After receiving acceptance into the program, a nonrefundable $500 deposit is required to secure your place. This will be credited toward the full costs of the program.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does it cost?
The virtual cohort fee for 2023 is $4,470. This includes a training manual, access to the course site, the intensive session in January and the teleclasses.
Upon acceptance, you will receive instructions to complete the registration process and submit your deposit.Full payment is due by December 9, 2022. A payment plan can can be arranged; 50% of the program fee is payable by January 9, 2023 and the balance due by June 30, 2023.
If you elect to enroll in“Mentor Coaching” after completing TCI@CTS (10 contact hours with a Mentor Coach to fulfill an additionalICF certification requirement), this will cost approximately $1,500. Mentor coaching participants must be actively coaching two coachees during the course. Chris Holmes, PCC,is the course leader. Mentor Coaching generally runs run from September –December, and includes three sessions of two hours each with a group and four individual one-hour coaching sessions.
What happens if I need to withdraw from the course after registering?
Withdrawal by January 9, 2023: full refund of all payment, minus the non-refundable deposit. Withdrawal before April 1, 2023, 50% refund of tuition only (no refund of residential costs). Withdrawal after April 1, 2023: no refund.
What does being a “coach” really involve? Can I do it full-time? Part-time?
A coach is someone who helps a client get to a goal, or achieve significant change. Being a trained coach means that you have taken some of your natural gifts and skills for listening, encouraging and motivating, and developed them to a more effective level. TCI@CTS is designed to train you to be that kind of coach –someone who is knowledgeable and practised in helping clients create change.
We emphasize two aspects –the coaching mindset, and the specific skills that coaching uses. The coaching mindset involves thinking about the client and their situation from the perspective of where they are and where they can go. It includes having a sense of possibility and a deep curiosity. It is the foundation of the process. The skills are the practices you use to coach.
When you complete the program, you will be able to use this training in ways that complement your work and sense of call. Some participants enroll with the intention of pursuing ICF certification (beginning as an Associate Certified Coach, or ACC)and becoming full-or part-time coaches. Others simply want to learn the coaching process so they can use it in the setting where they already are. As you work through the program, the faculty will help you sort out your next steps.
What is the curriculum like?
The entire coach training cycle consists of a total of 60 hours. The majority of the hours are completed during the three and a half days of the intensive training (January 9-12, 2023 plus the virtual meeting a week prior) and seven months of virtual classes delivered through distance learning. The course text, (Co-Active Coaching: The Proven Framework for Transformative Conversations at Work and In Life,4rd ed. by Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandahl, P., & Whitworth, L.. Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing)written reflections, and virtual gatherings account for the remaining hours.
The virtual classes meet twice a month (January –July), utilizing the web, telephone and course site for two hours per class. Every class, whether in person or virtual, will include practice coaching.The curriculum is designed to address the specifics of church and ministry coaching. It will include theological reflections on coaching, the role of coaching in ministry settings, and how coaching as catalyst for transformation and adaptive growth in faith leaders and congregations.
What is the January intensive class schedule like?
The residential class takes place Monday –Wednesday from 9:00 AM –5:00 PM, with an extended session until 6:30 PM on Tuesday; Thursday is scheduled 9:00 AM –12:30 PM. The schedule includes plenary sessions, numerous breaks and active coaching practice in pairs and triads.
What courses will I take?
In-person courses (for residential week):Introduction to Coaching, Creating the Coaching Relationship, Active Listening, Asking Powerful Questions, Intuition and Testing, Getting to Goals and Actions, Expanding Possibilities, Change Theory, Keeping the Client Moving Forward, Creating Your Coaching Practice, Coaching Relationship II. Webinar courses: Resilience and Hardiness through coaching, Coaching for Adaptive Change, Coaching in a Cross-Cultural Setting, Organizational Change and Coaching, Coaching a Team +supervision, Artful Coaching, Appreciative Coaching, Poetry of Coaching, Spirituality of Coaching. The virtual classes will these topics in greater depth.
Will I have opportunities to actually practice coaching?
Coaching practice, feedback, and supervision are the heart of the training. There are presentations of material, discussions and observations of coaching, but the emphasis in each class is for the participants to develop coaching skills and a coaching mindset through actual live coaching.Participants who want to move towards certification will also need to accrue coaching hours beyond the training classes. TCI@CTS faculty can help students identify strategies for seeking potential clients.
Who can I coach after I complete the program?
You will be able to coach anyone who wants to work with you! While much of the training emphasis is on coaching pastors and other leaders in congregations and judicatories, you are receiving a standard coach training through a rigorous ICF-approved curriculum that can equip you to coach in a variety of settings.You will develop your own style and identify your best potential clients in the process.
Can I get certified as a coach through this program?
This program meets all the educational requirements for the credential of Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the most widely-recognized provider of coaching credentials. The ICF has recognized TCI@CTS as an Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) program. Additional coaching hours and completion of Mentor Coaching are required before applying for ACC status.
What about mentor coaching?
The Mentor Coaching Program offers a ten-hour training to deepen your coaching skills, and prepare for the ICF accreditation process. The training occurs in groups no larger than six members. Mentor coaching consists of three, 2-hour group sessions where you will practice coaching and receive feedback, and four individual hour-long coaching sessions. Mentor Coaching for 2022 will begin in September 2022.Participants must have completed a 60 hour ACSTH/Level 1 or equivalent training program or be enrolled in one prior to enrolling in Mentor Coaching and must be actively coaching two clients. To register, click here.
In the individual sessions,the emphasis is on helping the coach get clear about goals, evaluating where they are in the process, where they feel they need to grow as a coach, and other issues specific to each coach. After successful completion of the training, participants receive a Certificate of Mentor Coaching, and one of the written letters of recommendation needed for the ICF process.
Have further questions?
About the program or credentialing: contact Coaching Coordinator Laurie J. Ferguson at LaurieJFerguson@gmail.com or Director of Lifelong Learning, Sarah Erickson at ericksons@ctsnet.edu.
For more information about registration, contact LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu.
Enhance your ability to serve older adults in your congregation or faith-based organization. This series of four courses addressing the process of aging and implications for leading programs designed for older adults will enable you to support their ongoing spiritual formation more effective.
Aging creates special opportunities to strenghten faith formation. The four Older Adult Ministry (OAM) courses are designed to equip those working in churches and faith-based organizations to address the needs of older adults.
The OAM courses are open to participants from any denomination or faith tradition. There are four core courses, with two courses generally offered online each spring at The Center for Lifelong Learning.While participants may begin with any of the four courses, we recommend beginning with The Process of Aging and Implications for Ministry when possible. Courses may be taken in any order.
A Certificate in Older Adult Ministry I will be awarded to all participants who successfully complete the four core courses, including the final assignment that is part of each course’s design. The OAM I course of study may be completed in 12-24 months if two courses per year are completed.
Funds for financial assistance may be available through POAMN. Please contact Sarah Erickson if additional financial assistance is needed.
For more information about each course or to register, click on the name of the course, below.
OAM Courses 2022 –2023
Online courses are $215 per course, early registration. Full program fee is $250.
OAM Courses 2023 –2024
The Process of Aging and Implications for Ministry with Zeena Regis and Theological Reflection in Older Adulthood with Paul “Skip” Johnson will be scheduled in January and March 2024, respectively.
The program registration fee for each course is $265; register early for the reduced fee of $235.
The OAM Capstone Project –Level II Certificate
For those wishing to go deeper, completion of a Capstone Project will earn those participants a Certificate in Older Adult Ministry II.A Capstone is an independent study project, generally based in a specific ministry context, and is completed after the four core courses.The Capstone entails working with a local project supervisor and the OAM project advisor to design a project addressing an aspect of older adult ministry within a particular context or community and which demonstrate application of the theory and practices learned during the four courses in the OAM Certificate program. Participants may register for the Capstone when they have completed all four OAM courses and had a preliminary discussion with course leaders and the OAM Program Coordinator. The Capstone is $350, with part of the fee going to your project supervisor.
Contacts:
Sarah Erickson
Director, Lifelong Learning/OAM Program Coordinator
404 687-4526
Patricia Baker
POAMN President/OAM Certificate Program Advisor
Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network
678-438-3673
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