Certificate in Spiritual Formation

Program Requirements: 26 semester hours, 20 in spiritual formation and 6 Bible/Theology co-requisites.

The Certificate in Spiritual Formation is an introductory yet intensive program designed to provide some training in lay ministry of spiritual formation in the local church and to give the student opportunity to understand his or her giftedness in order to determine whether the Lord is calling one to more training and preparation for ministry. As an introductory program, it has coursework designed to introduce students to doing soul care and spiritual direction while experiencing personal spiritual direction and various retreats but, unlike the M.A. Soul Care program, does not include (1) actual practice in doing soul care and spiritual mentoring with others in a church or university context or (2) professional supervision from a faculty spiritual mentor regarding the student's practice of mentoring others.

The Certificate program is designed with the possibility of completion within one year.


The co-curricular elements are required in addition to the following classes:

Required Courses

SF 511 Theo I: Intro: Revelation & Nature of God
SF 512 Theo II: Works of God, Angels, Man and Sin
SF 613 Theo III: Christ, Salvation and the Spirit
SF 519 Survey of Gen. - Mal.
SF 520 Survey of Matt. - Rev.
  (Two of five above)
6
   
SF 517 Hermeneutics & the Word in Spiritual Formation
3
SF 521 Introduction to Christian Spirituality and Prayer
3
SF 524 History & Theory of Christian Soul Care
3
   
SF 532 Developmental Spirituality & Contemplative Prayer
3
SF 543 Personal Foundations of Spirituality and Retreat
3
SF 585 Personal Spiritual Direction
  (Each semester enrolled)
0
SF 621 Spiritual Formation and Theology Seminar
OR  
SF 701 Spiritual Formation Elective
3
SF 672 Personal Retreat and Formation
2