I love theological education, and I believe strongly in its importance for the formation of pastors, missionaries and ministry leaders. I believe in it to the point that I went to four different seminaries, and I’ve served at several more. I was the founding dean of the Liftin School in my seven years at Wheaton College, before I came to the Talbot School of Theology almost three years ago.

All that to say, I’ve seen some things.

Some students step into seminary with a strong sense of call. Others arrive because someone else saw something in them before they saw it in themselves. Still others are trying to figure out what exactly the calling is. In my years in seminary contexts, I’ve learned that these places are all legitimate moments in the journey, if the student is in seminary for the right reasons.

You see, seminary is not just an academic choice, but a ministry moment. And if you’re in seminary, and especially if you’re early in the journey, I want to give you some insight into making that journey a good one. Here, I’m not talking from theory or a brochure. I want to share from years of experience in light of biblical reflection what I’ve seen repeatedly. After starting seminary, one of three things follows: students either flourish, flounder or flame out. I’ve also seen how students can truly flourish rather than floundering or flaming out. And I want you to flourish, so here are five ways make the most of your seminary journey.

Seminary is not a finish line but a formation space

Students and even institutions themselves can treat seminary like a factory of ministry credentials, conferring degrees and providing the right letters after a graduate’s name. This perspective mistakes seminary training for something like the workers’ union my dad joined as an iron lather in New York City.

But seminary training isn’t an employment credential. It’s less about information and much more about formation. You’re not just learning theology, you’re becoming a theologian. You’re not just studying marriage and family therapy, but you’re experiencing healing yourself (remember, after all, that the word “therapy” comes from the Greek word for “heal”). Seminary should become a season of becoming who God has designed you to be.

At Talbot, we have the Institute for Spiritual Formation, and we also have a robust program of spiritual formation for all of our students. I know other like-minded seminaries prioritize formation as well. Because formation is critical, and all of seminary is a formational journey.

As part of that formation, you will encounter ideas that stretch you and unsettle you. You should be challenged to assess everything you know in light of Scripture. This happens in many different seminaries, but I especially love how denominationally diverse we are at Talbot. We have Anglicans, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and others all learning and growing together, under the authority of the Word of God and a commitment to mission.

While seminary can train you to win arguments in unhelpful ways, at our best, we shape students in wisdom. Learning to critique is good, but learning to learn and listen is better. We want you to have clarity about your convictions and charity with others. We want you to be courageous rather than caustic. For example, in our welcome video at Talbot, I walk new students through a number of things to know. One of those things is, “Don’t become a jerk.”

In my experiences at numerous seminaries, I’ve seen an important metric that no one talks about. I call it “JPC” or “Jerks Per Capita.” In other words, the ratio of the students who are arrogant and brash compared to total student enrollment. My goal is that Talbot would have a very low JPC, and I think we do. You must learn to be confident without being combative. That is a key part of seminary as a sanctifying process of spiritual formation.

Don’t separate learning from the church

Some students withdraw from “real life” while in seminary, with a plan to reengage later. That’s not a healthy or helpful strategy. Instead, I see a direct, clear correlation between the spiritual vitality of our graduates and their level of involvement in a local church. What’s more, you should stretch yourself to find a church that doesn’t have rows of seminarians lined up in the pews and in the waiting line for ministry opportunities. Try to find a church where you can engage and be involved in meaningful ministry because they might not be “seminary churches.”

In that vein, remember that your seminary church is not a place to network, get an internship or experiment like a ministry laboratory. The church is the people for whom Jesus died. So stay rooted in the local church. Serve in ordinary ways. Sit under preaching that you don’t critique.

If a seminary educates you so much that it disconnects you from normal, ordinary Christians, that seminary has not served you well. In fact, it has failed you.

Don’t confuse calling with platform

Many arrive at seminary with big dreams to do big things. Big dreams aren’t bad, but we must not confuse them with our calling. Preparation should precede platform. I’ve sat in the front row watching some of the most gifted communicators in the evangelical world rapidly rise to prominence only to quickly blow up themselves and their ministries. Because the influence of their platform outpaced the preparation of their character.

God is far more interested in your character than in your influence. He cares more about who you are than how well-known your name is. When I held the Billy Graham chair at Wheaton College, I would sometimes guide tours of the campus. I loved showing people the story of Graham’s life and legacy, especially the place where he would preach to the trees when no one else offered him a platform or audience.

Likewise, for you, opportunities for unseen ministry will present themselves, from nursing homes to small groups and Bible studies in small (meaning normal) churches. There’s a beauty in the ordinary, yet seminary can sometimes orient you toward the spectacular instead of that beautiful ordinary. So invest in serving well. Show up when no one is watching. Follow through on small, unseen responsibilities. Prioritize the ordinary. Ministry isn’t primarily about visibility, but about availability.

Manage your time and expectations

Seminary is demanding. It requires focus. Lots of reading and writing. Deadlines are real. Pace yourself based on your life situation. Ruthlessly examine your commitments and eliminate the non-essential (all while keeping the main things at the forefront). There are some things you will not be able to do while still doing seminary well.

Be wise. You don’t need to read everything perfectly to learn deeply. You don’t need to say yes to every opportunity to be faithful. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room to be effective.

Often, I see students make it through their first semester, only to burn out quickly in the second semester. This burnout almost always flows from an unrealistic expectation about how much time seminary takes in relation to the other things in life.

Early in ministry, I was newly married, planting a church as a bivocational church planter, while also working as a contractor. In the midst of that, I realized I needed theological training. I would drive every weekend from Buffalo, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sleeping on the floor of an office building to take weekend seminary classes. It was life-giving, but it also nearly crushed me. Because I didn’t stop doing some of the other things I was doing.

Burnout doesn’t come from carrying too much. It comes from carrying what God never asked you to carry. Ask the Lord, yourself, and others, “What do I need to carry in this season? And what do I not need to carry in this season?”

Remember why you’re here

Finally, remember your purpose in seminary. It will orient you and help you develop resilience and joy in the challenges. For example, you will be tempted to write a paper using A.I. But you will only give in to that temptation if you forget your purpose in seminary in the first place. You’re not in seminary just to pass or get credentialed.

You’re in seminary to learn and be formed into the person God is calling you to be. You’re in seminary to learn Hebrew, Greek, preaching, therapy, theology and more. The degree is only as valuable as the learning you did to earn it and the person you became as you accomplished it.

If you’re in seminary for the degree, you will more easily give in to temptations to compromise. But if you’re in seminary to be formed, you will be more equipped to resist the many temptations when they inevitably arise. God is shaping you for his mission. God is shaping you to be more like Jesus. So keep your “why” at the forefront.

Conclusion

The world has become more complex. People are asking ontological questions. Churches need pastors and leaders who can think clearly, love deeply and lead faithfully, who are rooted in Scripture and responsive to the Holy Spirit. The world needs the people of God sent with the message, who are prepared to respond to the questions of the times.

Seminary helps prepare and shape students to respond to those questions with integrity and winsome conviction. Seminary education is mission formation. The question is whether you will flourish, flounder or flame out in seminary. I want you to flourish. So take both your studies and your spiritual life seriously. Remember that seminary is not a finish line but a formation space. Don’t confuse calling with platform. Don’t confuse calling with platform. Manage your time and expectations. And remember why you’re here.