ISF Connections

ISF Connections is a new offering from Biola University and the Institute for Spiritual Formation that combines the highlights of seminary training with personal mentoring from a trained spiritual director. All of this comes in a package that requires the same time commitment as a church small group. The aim of this offering is to provide elements of ISF’s distinctive training in a format accessible to everybody, not just the seminary student.

Through ISF Connections, Biola University and the Institute for Spiritual Formation aim to create an educational resource for everyone in the church as well as a source for continuing education for those serving in the ministry. The ultimate goal is series and libraries of short courses (modules), similar to the one offered to you, in a variety of disciplines. With regard to the topic of spiritual formation, the Institute for Spiritual Formation seeks to create a series of ten modules, of which this is the first, in order to provide a robust training in the nature, process, and practices of spiritual formation to all who desire it. In light of this vision, your purchase of this initial module helps provide the momentum for further development. Additionally, your feedback on your experience in this module will help shape the development of future modules.

You can find many resources on the spiritual life, but you may not always find people to help you walk through the questions that arise in your heart as you go through the material. Conversely, you may have a mentor, but he or she cannot necessarily draw on the wealth of resources that come from a seminary. ISF Connections offers you both: the depth of content you would expect from a graduate-level seminary education coupled with personal spiritual mentoring from a trained spiritual director. Not only will you learn about the spiritual life, you will also deepen your experience of it as you progress through the module.

This first module, “Introduction to Spiritual Formation,” provides an overview of essential concepts, principles, and practices regarding the spiritual growth process. Drawing on the teachings of Dr. John Coe, Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation, this module addresses questions such as:

• How do I grow spiritually?
• What happens when I feel frustrated with my (lack of) spiritual growth?
• How can I experience Christ more in my life?

For an example of the material taught in this module, click on the following link to view Dr. John Coe’s talk on Open Biola entitled, “When Wanting Isn’t Enough.” (Note: This is not the exact teaching nor the same video format that will be featured in the module.)

A facilitator leads each module. This person is an ISF-trained spiritual director and will help guide your experience of God through the module. The most common types of mentoring you can expect to receive are:

• Comments on your experiential projects – Your facilitator will be reading your experiential project reports and offering comments to help you deepen your experience of God.
• Interaction in group experiences – Your facilitator will be present in the group experiences to help guide the time and to help everyone attend to God’s work in and through the group.
• Response to questions – If you have questions about the materials, please post it to the Questions discussion forum. In addition to your fellow participants’ answers, your facilitator will help answer your questions.

Community is an essential part of the spiritual formation process. To that end, the module has been designed to include weekly group experiences. You will be in a small group with others from your church, and these groups will continue throughout the module. Your weekly group experiences will consist primarily of video conferences conducted through Canvas. Other types of group experiences will be described in the module as they occur.

At registration, you will choose the day and time for your weekly one-hour group experience. The group will meet at that day and time for one hour every week for the duration of the module.

This module will last for eight weeks. During each week, the total time commitment for the average learner will be two to four hours. Your actual time spent may vary depending on:

• The amount of time taken to view lecture content
• The amount of time given to the various experiential projects
• Amount of engagement with the optional supplemental materials

The cost of the module is $200, payable to Biola University in a single payment when you register.

All of the required materials are included in the cost of the module. These materials are all digital and include lecture videos, assignment descriptions, and links to the group experiences. No additional purchases are required. You may purchase optional supplemental materials, listed in each lesson, at your own discretion.

This module is 100% online. As such, all of the material will be delivered through Canvas, the online learning management system used by Biola University. There is no in-person component to this module.

You will access this course through Canvas, the online learning management system used by Biola University. After completion of registration and payment, you will receive your login credentials for Canvas as well as instructions for how to log in. Once in Canvas, tutorials will be provided for how to navigate the system.

These are the minimum technical requirements:

• A desktop or laptop computer with a webcam. See: What are the basic computer specifications for Canvas?
• A web browser. See: Which browsers does Canvas support?
• Have the latest version of Skype installed on your computer. Click this link to go to the Skype download page.
• Some sort of word processing software for completing written assignments

There is a Canvas app available for mobile devices (iOS and Android). However, full functionality cannot be guaranteed on your device. A computer is therefore required. To ensure the effectiveness of video conferences, please find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed to conduct them.

ISF Connections is run entirely by Biola University and the Institute for Spiritual Formation. Your church has no formal involvement in module. It is Biola and ISF’s hope that you will use what you gain in this module to bless others in your church.

Besides a greater knowledge of God and yourself, upon successful completion of the module with all assignments submitted and group experiences attended, you will receive a certificate of completion for the module. Biola will record your completion. If other benefits for completed modules become available at a later date, or if future modules become available, these records will allow you to access these offerings.