Many who have served in various ministry capacities (e.g., as pastors, missionaries, lay church leaders, etc…) are intimately familiar with the potential dark realities of the ministry environment. Ministry is often fraught with many difficulties and challenges, imposing significant stress upon one’s spiritual life, marital and family relationships, and upon one’s emotional and physical well-being. …
View course details “Spiritual & Emotional Formation for Christian Leadership: Research and Practice”

The storms of life are constant. We all face adversity in our lives. How we react to it will determine our joy and happiness Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you ignore life’s stressors. Positive thinking means that you approach difficulties in a more optimistic and productive way. Thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk can be …
View course details “SINGING IN THE RAIN – THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING”

Integrative Approaches to Christian Spiritual and Mental Health Formation Is migration a form of trauma? How does the migration experience of the first generation continue to affect the second and third generation family members? How do these formative social conditions challenge our Christian practices of spiritual formation, discipleship, and leadership for the Asian American faith …
View course details “Intergenerational Wholeness for Asian Americans”

Save the date for African Descent Ministries’ (ADM) 2024 International Black Clergy Conference. This important upcoming conference and educational event will convene at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md., April 8-11, 2024. The International Black Clergy Conference is a triennial event. In addition to bishops, priests, and deacons from The Episcopal Church, …
View course details “2024 International Black Clergy Conference”

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Engage with the Rest is Resistance framework which is rooted in Black liberation theology, womanist theology. spirituality and a politics of refusal. This course explores the tenets of The Nap Ministry and uplifts the following questions: How can we be more human when capitalism attempts to …
View course details “Rest is Resistance”

Support for the spiritual heart of clergy of all denominations Clergy everywhere are finding congregational expectations to be overwhelming. Balance is elusive, beauty goes unnoticed, and burnout is common as clergy often find themselves isolated and pulled in many directions. A life meant to be centered in God and absorbed in wonder becomes fragmented by …
View course details “Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership”

When bad things happen, what is our reaction? Do we trust God even when we don’t understand? When difficult things happen, we begin to doubt God’s concern for us or His control over our lives. But when times are hard, when the world feels like it’s caving in on us — it’s even more important …
View course details “TRUSTING GOD EVEN WHEN LIFE HURTS”

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, people have turned to God for hope when they were anxious or disquieted (Psalm 42:11). Today, we live in disquieting times. As pastors, church leaders, and congregations, we may feel a vague sense of guilt over our inability to right wrongs of the past. We may also be disquieted …
View course details “Leading with Hope in Anxious Times: Renew, Resourcing Pastors and Church Leaders for Ministry”

We have several great speakers lined up, including David Fitch (Handle Power with Care), Ken Shigematsu (Handle Yourself with Care), and Sarah Coleson-Derck (Handle Scripture with Care). Pastoral ministry in a changing world takes bold and courageous leadership, but it also demands great care and attention to our health, direction, and the important work of pastoral …
View course details “Pastor’s Conference 2024 – Handle with Care”

Have you experienced deep disappointment, hurt or betrayal in an important relationship? Do you continue to suffer from a conflict or trauma that occurred long ago? Are unresolved issues affecting your health, finances or relationships? This interactive workshop identifies the stumbling blocks to forgiveness, and then provides positive, practical methods to work through anger, blame …
View course details “Forgiveness–What is it and why is it so hard?”