Nurturing Spiritual Formation at a United Methodist Seminary

Do you want to grow a stronger relationship with God but may not know where to begin? Spiritual formation may be a great option for you. If you want to grow in your faith with others, small groups of spiritual companions will be present with you on your journey.

Growing in your spirituality with the Holy Spirit does not happen overnight, however, when considered and practiced intentionally, you may begin to feel the closeness that you desire. Continue reading to learn more about spiritual formation in The United Methodist Church.

What is Spiritual Formation?

Spiritual formation is an intimate and communal way in which we grow, live, love and deepen our spiritual life by opening ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual formation offers a safe listening space to talk about your personal relationship with God, how the Spirit is working in your life, new perspectives that are coming into view, and struggles and enlightenment that are shaping your life. 

Today, spiritual formation continues to carry on as a way for people to experience and share intimacy with God through listening and learning with one another.

Why is Spiritual Formation Needed Today?

As the increased polarization in families, communities and denominations across the globe continue to plague society, more people are yearning for spirituality. In fact, according to Fetzer Institute’s 2020 report on “Spirituality in America,” 50 percent of people shared their desire to be more spiritual, and of those who consider themselves to be spiritual, all respondents aspire to be even more so. On a weekly basis, 13 percent of respondents agreed that they partake in religious or spiritual direction groups, and 60 percent engage in prayer. 

The responses to the study, which show a desire towards spirituality and reconciliation, greatly differ from the current reality of our world and its brokenness. Spiritual formation can be an answer to the healing needed, as it provides many benefits. The benefits may vary for each individual, however, the overarching rewards include:

• Self-awareness: Some of us are unaware of the reactions our own actions may cause. The more self-aware we can be, the less damage we may cause to ourselves and those around us. 
• Personal and faith-filled growth: Reading the Bible can help your spiritual journey, but it may not always be as impactful for some as it is for others. Through spiritual formation, you can gain fresh and new insight into ways to approach Scripture and introduce new ways to explore your spirituality to grow deeper within yourself and with God.
• Learn to ask better questions: We all have questions, but what if you could dive deeper and ask more meaningful questions about yourself, those around you, your faith and God? Spiritual formation allows you to creatively explore.
• Clarity: There are a lot of answered questions or reasonings behind things as we navigate this world, some being harder to reconcile with or understand than others. And we also may find ourselves questioning what to do, how to navigate a situation or where to go next. Clarity can be found through spiritual formation and can help you see questions and answers in a different light.
• Redefine relationships: Brokenness, whether it be between family relationships or with God, is not uncommon. Something so small can completely alter a relationship, or you may have lost sight with God. Spiritual formation can help rekindle these relationships and assist in offering forgiveness where it’s needed, as you become more self-aware of yourself and your actions.

Benefits of Spiritual Formation at Perkins School of Theology

We all can benefit from spiritual formation, as it’s part of our spiritual journey to become the best version of ourselves and to serve Christ in all that we do. Specifically, spiritual formation may be beneficial for you if you want to:

• Gain experience in prayer and devotion
• Create a deeper relationship with God
• Explore the central genius of spiritual traditions
• Evaluate traditions theologically
• Explore the deeper connection between spiritual formation and vital ministry
• Create a deeper understanding of God and your faith
• Discover your gifts
• Discern your next steps

• Personal spiritual formation
• Experience and familiarity with the variety of spiritual disciplines
• Capability to facilitate the spiritual growth of others
• Theological and critical capacity to evaluate trends in spiritual expression and nurture the same capacity in others

The Spiritual Formation component at Perkins School of Theology is an integral part of the school's theological education and is required for all students enrolled in the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music and Master of Arts in Ministry degree programs. It seeks to prepare you for a ministry which incorporates personal spiritual formation, experience with the variety of spiritual disciplines, the ability to facilitate the spiritual growth of others, the critical capacity to evaluate trends in spiritual expression, and the ability to nurture the same capacity in others. 

At Perkins, our spiritual formation component is central to our degree programs because of its importance in the lives of our students and aids in building a solid foundation for ministry and service. 

The Spiritual Formation component includes a mandatory spiritual orientation at the beginning of the year and a weekly small group session to explore issues of spirituality including the call to ministry, the formation of religious life, spiritual disciplines and the examination of a growing and changing faith.

We also offer a Certificate in Spiritual Direction, which is not to be confused with our Spiritual Formation core. Sometimes referred to as “spiritual friends,” spiritual directors are trained to listen, pray, and ask questions in a fashion that encourages directees to look for the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 

Whether you want to grow in your faith, discern your call, strengthen your Christian leadership skills, further your vocational ministry, become a servant leader or more, we offer various graduate degrees to assist in your wants and desires to further your spiritual formation pathway.

If you’re looking for more guidance, our team is happy and ready to speak to you about your potential new journey. Please feel free to schedule a meeting with us.

Discover and learn more about discerning your call through theology school by downloading our interactive guide, Discerning Your Call to Ministry: Is a Theology Degree Your Next Step?