DESCRIPTION:

How does spiritual formation occur in ministries to students/young adults as they approach and pass through the critical college years? How can an inner spirituality which overflows in compassionate service become central for leaders of these ministries? Proven approaches to spiritual formation for the sake of others will be applied to the leader's life and ministry.

The purpose of this course is to deepen the spiritual formation of those discipling/mentoring college students and young adults so they can enhance the spiritual formation of others. The goals of the course are: (1) Cognitive: Formulate a biblical philosophy of discipleship rooted in spiritual formation; survey the history of spiritual disciplines and spiritual awakenings especially among students and young adults; learn a model of leadership development based upon spiritual formation; and understand the generational and developmental issues to be addressed in the spiritual formation of college students and young adults. (2) Affective: Increase the desire to serve and be spiritual guides for the members of one's family, the postmodern generations and those who have suffered abuse, oppression or who are caught in addictions; (3) Behavioral: Practice spiritual disciplines in both daily and extended times of fellowship with the Lord.(4) Existential: Be a non-compulsive servant leader whose service to others is derived increasingly from love for the Lord and himself/herself.

The class will meet eight times on Thursdays for three hours and will also participate in two one-day prayer retreats (April 16, 9:00am - 3:00pm and April 30, 9:00am - 4:00pm) for two times of extended personal communion with God. (Class will not meet on Thursday, April 15 and April 29.) The retreats will involve no additional charge to students. Instruction methods include lecture, video, discussion, experiential learning, and small groups.

Carroll, Colleen. The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy. Loyola Press, 2002.

Clinton, J. R. The Making of a Leader. NavPress, 1988.

Lovelace, Richard. The Dynamics of Spiritual Life. InterVarsity Press, 1979.

Miller, Keith. Hunger for Healing. HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.

Nouwen, Henri. The Way of the Heart. Ballantine, 1975.

Parks, Sharon. Big Questions, Worthy Dreams. Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines. Harper & Row, 1988.

Syllabus/course reader of articles and notes.

Choose one of the following:

Beaudoin, T. Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X. Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.

Zoba, Wendy. Generation 2K. InterVarsity Press, 1999.

A one-page reflection paper on each of the three periods of extended personal communion with God; participation in a small supportive fellowship of class members (six one-hour sessions); four weeks of journaling (four days/week); a reading log; visiting a student group involved in a ministry of compassion; a fifteen- to eighteen-page essay on an issue addressed in the course or a two-day spiritual retreat with a ten-page paper.

Meets M.A. requirement in Spirituality (SPIR).