minary W orld Class Seminary - Bethel Seminary - Bethel University

The Center forSpiritual andPersonal FormationPastoral CareMarriage and Family StudiesPhoto by Greg SchneiderPhotos by Scott StrebleThe Center for Spiritual and PersonalFormation holds responsibilityfor developing intentional strategies formaking the formation process part ofthe entire Bethel Seminary experience,in and out of the classroom, throughchapel and convocations, at SeminaryVillage or in communities where nonresidentstudents live, at practicumand field education sites, and withincovenant relationships throughout theentire Bethel community. Spiritualand personal formation is the processof opening oneself to the work of Godin one’s life so that the body of Christmay be built up until we all reach unityin the faith and in the knowledge ofthe Son of God and become mature,attaining to the whole measure of thefullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13). It is amultifaceted, invitational process withmany points of entry, both formal andinformal. We encourage students torespond to God’s call to wholeness andholiness by reflecting on the biblical andtheological foundations of their faithas well as on their personal experiencesof God in the past and present.We want to nurture the process ofpersonal transformation so that transformationalleadership can be offeredin one’s ministry setting, wherever thatmight be. We also want to help studentsdevelop a working knowledge ofthe dynamics of family, congregational,and community systems so that theirministries may be more effective.118