“It has become increasingly clear that relying solely on the knowledge and skills gained from traditional degree programs will not suffice in navigating our complex life journeys. Embracing lifelong learning is essential; we are called to dedicate ourselves to continuous education throughout our lives.”
— Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, Jr. Columbia Theological Seminary President, Professor of Practical Theology
What can lifelong learning offer you?
Interests don’t motivate us. Unrealized needs are what encourage us to get out and learn something new. Adult learners and practitioners seek learning that will solve an immediate problem. Granted, there is not a universal continuing education program that can satisfy all the needs clergy will encounter during their vocation.
However, lifelong learning programs do offer:
• The opportunity to claim one’s calling, identity, and commitment to ministry.
• The chance to cultivate support from peer communities.
• Space to develop a rigorous theory of practice for ministry.
• Room to develop adaptive leadership.
• The freedom to explore our curiosities.
The 2025-2026 summer/fall course catalog offers opportunities for faithful living wherever your path may lead. Delve into the following courses and programs to discern how lifelong learning fits into your ministry toolkit!
Cover Art: Pictures of You, The Sense of Things Art Journal by Israel Galindo. @CLLatCTSeminary
Keep up with the CLL’s latest news, courses, and programs by subscribing to the monthly newsletter, Journeying Together.
Where are you on the map?
CLL Geographical Reach
In 2024-2025, CLL participants came from forty-four states and five countries:
Participant Denominational Profile
CLL participants represent more than nine faith traditions:
Data Source: 2024-2025 CLL End of Year Summary
New Zealand
South Africa
Since 2014, we have offered over 100 online courses. Program topics have included age and stage Christian education and teaching practice and theory, intercultural competency, grief, death and dying, stewardship, congregational ministry, church staff relations, conflict resolution, coaching, prayer, spiritual formation, spiritual direction, journaling, storytelling, LGBTQIA+ issues, older adult ministry, preaching, biblical studies, arts, science, and faith.
The program has helped me get out of my head and more in touch with my deeper self. It has taught me how to let go of my need to be in control and to be open to God’s urgings in the present moment. Life changing!” — Contemplative Spirituality Program Participant
CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY PROGRAMS
Contemplative spirituality invites you to live fully engaged with the world. It’s not about fixing life’s challenges or constantly striving for self-improvement. Our contemplative programs help participants call for deeper self-awareness to navigate life’s complexities with grace.
Certificate in Contemplative Spiritual Formation
Choose from three concentrations:
General: Enrich your spiritual insights and growth through diverse courses of your choosing.
Spirituality in the Second Half of Life:
Whether you are entering this phase or supporting others on this journey, discover a profound spiritual outlook and tools to navigate life’s second half.
Contemplative Living: Are you drawn
to the contemplative dimension of Christian teachings and practices?
Experience everyday life as prayer by integrating spiritual practices into daily activities.
Certificate in Contemplative Spiritual Direction
For those sensing a call to accompany others on their spiritual path through compassionate listening with an emphasis on experiential learning and individual and group supervision.
July 9-30, 2025
Introduction to Contemplative Spirituality: Centering Prayer as a Doorway ONLINE
This course outlines the principles and values of the seminary’s Contemplative Spirituality offerings.
It focuses on how contemplative practices can provide healing and
acceptance of God’s presence daily. Contemplative and Centering prayer are used in the course, as well as other reflective practices.
With: Julie Saad , Sharon Junn and Tom James Program Fee: $220
September 20 – December 13, 2025
Contemplative Living I: Contemplative Practices in Daily Life ONLINE
Learn to cultivate and integrate contemplative spiritual practices into daily life through the following ways:
Centering Prayer, Logging, Spiritual Reading, The Active Prayer, Lectio Divina, The Welcoming Prayer, Sabbath, and Holy Listening.
With: Julie Saad, Sharon Junn and Tom James Program Fee: $725
NEW
Certificate in Contemplative Retreat Facilitation
Become a facilitator of life-giving prayer retreat experiences by receiving step-by-step mentoring to help others engage in God’s presence. Thomas Keating’s teachings on the Centering Prayer Method, Human Condition, and other contemplative practices form the foundations of this course.
October 8–11, 2025
The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Lessons from our Elders
Trees offer ancient, applicable spiritual and ecological wisdom for today. Existing before our human family, they possess a wealth of knowledge on universal lessons such as being in a community, navigating challenges, processing grief, expressing gratitude, and maintaining hope and resilience.
With: Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, North Carolina Program Fee: $450 (housing and meals not included) Scholarships available
October 27- 31, 2025
October 27- November 3, 2025
Contemplative Retreat: Five and Eight Day Intensive (Korean and English)
Deepen your contemplative life through silence, solitude, and community with experienced practitioners of contemplative spiritual practices.
Thomas Keating’s teachings and optional prayer times are included in the course.
With: Irene Chang, Mark Dannenfelser, Sharon Junn, Nayoung Kim, HeeSoon Kwon and Leslee Terpay
Location: Sacred Heart Monastery Cullman, AL
Program Fees: Five-Day $750 Eight-Day $1200
January 24– April 25, 2026
Contemplative Living II : Daily Life as Prayer ONLINE
Contemplative Living II builds upon the lessons learned in Contemplative Living I to enhance your understanding of what’s blocked you from broadening
your relationship with God, others and, even yourself. It will help you assess your life’s spiritual location while embracing life as daily prayer.
With: Julie Saad, Sharon Junn and Tom James
Program Fee: $725
February 25–March 16, 2026
Mourning Pages: Writing as a Spiritual Practice for Grief and Healing ONLINE
Learn to address grief and move toward healing through the spiritual practice of writing. The course is designed exclusively for group settings and offers a variety of creative prompts that invite the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and new life after loss.
With: Julie Hester Program Fee: $220
March 4-7, 2026
Kintsugi: Embracing Beauty in Brokenness
Kintsugi, the centuries-old Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold, offers a profound metaphor for healing. Participants will discover how their wounds and imperfections can be celebrated rather than hidden.
With: Yoko Takamiya, Asako Ferguson, Sharon Junn, and Stephen Dorage
Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur GA
Program Fee: $1150, including meals, housing available on campus
April 6-10, 2026
Landscapes of Renewal: Ghost Ranch Retreat
Engage exploration, guided studies and personal reflection time in the beauty of New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch Retreat
Center during the first week after Easter.
With: Bill Brown and Debra Weir Program Fee: $1350
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CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
May 1, 2026
Certificate in Contemplative Spiritual Direction Application Deadline is March 1, 2026
Scan the this code or visit https://qrco.de/SDApp2026
The courses and certifications are open to everyone. Scholarships and financial aid are available. For complete program details fees and to register for spirituality courses and programs, visit www.CTSNet.edu. @SpiritualityatCTSeminary
My 92-year-old motherin-law came to live with us for an extended period during my studies, and my time in this learning community shifted my perspective from responsibility to presence. The work of caregiving has been more blessing than burden thanks to my deeper reflection on the gifts, challenges, and questions of this final season of life.”
— Jennifer Sanborn National Coordinator
for Learning Initiatives
Whether you want to broaden your knowledge of the needs and gifts of older adults or explore the countless contributions from clergywomen to the Church, these practical, nondegree courses offer unique opportunities to remain a lifelong learner. Which of our upcoming offerings speaks to you?
August 4-6, 2025 2025-26 PW/Horizons Bible
Study Seminar Finding Resilience, Joy, and Our Identity in Jesus Christ
This study revisits key characters in the Gospels: Mary Magdalene, Mary a woman “of a certain village,” the unnamed poor woman, the prodigal child, the travelers
on the road to Emmaus, Jesus the Christ, and other witnesses living who exhibited joy and resiliency in the midst of pain, grief, and suffering.
With: Rhashell Hunter Program Fee: $250
September 15-19, 2025
Guthrie Scholars
An opportunity for independent or sabbatical studies to engage a pressing issue of the Church. Housing and meals are covered by the seminary and participants are accepted each fall on an application basis.
September 19, 2025
Syncopated Leadership: Jazz for Preachers, Teachers and Other Servants of Grace Jazz for Faith, Creativity, and
Justice. This leadership seminar and live jazz concert will explore the rich tradition of jazz and how it can inform faithful leadership and spirituality. This program is part of the CLL Faith and Arts initiative.
With: Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet In collaboration with Shallowford Center for Mindful Living
Program Fees: Concert only is $20; Seminar only is $50. The cost for both is $60.
September 17, 24; October 1, 2025
Mental Health and Ministry:
Navigating Grief ONLINE
Join this asynchronous lunchtime webinar series to refresh your pastoral care skills. Gain new insights for providing compassionate and appropriate care in your ministry settings.
With: Melissa Kelley
Program Fee: Pay what you are able, $50 suggested.
September 22-October 31, 2025
Process of Aging and Implications for Ministry ONLINE
An Older Adult Ministry (OAM) course. In this course, you’ll learn how theological reflection with older adults can help them address the challenges of aging through faith seeking meaning
With: Zeena Regis
Program Fee: $265
October 23, 2025
Bonhoeffer for Today: A Faith and Public Life Symposium
During complicated political times, few theologians get weaponized more fiercely or misread more easily than
Dietrich Bonhoeffer. But who was he? And how might we interpret him thoughtfully, accurately, and usefully for our present political moment?
With: Lori Brandt Hale, Mark Douglas, and others
Program Fee: $50
January 19 – February 27, 2026
Theological Reflection in Older Adulthood ONLINE
Our pastors, parents and other loved ones who shaped us are aging. In this course, you’ll learn how theological reflection with older adults can help them address the challenges of aging through faith seeking meaning.
With: Sarah Erickson
Program Fee: $265
April 22-24, 2026
Imagining Your Ministry:
How to Use Photography and Storytelling for the Growth of Your Ministry (2026 Thompson Scholars)
Ministries without a visual footprint are essentially invisible to the world. Learn to create a visual plan, a solid, digital presence for your church using resources you already have: a smartphone and social media.
With: Ralph Basui Watkins
Program Fee: $150. Fee covers seminar and six meals. Housing available on campus.
For full program details and fees, visit wwwCTSNet.edu. @CLLatCTSeminary
LifelongLearning@CTSNet.edu
My professional ministry years extend from 1981-2025. I have more self at the end than at the start, largely due to the help I received through Leadership in Ministry! For this and for the friendships formed along the way, I am grateful!” — Leadership in Ministry Participant
PASTORAL EXCELLENCE PROGRAMS
Ministry is hard and getting harder. The support of peers can uplift the often-strenuous work clergy encounter during their vocation. The Pastoral Excellence Programs of the Center for Lifelong Learning offer two peeroriented, professional development programs for clergy: Ministering to Ministers and Leadership in Ministry (LIM) Workshops.
Wounded Ministers Retreats
October
20-23, 2025
With: Beverley Buston, Skip Irby, Skip Johnson, Robert Dibble, Clarice Dibble, Bill Harkins,and Julie Josund
Location: Columbia Theological Seminary, Center for Lifelong Learning
Leadership In Ministry Workshops
As a Ministering to Ministers program, Wounded Ministers Retreats help clergy and their spouses experience help, hope, and renewal after a forced termination. When a minister is involuntarily separated from a church, both the minister and the church are damaged. The clergy retreat provides spiritual, emotional, and vocational support for ministers from all faith groups. It is also open to those encountering congregational conflict that may lead to dismissal. The retreat costs $100 for a single participant OR $150 for couples. It is offered multiple times throughout the year at various locations.
Leadership In Ministry workshops explore how Bowen Family Systems Theory, a way of thinking that affects every aspect of leadership in ministry and organizations. It focuses on leadership through differentiation
of self to impact administration, supervision, change, and other leadership functions. Registration is open for fall 2025 sessions. The program fee is $528 plus housing and meals, varied by location. Financial aid is available for all locations.
LIM Faculty
Andrew Archie, Elaine Boomer, Michael Cook, Vanessa Roulette Ellison, Israel Galindo, Meg Hess, Skip Johnson, Julie Josund, Lance King, Dan Koger, James Lamkin, Rebecca Maccini, Margaret Marcuson, Bill Pyle and Carla Toenniessen
For full Pastoral Excellence Program details, fees and to register, visit www.CTSNet.edu.
Leadership in Ministry Workshop Schedule
• ATLANTA, GA
November 10-12, 2025
• RICHMOND, VA
September 15-17, 2025
• BOSTON, MA
September 29- October 1, 2025
Leadership in Ministry ONLINE
The online cohort of the Leadership in Ministry program runs September 1- November 28, 2025. Participants will negotiate meeting times with their cohort and faculty coach.
