Interiorization & Orality in Preaching

With Rev. Dr. Ron Rienstra

Distance Learning with some synchronous sessions required

May 11, 2026–June 26, 2026

How do preachers not only read the Word, but allow it to live within them—and proclaim it in ways that take root in others? This course explores the practices of interiorization and orality, equipping students to internalize Scripture so deeply that proclamation flows from memory, imagination, and prayer rather than manuscript dependence. Through guided exercises, storytelling, and biblical reflection, and with instruction from a team of homileticians—Ron Rienstra, Jon Brown, Nathan Hart, Hannah Barker-Nickolay, Lindsay Small, and Denise Kingdom—students will cultivate an embodied, communal, and Spirit-shaped voice for preaching.

Counseling Couples & Families

With Dr. Jessica Stovall

In-person 

Tuesdays from 8:30 am–3:15 pm

May 12, 2026–June 23, 2026

This course reviews foundational models, theories, and research related to couples, marriage, and family counseling. Students will survey topics such as systems theory, verbal and nonverbal interaction patterns, and an introduction to multiple approaches to therapeutic intervention with couples and families.

Paul the Cruciform Pastor

With Rev. Dr. Benj Petroelje

Distance Learning

Asynchronous

May 11, 2026–June 26, 2026

Through close exegetical analyses of key texts in Paul’s corpus, this course will explore how the cross—with its attendant themes of weakness, foolishness, and suffering—came to shape Paul as a pastor, and then apply these insights to the task of pastoral formation today. In a day and age where so much pastoral ministry is subtly self-aggrandizing, this course argues for the cruciform nature of the pastoral vocation, as learned from the witness of Paul, the cruciform pastor.

Friendship & Disability

With Dr. Julie Land

Distance Learning

Asynchronous

May 11, 2026–June 26, 2026

This course explores a theology of friendship grounded in God’s covenant with humanity. Drawing on Scripture, the Christian tradition, and our own experiences as members of the body of Christ, we will develop a theological understanding of friendship that resists false social hierarchies and the ways people objectify and dehumanize one another. Attending to the implications of friendship for the Church’s worship and life—especially the ethos of the meal Jesus left us—the course integrates readings, lectures, and creative assignments to help us reflect on how friendship shapes Christian community.