Discernment
Do you feel a call to seminary education and ministry, but aren't sure where to begin?
You have come to the right place! As you consider different seminaries and degree programs, explore future ministry pathways, navigate the candidacy process, and discern what is next, we are here to walk alongside you. We hope this page can act as an additional tool in your discernment process, offering reflection resources and pointing you to helpful information.
Do not expect certainty or an always easy path; know that God embraces you in the uncertainty and difficulties as well as the times of clarity and ease.
Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda
Be open to the unexpected. Be open to being led by the Spirit of God!
Dr. Alicia Vargas
Reflections in Discernment
As you discern where God may be calling you next, here are some questions to guide your reflection.
Reflecting on your faith journey:
- What is your first memory of faith/religion/God?
- Reflect on your baptism. How does the power of baptism affect your everyday life?
- How does your faith shape your vision for a more just world? How might the Spirit be nudging you to participate in making that vision a reality?
- Who are the people you have met along your road who have shaped your faith?
Listening to your call:
- What do you feel are your top three gifts? How does it feel to recognize and affirm
those gifts in yourself?
- Can you think of times where others have named and affirmed your gifts? What was that like for you?
- When you imagine your next steps toward where God is calling you, what sparks your
energy and excitement? What sparks worry/anxiety?
- As you hold those anxieties, can you imagine what it might look like to take away their power?
- As we listen for God’s call in our lives, it can be easy to forget that God created us with free will; we have agency to make our own choices and God meets us there. What might it look like to feel empowered in your own choice? Where would that lead you?
- Imagine that you are the trusted mentor of someone in your position, facing your same discernment questions. What would you tell them? How would it feel for someone to say those things to you?
Would this experience have value for me even if it were not to lead to any particular career or professional advancement?
Dr. Sheryl Johnson