Change Your Mind. Change Your Heart. Change the World.
The Christian Formation & Ministry Major is more than just an academic program. As a student your professors will challenge you to deepen your life with God, to grow in your own faith life, and to engage in spiritual disciplines and other life changing practices which can radically reshape you as a person. Yet, the end goal is not solely your own formation in Christ. Our goal for you is to become more Christlike in every aspect of your life so you can articulate your faith to others in both your words and your actions. In this way you become an actively engaged participant in God’s work in our shared world.
Start your future in Christian Formation and Ministry.
Program Highlights
Grow in Christ with a degree in Christian Formation & Ministry
Actively participate in God’s work as you re-shape your formation in Christ and show your faith to others in both words and actions through a practice based approach.
Service to the Community
Students engage in service projects that encourage growth and understanding of how spiritual practice aligns with practical issues of life through available internships and opportunities to serve in Campus Ministries.
Practice Based Approach
The degree curriculum is practice focused. Students participate in ministry in their local faith based communities and engage in spiritual formation activities that help to reshape their thoughts, hearts and actions.
Leave a Legacy
Develop your faith story as you explore your faith at Friends University. Learn to articulate your belief system through conversation, writing and ministry.
“My primary major may determine what I do, but the CSF program will continue to develop how I do it and the kind of person I become.”
AJ Cossell, Christian Spiritual Formation Graduate, 2017
“I am thankful for the CSF program for giving me good and beautiful images of God, enabling me to live more fully into my vocation, providing opportunities to serve and ultimately teaching me how to love God and my neighbor with more of my heart, soul, mind and strength.”
Josiah Brown, Christian Spiritual Formation Graduate, 2017
“The Christian Spiritual Formation program is one of the main reasons I came to Friends University. I wanted to be part of the CSF program because I wanted to learn as much about Jesus as possible. There was an unquenchable thirst for God in my life, and the CSF program has helped make that longing more acute.”
Samantha Filer, Christian Spiritual Formation
Majors
Degree Choices
Two degrees to choose from.
- Christian Formation & MinistryThe Christian Formation & Ministry major serves as a pathway to a profession in ministry fields or as preparation for seminary and ministry-based graduation school.
- Christian Spiritual FormationThe Christian Spiritual Formation major is specifically designed to be a second major for students who want to learn how a heart and soul that have been shaped by the Christian faith can greatly enhance their chosen career path, then work toward developing that deepened spirituality.
A Christ-like Approach to Formation and Ministry
This unique program of study lies at the heart of the Mission of Friends University. For over three decades, Christian spiritual formation has been part of the DNA of Friends. Dr. Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, and Dr. James Bryan Smith, author of The Good and Beautiful God, began teaching at Friends University in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, Foster and Smith founded the world renowned spiritual formation ministry, Renovare, at Friends in 1988. Dr. Smith established The Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation in 2009.
The Christian Formation & Ministry degree serves as a pathway to a profession in ministry fields. While some of our graduates pursue advanced degrees at seminary and graduate school, many others begin careers in ministry settings in churches (as pastors, youth pastors, spiritual formation or discipleship pastors) and in para-church ministries and other Christian organizations.
The program in Christian Formation & Ministry is structured to pair easily with several other areas of study at Friends. A student wanting to pursue another degree yet still engage with our professors can select a Second Major or one of three Minors we now offer, namely, a Minor in Christian Formation & Ministry, a Minor in Philosophy, or a Minor in Biblical Studies.
Get Started
Looking to get a second degree in Christian Spiritual Formation? Fill out the Christian Spiritual Formation Application to begin the process. (Please note this is not the application to Friends University)
The Magnificent Story
For more information about The Magnificent Story by James Bryan Smith, read our news release.
For more information about the Apprentice Institute, please visit www.friends.edu/about/apprentice-institute.
Featured Faculty
Dr. Jacob A Cook
- Assistant Professor of Religion; Apprentice Institute Events & Programs Coordinator
- Theology & Humanities
- B.A., Friends University; M.Div., Mercer University; Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary
Dr. Jeremy Gallegos
- Professor of Philosophy and Ethics – General Education Assessment Coordinator; Division Chair Theology and Humanities
- Christian and Liberal Studies
- B.A., Wichita State University; M.A., Purdue University; Ph.D., Purdue University
Dr. Stan Harstine
- Professor of Religion
- Christian and Liberal Studies
- B.S., Kansas State University; M.Div., Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Baylor University
Keas Keasler
- Assistant Professor of Christian Spiritual Formation; Program Director of Christian Spiritual Formation
- Christian and Liberal Studies
- B.A., Baylor University; M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary
Dr. Chris Kettler
- Professor of Theology & Religion
- Christian and Liberal Studies
- B.A., Friends University; M.A., M. Div., Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary
Dr. Jim Smith
- Associate Professor of Religion; Dallas Willard Chair for Christian Spiritual Formation
- Christian and Liberal Studies
- B.A., Friends University; M.Div., Yale University Divinity School; D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary