Formation is for Mission
Institute is our primary discipleship school, a series of learning environments in key areas of spiritual life that we want every person in our church to be equipped in. Each class focuses on different aspects of life lived according to the way of Jesus, and together the Institute is designed to cultivate knowledge, virtues, affections, and habits of the Christian life. We want to see people deeply formed in the way of Jesus for the sake of others. Because ultimately it’s not just personal growth that’s at stake in each Christian’s discipleship, but the communal health and collective witness of the church to the world.
Institute classes run 10-12 weeks and are offered on a semester basis. Each class includes out-of-class reading and reflection assignments, as well as a capstone project. While classes are built to do deep work in each student, in some ways the classes can only ever scratch the surface. The goal is not mastery in 3 months, but a substantive introduction to questions and practices that will accompany a lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus. You don’t need to be a scholar or saint to get started, so don’t be intimidated! Just take a leap. For questions about spiritual formation and Institute classes, email luke@cherryhillsfamily.org.
The Classes
Emotional Health | led by Brian Schwarberg (Registration Closed)
It is impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Students are introduced to tools and concepts such as true-self/false-self, genogram, and stages in spiritual development in order to experience Christ’s healing presence in our inner lives. The class emphasizes the integration of emotional maturity and spiritual growth, helping develop a relationship with God that is not only biblically sound but also emotionally healthy. From this inward transformation emerges strengthened capacities to communicate the healing and non-anxious presence of Jesus in all our relationships.
Scripture | led by Luke Martin (Registration Closed)
This class explores the origins and interpretation of the bible. Specifically, how various texts were composed and eventually “canonized” (formally recognized by the Church as inspired and authoritative), and how literary genres and other features of the text shape the meaning we derive from it. Ultimately students are trained to study the scriptures with skill and humility in order to develop a biblical mind.
Church History | led by Steve Patzia (Registration Closed)
This class discusses turning points in post-biblical Christian history (the time period after the events of the Old and New Testaments up to present day). Students will learn how movements such as monasticism, the emergence of Christendom, the reformation, the Pentecostal rebirth, and others shaped and continue to influence the church today. What we can learn from history has profound importance for how we live in the present, and retrieving the tradition(s) that have led us to this unique cultural moment is key to renewal in our time.
Theology | led by Luke Martin (Fall 2026)
This class introduces students to the Christian doctrinal heritage, exploring foundational ideas about God, humanity, creation, salvation, the church, and more that have been professed by Christians throughout the ages. Attention is given to how we do “doctrinal triage” and the relationship between intellectual life and spiritual formation. Using the Apostles’ Creed as a template, students will work to develop their own ability to understand and articulate theological concepts essential to Christian belief.
Formation | led by Chuck Bosworth (Fall 2026)
This class equips students to build a practical “rule of life”— an intentional plan for orienting our day-to-day lives around the spiritual practices of Jesus. Students are invited to engage in spiritual exercises such as prayer, fasting, silence, sabbath, and others that shape our core desires and mark out a distinctively Christian way of life amidst the broader culture in which it is all too easy to syncretize. Ample time and space is given to processing each person’s experiences and progress in a gracious community.
