Formation Archives - United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

December 1, 2025

Formation

Social Transformation Lunch: Christians Against Christian Nationalism

Join us for a session led by Jerry Gale from Christians Against Christian Nationalism Minnesota. Christians Against Christian Nationalism was started in 2019 as an initiative of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty (BJC). BJC was started in 1936. It is a faith-based advocacy organization, headquartered in Washington DC, that focuses on upholding the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty. Jerry Gale is retired and a member of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. In January 2024, with BJC’s support, he started Christians against Christian Nationalism Minnesota. The group’s goal is to improve communications and coordination among Minnesota Christians who are concerned about Christian Nationalism. Onsite attendees can gather at 12:15 PM CT in The Intersection. Online attendees can join via Zoom at this link. >

November 11, 2019

Formation Innovation ministry Vocation Voice

THE THREE TRACKS OF SEMINARY: ALL THREE ARE NECESSARY

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June 14, 2019

Beliefs Chaplaincy Deconstruction Formation leadership ministry Voice

“How Deconstructing My Beliefs Has Made Me a Better Faith Leader:” An Interview with Sarah Berge

Sarah Berge '19 is a recent graduate of United hoping to work in chaplaincy. Her background is in systems and family counseling, with a focus on incarcerated populations and restorative justice. Sarah is also a passionate theologian, and integrates her chaplaincy work into theology and arts projects. Deconstructing beliefs is key to her ministry. (more…)

February 8, 2019

Culture Formation Innovation Staff Vocation

What Does Formation, Vocation, and Innovation mean at United?

One of the many accomplishments for UTS in 2018 was the alignment of our academic curriculum. Led by Dean Kyle Roberts, the faculty made great strides in developing the sequencing and balance needed to provide greater clarity for students in all of our concentrations. (more…)

December 20, 2018

Arts Conference Formation interreligious chaplaincy students

United at the Parliament of the World’s Religions: The Tree of Transformation

Early this November, Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde (Director of Interreligious Chaplaincy and Assistant Professor of Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Counseling), Jessi LeClear Vachta (Associate Director of Admissions) and a group of current students attended the 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto, Ontario. There, they held a panel, "Making Interreligious Chaplaincy Education Meaningfully Inclusive." The following is a reflection by Kimi Graff, who is working on an MDiv in Interreligious Chaplaincy. (more…)

October 24, 2018

Community Culture Entrepreneur Formation Voice

The Verdict Is In! Spiritual Leaders Need To Be Entrepreneurial.

Some call it social innovation, redemptive entrepreneurship, missional innovation, spiritual entrepreneurship – pick your #hashtag, – but it is no longer a niche. It’s a full-blown, interfaith movement. Many spiritual leaders complain that they did not learn how to revitalize dying churches or start new ones when they were in seminary, because it was not part of the curriculum. Well at United you can gain those skills through the efforts of the Department of Student Formation, Vocation, Experience and the Arts. We are developing offering, opportunities, 1:1 conversation, community visits, shadowing and coaching to students who feel called to explore entrepreneurial concepts and practices in their upcoming or current ministries. What are some of the characteristics entrepreneurial spiritual leaders possess and develop? (more…)

September 27, 2018

Formation

CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER

Critical incident and cumulative stress are an everyday reality for paramedics, EMTs and dispatchers. Concerns about the mental health and potential suicide risk of our co-workers challenge us as an industry to be intentional about providing appropriate, professional support.EMS Week is an opportunity to step back, recognize and care for our caregivers. At Allina Health EMS, a hospital-based EMS agency that serves more than 100 communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, we established a position of EMS chaplain to focus on the wellbeing of our employees. This paid, 32 hour a week position resembles the role and function of military chaplains. I’m “embedded with the troops,” riding with ambulance crews and sitting along with dispatchers, building relationships with frontline staff and following up after potentially stressful incidents. (more…)

August 7, 2018

Culture Formation students Voice

Creating Culture Together

When I agreed to take the position as Director of Student Experience and Culture at United Theological Seminary, I struggled initially to describe what I would be doing to my friends. Before I could form a coherent presentation of my coming duties, they began to fill in the blanks because of the word culture. “So are you the school anthropologist?” “Oh I get it, you are like the cruise director on a boat.” “I see so you make sure the students have a good experience while they are being cultured by the great ideas and thoughts of theologians”. (more…)