27

Nourishing the Mind and Soul

lor many students, seminary means wrestling with new and
sometimes dimcult ideas, exegeting the New Testament late
into the night and cramming for Hebrew competency exams.
While these are certainly realities at Gordon-Conwell, we
believe that equally important to nourishing the mind is
nourishing the soul by engaging in spiritual formation and
intentional community-building.
Te Pierce Center for Disciple-Building, founded by John
and Lois Pierce, exists as a spiritual formation ministry
to Gordon-Conwell students. lts vision is to see Gordon-
Conwell living joyfully as a community of Christ-centered,
Holy Spirit-empowered disciple-builders.
Te Pierce Center is designed to be a co-curricular
opportunity for students to be fully engaged in their spiritual
formation while they are studying hard in their classrooms
and learning skills for ministry via mentorships," says
Director Dr. Stephen Macchia (M.Div. `c!, D.Min. `c1), We`re
working to blend the development of the soul with the
development of the mind."
Steve describes it as life-on-life," students coming together
without an agenda to share their lives. Te idea is for them
to beuer understand who they are in Christ, so they become
more aware of themselves and of God," explains Steve, lt`s
an invitation to intimacy with God and intentionality to
living faithfully for him all the days of their life.l`ve been in
ministry for !c-plus years, and the times with our students,
either in small groups or one-on-one sessions, are some of
the most vibrant l`ve had in my ministry career."
lncoming and returning students can apply for the Pierce
lellowship, a merit scholarship. Pierce lellows are mentored
by Pierce Center stan, engage in small group fellowship and
receive resources for disciple-building among the wider
community. Megan Hackman (M.Div. `1z) refects on her
experience as a Pierce lellow, l received a scholarship for
being a part of the Pierce program. But if it had cost me what
l had received in scholarship, l would have paid. lt was !"#
single most important thing l was a part of in seminary."
Te Pierce Center encourages intentional spiritual formation
among the lellows and the wider Gordon-Conwell
community through hve main functions
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Apart from the Pierce Center`s role in spiritual formation
on campus, students are also being vocationally trained
to provide spiritual formation through the new Master of
Arts in Spiritual lormation (MASl) onered at the Hamilton
campus. Te MASl equips students to encourage others in the
discernment of the Spirit. lt is our hope that MASl students
will grow in intimacy with Christ, learn to discern and
cooperate with the Holy Spirit`s activity, will gain a clearer
sense of their unique design and calling, be increasingly
transformed into the likeness of Christ and learn how to
equip others to do the same," explains Associate Professor of
Church History Dr. Gwenfair Adams, one of the key leaders
in the creation of the MASl degree.
MASl graduates will be prepared to provide spiritual
formation for individuals or groups through counseling,
spiritual direction, teaching, church programs and worship.
An optional concentration in spiritual direction is onered.
Heather Korpi
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