Resourcing Pastors & Congregations
The Office of Contextual and Lifelong Learning (CALL) connects pastors & congregations to the faculty & resources of North Park Theological Seminary
Leading the church isn’t easy.
Our faculty can help.
From inspiration for next week’s sermon to training congregations, our seminary faculty are ready to train, equip or serve—across the Evangelical Covenant Church and more broadly.
Our purpose and vision has a clear focus—a faithful, healthy church for a just and flourishing world. We believe the highest theological knowledge is applied to our heart and our hands.
Whether for ministry executives, lay leaders or clergy—education doesn’t stop at graduate school. We welcome and encourage our community of lifelong learners.
Lifelong learning exists in the liminal space between classroom and context. We believe that knowledge is intentional in its content, intersectional with a variety of contexts, and integrative for transformed leaders.
Articles, Resources & Training
Lina is our new and growing library of writings and resources from faculty, for the church
Reading & Resources List from the Symposium on Hospitality and Immigration
Here is a compilation of bibliography, ministries, and resources related to our 2025 Symposium North Park Theological Seminary’s Symposium on the Theological …
C John Weborg: Accessory to the Word
This remarkable and personal profile of Dr. C. John Weborg—the namesake for our Center of Spiritual Direction—was originally published in the Covenant Companion …
Seminary Launches New Resources for Covenant Pastors
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Events
Intensives Week—Center for Spiritual Direction
July 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Two week on-campus intensives for enrolled students pursuing their Certificate of Spiritual Direction. Spiritual direction is the …
2025 Seminary Commencement
May 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
The official commencement ceremony for Master’s graduates of the 2024–2025 academic year at North Park Theological Seminary. …
Cultivate Lifelong Learning
Popular non-degree seeking options for alumni, pastors, leadership teams, or members of congregations.
Course Audits
Not looking for graduate credit? Anyone is welcome to audit courses at NPTS—available both online and in classroom. The fee is highly discounted to $50 per credit hour. Explore new issues in intercultural ministry, or refresh an interest in Biblical languages.
Certificate of Spiritual Direction
Training in the practice of listening, discernment and prayer in the Christian, Protestant tradition. The two-year cohort-based program is designed for both lay and ordained ministers called to this special ministry.
Director of the Office of Contextual & Lifelong Learning
Bret Widman
Having served in pastoral ministry in the Evangelical Covenant Church, Rev. Dr. Widman understands the practical demands on pastors, inviting them to lifelong learning that will inform their challenges in ministry. Bret’s instruction is motivated by Ephesians— “that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.“
Assistant Director of Contextual and Lifelong Learning
Cheryl Lynn Cain
Cheryl Lynn Cain is an ordained Covenant pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd ECC in Joliet, Illinois, and the Assistant Director of CALL. She holds a PhD in Intercultural Studies from the Center for Missiological Research at Fuller Theological Seminary and facilitates Sankofa and Journey to Mosaic intercultural learning experiences. Outside of her work, she enjoys gardening and traveling with her young adult children.
Training Workshops for Churches & Leaders
Led by North Park Theological Seminary faculty, and customized for church needs. Contact us to request a presenter.
English Workshops
| Workshop Title | Presenter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Worship: What’s Your Preference? | David Bjorlin | Too often our churches have divided not over theological issues or diverging visions of mission, but over the style of song we sing. In this workshop, we will explore the many traditions of congregational song and the particular gifts each tradition can bring to the life of the church. |
| Sacramental Imagination | David Bjorlin | In many of our churches, we do the sacraments because Jesus told us to, but they often aren’t integrated into our understanding of worship or the world. In this workshop, we will discuss the meaning of the sacraments and how they can inform a sacramental imagination that sees all of God’s creation as a means by which God communicates love. |
| We Were Created for Worship | David Bjorlin | In this introductory workshop, we will discuss why humans worship in the first place as well as the particular place of worship for Christians. This will include how worship connects to the way we live with our neighbor in the world. |
| Serving around the Globe | Paul DeNeui | This workshop covers the how and whys of ECC global service today with guest speakers. Anyone interested in global service with the ECC may attend. Includes taking IDI. |
| Who Is My Neighbor? | Paul DeNeui | Through developing skills in cultural exegesis, participants will learn about the histories and cultures in their own regions of ministry, recognizing opportunities to partner with ways that God’s activity is already at work. |
| Intercultural Development Group Workshop | Paul DeNeui | This workshop can include church leaders or entire congregations. Incorporates group activities, goal setting, and follow up. |
| Living Out the Psalms | Nathan Clayton | Can the psalms, which reflect a breadth of human emotional experiences, help us deal with stress and anxiety? In this workshop, we will learn how to expand our prayer language by engaging both the themes of individual psalms and the message of the whole Psalter. |
| Experiencing God through Old Testament Worship | Nathan Clayton | The Old Testament preserves a variety of musical worship experiences. In this workshop we will explore how Old Testament music and song can enrich our Christian worship life. |
| Who Are We and Why It Is Important? | Hauna Ondrey | Your history is Covenant history…will future generations be able to tell it? This session will share resources and best practices for preserving your congregation’s story through oral history and archival collections. |
| Listening Well: Gospel Communication | Michelle Dodson | This workshop focuses on listening well, challenging our assumptions about the other, and communicating from a place of humility. |
| Race and Place: How to Do Diversity in a Monoracial Context | Michelle Dodson | This workshop will help participants broaden their thinking about race and diversity in their contexts. It is especially geared for racially homogenous congregations who understand the value of diversity but feel excluded from the conversation because their context is not racially diverse. |
| The Parable of the Prodigal Son as New Testament Theology | Max Lee | This workshop features four seminars that cover the major tenets of New Testament theology through a biblical and theological interpretation of Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The seminars include: The Waiting Father (The Doctrine of God), The Far Country (The Doctrine of Sin), Coming Home (The Doctrine of Salvation), and The Older Prodigal (The Doctrine of the Church). |
| Pastoral Care for Singles in Your Church | Elizabeth Pierre | The church sometimes forgets to minister to single adults. This workshop will help your congregation discover the joy of serving single adults. |
| Trauma Workshop | Elizabeth Pierre | This workshop will assist your congregation in ministering to people who have experienced trauma. |
| Who Really Is in Charge? | Bret Widman | This workshop will help your congregation pay attention to the power dynamics in the New Testament and be aware of those dynamics within the church, as well as in the culture around the church. |
| Discovering Your Church Culture | Bret Widman and Cheryl Lynn Cain | This workshop will assist you in discovering the culture within your church. |
| The Kingdom of God Is at Hand | Bret Widman | The Kingdom of God was a main teaching of Jesus who coupled it with experiences of the Kingdom of God. This workshop will illuminate the strategy of Jesus in the formation of his disciples in order to embody the Great Commission. |
| What Is Idolatry and How Does It Hinder Our Discipleship? | Bret Widman | In the Old and New Testaments, there is a warning about idolatry for God’s people. This workshop will explore the operating system of idolatry to help us freely follow the Risen Jesus. |
Spanish Workshops
| Workshop Title | Presenter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Teología de la Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico | Armida Belmonte Stephens | Este taller se centra en los distintivos teológicos de la IPE como las enseñanzas de la salvación, los sacramentos, la misión integral de la iglesia, y la participación sin restricción de la mujer en el ministerio |
| Fundamentos de la hermenéutica bíblica | Armida Belmonte Stephens | ¿Cómo leemos la Biblia? Este taller presenta principios y métodos fundamentales para la interpretación bíblica con el fin de ser intérpretes fieles y responsables al servicio del reino de Dios? |
| Desarrollo Intercultural en la Biblia | Cheryl Lynn Cain | ¿Que es ser intercultural y como podemos aprender del testimonio en Scriptura? |
| Comadrazgo En La Biblia y con La Biblia | Sophia A Magallanes | Este taller explora el tema del Comadrazgo (relaciones entre mujeres) en la Biblia pero también introduce un acercamiento exegético integrado y relacional a la Biblia. Juntos con el Espíritu Santo, desarrollaremos una fraternidad con los textos bíblicos mientras que analizamos las escrituras con herramientas académicas. |
Contact Us
How can we help you or your church? For workshop training, or other avenues to connect your church to our seminary faculty and resources, please get in touch.