Beginning with the fall 2023 trimester, Winebrenner Theological Seminary has stepped away from the Title IV Federal Student Aid Program, specifically, the ability to offer federal unsubsidized student loans. Winebrenner Theological Seminary still has the ability to defer loans carried by a student. This decision aligns with a statement that was made in the Back...Read More
I’ve said on many occasions that organizations are continually organizing and re-organizing around mission and strategy. Some times these occurrences are expected and sometimes they are unexpected. What remains central in the midst of seemingly rapid change is the anchor of an organization mission and purpose. Even “strategic planning” can become a hindrance if it...Read More
The fall trimester is under way at Winebrenner! In the coming weeks we’ll have updates about fall enrollment, our continued commitment to low fixed costs and financial stewardship, and the various ways in which we continue to serve a diversity of students. We’re also in the final stages of preparing our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan and...Read More
In December 2022 we shared some updates about financial policies that would be implemented in the fall 2023 term (you can read that post by clicking here). It’s hard to believe that we’re now at the start of the fall term! In fact, classes start today, Monday, August 28. We’ll be sharing more in the...Read More
If you asked a dozen people to define the word “communication” you would likely receive over a dozen different definitions. A helpful way to gain a better understanding of an often-used word is to examine how the term relates to other familiar words or phrases. Since communication shares a root with both “commerce” and “community”...Read More
Last year I used the phrase “organizational truth telling” to describe Winebrenner’s commitment to honesty and what some refer to as “transparency” (you can read the full post by clicking here). Winebrenner has a responsibility to provide evidence of how we are being faithful to God’s provision and stewarding the resources He has provided for...Read More
“I thought seminary was going to be a really great tool as I prepared to serve in a new way, as I embarked on this new journey, as I followed God’s call, but I don’t think I was ready for how life changing it was going to be. Winebrenner is a place where we can...Read More
Sandy was faced with a choice to continue in her nursing career…or was there something more. “I came to Winebrenner from a calling from God. Many years ago, when I graduated High School, I worked in the behavioral health field and became a certified mental health specialist working with at risk youth, cognitively disabled population, criminally...Read More
This is a repost from the Churches of God, General Conference site. The article is written by Jacob Clagg, Winebrenner graduate, and focuses upon the work of Nancy Boyer, current student at Winebrenner and instrumental in our efforts at providing theological education in Kenya. You can read the article by clicking here.Read More
You can read an article written by Winebrenner’s President and recently published in the magazine of the In Trust Center for Theological Schools. Access the article by clicking here: https://intrust.org/Magazine/Issues/Summer-2023/Changing-tuition-modelsRead More
In partnership with 5Q, Winebrenner is offering an online class titled: Accelerated Leadership Development. Students are able to sign up for this class which is all about Ephesians 4, and the theological foundations of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, and Teacher (APEST) and how to apply APEST for the purpose of discipleship and leadership in your church....Read More
This is a repost from the Churches of God, General Conference site. The article is written by Jacob Clagg, Winebrenner graduate, and focuses upon the McMechen Church of God, pastored by Mitch Johnston, MDiv, 1993. The Ground Breaking Church at McMechen In the early morning hours of June 3rd, 2017, The First Church of God...Read More
I was recently invited to serve as a guest on the podcast for Coach Approach Ministries (CAM), hosted by Brian Miller, Executive Director of CAM and Winebrenner graduate. During our time we explored various biblical and leadership qualities needed for leading in our current moment. While we don’t explicitly talk about creativity and its relation...Read More
In the coming weeks InDepth will be providing some updates on our efforts to continue to be creative in how we approach theological education and discipleship. As an organization dedicated to following Jesus in a thoughtful manner, we remain open to various ways to engage in our mission. Stay tuned as we move forward together!...Read More
The “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is a common saying suggesting that we can accomplish more when working together than working individually, even if we’re working toward a common purpose. However, this is only true for an organization when the various aspects are fully integrated with one another. Over the past...Read More
I was recently invited to write an article for the Global Advocate, a publication of the Churches of God, General Conference. In that article I explore various aspects of Winebrenner’s organizational culture: You can access the full issue of the Global Advocate by clicking here.Read More
The relationship between a faculty member and student is a vital component of the discipleship journey at Winebrenner; in fact, I’ve previously written about this as a “core interaction” of the overall student experience. The previous post in this series explored some of the challenges for a faculty member; today’s post takes a closer look...Read More
You previously met Adam in August, as our new Coordinator of Development. He is currently moving into a new role as the Coordinator of New Student Engagement. In addition to his work at Winebrenner, Adam brings with him a diverse background in non-profit, ministry, education, and mental health experience. He is from Findlay and attended...Read More
Prior to serving as the President of Winebrenner Seminary, I was a tenured faculty member at a school in northwest Pennsylvania. I loved the rhythm of teaching, service, and scholarship and remain connected to colleagues and students from the years I spent at that university. We would take short trips with our young family but...Read More
In previous eras, organizations would spend significant time developing a “strategic plan” that would establish the main areas of focus for the next five to ten years. That approach seemed to work much better when there was a bit more predictability in terms of organization life. While it’s worth considering if life was ever as...Read More
Last week we kicked off this series with a fresh introduction to Winebrenner’s mission (you can read that post by clicking here). Even the most well-written mission statement doesn’t fulfill itself. In other words, activities that align with the mission will only emerge when an organization is intentional about doing what is necessary to carry...Read More
Like many organizations, Winebrenner Seminary is constantly organizing and re-organizing around mission and strategy. I was speaking with a colleague recently when she used the phrase “form follows function” as another way to illustrate this concept – the form of our organizations should be decided upon after we determine its function. Winebrenner Seminary exists to...Read More
If you read InDepth regularly, you’ll frequently encounter words like mission, vision, strategy, values, and culture. Each of these words represents an important area of conversation that contributes to our work at Winebrenner. In the coming weeks (and likely months) we will be exploring how these various parts fit together as we carry out Winebrenner’s...Read More
A very simple way to define discipleship is to become more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives (Dallas Willard’s work provides a great resource for working through a definition like this). Over the past few weeks on InDepth we’ve explored how discipleship benefits most from: a rhythm of invitation and challenge a deeper...Read More
Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring various aspects of discipleship. You can read more about some foundational concepts by clicking on the following links: Organizational Culture: Discipleship Discipleship: The Rhythm of Invitation and Challenge Discipleship: Activating our Gifts We live in a digital age in which conversations about outsourcing and automation are a...Read More
As noted previously, discipleship is a cornerstone of Kingdom culture. Last week we explored the rhythm of invitation and challenge found in healthy organizations focused on discipleship. This week we are exploring another aspect of discipleship – activation of the gifts given to us by Jesus. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the...Read More
Some of the last recorded words of Jesus are found in the book of Matthew 28 when he says in verse 19, “…go and make disciples of all nations…” This is part of a larger passage of scripture often called the “Great Commission” and is considered a key teaching of Jesus. Since we’ve identified discipleship...Read More
Healthy organizational practices emerge from healthy organizational cultures. This idea was introduced on InDepth in a previous post titled Shifting Focus: From Operational to Cultural Priorities. The first cornerstone of kingdom culture that was explored was Winebrenner’s deep commitment to stewardship (you can read the first post in that series by clicking here). As we...Read More
One of the ways in which we think about our work at Winebrenner Seminary is to consider those for whom we are creating value. Previously on InDepth I’ve identified the three main groups we engage most frequently – students, collaborative partners, and givers (you can read that full post by clicking here). The number of...Read More
Paul Steeger, 2022 Master of Arts in Practical Theology graduate, shares, “Without hesitation, I will say my experience at Winebrenner was enjoyable and life-altering. Friendships have been established that I would have thought would not be possible. The instructors were always helpful, relational, and eager to see our success! I now continue in my journey...Read More
Winebrenner Seminary continues to grow in awareness and understanding of the implications of shifting to a $300/month tuition. As we make preparations for our 2023-2028 strategic planning cycle, we are comprehensively revising our financial policies. Effective with the Fall 2023 trimester we are: Requiring that a student submit automatic payment/withdraw approval; Establishing $300/month as the...Read More
Over the past weeks we’ve been reflecting upon various aspects of stewardship. Demonstrating that stewardship is a key component of Winebrenner’s culture requires some kind of evidence, so these posts have included several updates about changes to Winebrenner Seminary’s approach to financial policies. These changes reflect our deepening commitment to the belief that our core...Read More
Have you ever stopped to wonder why Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November? (this is for those in the United States; our Canadian neighbors to the north celebrate on the second Monday of October). The obvious reason is that we follow our calendars! Others may know the history and refer to actions...Read More
Perhaps you’ve heard some variation of the phrase “God equips those he calls.” Since the mission of Winebrenner is to equip leaders for service in God’s kingdom, we should pay special attention to those who fit within either category – the called or the equipped! When seminary is part of a person’s call, every person...Read More
Winebrenner Seminary is privileged to work alongside multiple organizations focused on serving within God’s kingdom. Currently, Dr. Kathryn Helleman, Director of Winebrenner’s Doctor of Ministry program and Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, is in Sagana, Kenya, and is teaching Theology I to just under a dozen students. Pastor Nancy Boyer is accompanying Dr. Helleman. I...Read More
The invitation to approach theological education as discipleship is accompanied by the challenge to align our daily activities and decisions with those of Jesus. Of all his challenging words and stories, one that many find provocative is the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard recorded in Matthew 20:1-16. The opening line of the parable...Read More
As Maria sings in “The Sound of Music,” let’s start at the very beginning: All things belong to God. Our task is to steward – or manage – what we have in a way that gives honor to God. These dual beliefs (all things belong to God and our task is to steward them well)...Read More
Since becoming President of Winebrenner Seminary in December 2015, much of my time has been spent on day to day items required for operating a seminary. All of these items are guided by our mission and strategy and serve the greater purposes of God’s kingdom. Focusing on operational items has made sense in light of...Read More
I received a phone call last week from a pastor that I’ve known for over 35 years. We first met when he arrived to serve as the pastor of the church I attended when I was 10 years old. For five of my most formative years he was present in our church and community. And,...Read More
For Further Discussion
If you would like to talk further about any ideas shared through this InDepth blog, please email Winebrenner President, Dr. Brent C. Sleasman at brent.sleasman@winebrenner.edu.
