Programs of Study

Program for Lay Formation

“Effective formation methods address the whole person: emotions, imagination, will, heart, and mind. It is the whole person who ministers, so the whole person is the proper subject of formation.

The four areas of formation – human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral – that provide a framework for the formation of deacons and priests provide a framework for lay ecclesial ministers as well. Lay ecclesial ministers need:

• Human qualities critical to form wholesome relationships and necessary to be apt instruments of God’s love and compassion
   
• A spirituality and practice of prayer that root them in God’s Trinitarian life, grounding and animating all they do in ministry|
   
• Adequate knowledge in theological and pastoral studies, along with the intellectual skill to use among the people and cultures of our country
   
• The practical pastoral abilities called for in their particular ministry” 

Christ the King Seminary believes in the essential connection between spirituality and ministry, between psychological wholeness and holiness, and between faith and theology. A healthy integration of these areas is necessary to prepare the ministry student who must be well equipped to accept the challenge of serving the people of God. This integration is particularly important for those wishing to serve in leadership positions in the Church. Consequently, degree students in the M.A.T., M.A.P.M. and M.Div. programs and the Certificate in Pastoral Studies participate in various components of the Lay Formation Program that allow for the spiritual and personal growth necessary to be adequately prepared for service in the Church.