The discipline of Spiritual and Personal Formation makes the formation process part of the entire Bethel Seminary experience. Spiritual and personal formation is the process of opening ourselves to the work of God in our lives. Our goal is that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13). As students address issues of spiritual and personal formation, they are increasingly likely to ­demonstrate:

• A desire for and commitment to living in a covenant love relationship with God that is marked by a passion for the Word of God, personal obedience and discipleship, spiritual hunger, and a lifestyle of holiness and spiritual maturity;
• A desire for and commitment to living with others in covenantal love relationships that are marked by integrity, respect, justice, service, reconciliation, and the ability to build bridges across the potential barriers of racial, gender, and theological differences;
• An ability to develop a biblically grounded theology of spiritual and personal formation, to recognize historical instances of the movement of the Holy Spirit, and to examine critically the practice of formation as understood by a variety of Christian traditions;
• An awareness of their own brokenness, call, and gifting that enables them to maintain healthy personal and professional boundaries, appropriately use authority and power, and respond sensitively to the pain of others; and
• An ability to respond to God’s call in their lives with proactive, lifelong personal and professional development strategies that are characterized by honesty, accountability, and a commitment to wholeness spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and relationally.