Summer Institute: The Dreams of the Heart of God

On Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, more than 30 pastors, ministry leaders, young leaders, and lay leaders gathered at Western Theological Seminary for the Summer Institute Retreat. Centered on the theme The Dreams of the Heart of God, this bilingual and transgenerational gathering created space for worship, theological reflection, and communal discernment.

Through panel conversations in which pastors and young leaders shared vulnerably, presentations by our guest speakers, Elizabeth Conde-Frazier and Danny Santiago, and interactive practices such as writing psalms of lament rooted in their own ministry contexts, participants explored how God is calling the church to faithful witness while cultivating new friendships and partnerships across congregations and traditions.

One participant, Rev. Nathan DeWard shared: “I want to thank you for the wonderful retreat you hosted for the Summer Institute on Friday and Saturday. It gave me an important space to pray and discern what God is doing and what I sense God’s calling in my life. Our time together rekindled my love and appreciation for WTS, especially the people, its staff, and faculty. I felt included and acknowledged; something you modeled well as you brought people together from diverse backgrounds.”

It was a gift to witness the diverse Body of Christ, young and old, across cultures and ministry contexts gather to worship together, singing in one another’s native languages, and to learn from both the challenges and the gifts present in each other’s communities and ministries. I left the retreat convinced that the Holy Spirit was at work among us, and I look forward with hope to the fruit that will emerge from the relationships, conversations, and shared discernment that began during those two days.