Jesus said, “. . . The Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). In speaking of those for whom he would ultimately lay down his life he declared, “. . . They will listen to my voice” (John 10:16).

Missional leadership in the emerging culture is about eyes and ears. It is about seeing and hearing.

At Fuller Theological Seminary our goal is to train and equip missional leaders for the diverse expressions of God’s ministry in our rapidly changing world. We seek to help our students see and hear God’s great story of reconciliation through rigorous engagement with Scripture, theology, church history, ethics, philosophy and the dynamics of ministry.

But seeing and hearing is not limited to academic engagement. We also want to help our students open their eyes to what God is doing and to perk up their ears to what the Holy Spirit is saying.

Our students often report experiencing greater clarity of their ministry vocation during their seminary experience. It is not unusual for a student to tell of having a new sense of God’s direction while in the middle of a theology lecture or even while working through a Hebrew translation of Job or Amos. God seems to show up in some unusual places.

Fuller students often come to seminary while already working in ministry and any number of other vocations. Our evening, weekend and intensive formats in Irvine, San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo are designed for students who want high-quality seminary training but are not able to leave their places of work and ministry.

Our desire is to create sacred space in which our students can learn, grow and open their eyes and ears to the work and voice of God’s Spirit.

If you are looking for such a space, please give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to partner with you in this great journey.

Mike McNichols, DMin
Director, Fuller California Coast