FORMATION
Contemplation | Liberation | Reconciliation
Spiritual formation is a broad term that refers to both the process and practices of deepening one's faith and spiritual growth.
Through workshops, retreats, and other opportunities for engagement, F@TC Fellows explore the Christian traditions of contemplative practices, liberation theology, and the ministry of reconciliation. Ultimately, this community seeks to promote peace and reconciliation in the spiritual, relational, vocational, and civic lives of young adults and their communities.
NEW MONASTIC FORMATION
Faith at the Crossroads grew from prayerful conversations considering a ministry focus for the St. Benedict’s House, the house our F@TC fellows call home. Our home’s namesake is considered the father of Western monasticism. His ultimate achievement was to provide the monastic communities with a succinct Rule of Life that integrated prayer, labor, and study into a well-rounded daily routine that has shaped Christianity for 1,500 years.
Faith at the Crossroads is shaped by the New Monastic movement which seeks to learn from monastic practices in Christianity, past and present, and learn how we might live in the 21st Century and increasing divisions and complexity.
Our fellows participate in a Rule of Life created to structure our community around consistent, regular rhythms for prayer, work, learning.
CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM and CONTEMPLATION
Faith at the Crossroads is an explicitly Christian program which invites young adults to bring their questions about the Christian tradition. We do not seek just one type of person but people at all places in their spiritual exploration who are willing to engage with the Christian Tradition. We invite young adults into the mystery of God’s presence by studying the Christian Mystics and experimenting with contemplative practices.
Fellows will regularly reflect on their experiences which will allow them to begin to discern the movement of God in their lives and learn how to engage with life as a response to God’s love.
LIBERATION THEOLOGY
Liberation is the process of attaining freedom from various obstacles to human flourishing. Fellows will leave the year with a deeper sense of how to connect their faith to the work of liberation, justice, and peace-building.
Howard Thurman, mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the civil rights movement wrote in his book Jesus and the Disinherited, “What does this religion have to say to the [person] living with their back against the wall?”
Over the course of the year we will explore this question with scholars, activists, and members of the Trinity Church Community. Further, we will seek to live out liberation theology within the context of our placement sites where our partners in mission and ministry seek to remove various obstacles to human flourishing
RECONCILIATION
Faith at the Crossroads seeks to equip young leaders who are ready to build and not tear down.
“Resistance is an example of gathering negative emotion…People can be against a tyrant or regime for many different reasons but they can come together nonetheless to overthrow that tyrant or regime, Reconciliation, on the other hand, calls for organizing positive emotion-getting people to collaborate to build something new together.” - Robert Schriter
Reconciliation is a process which involves healing, truth, and justice as a means to reengage, rehumanize, and restore relationships. We practice reconciliation as an extension of our Christian faith, responding to societal problems and conflicts by equipping young leaders to move beyond righteous anger toward the healing love of Christ to bridge the deep divisions in ourselves, our communities, and our world.
Throughout the year Fellows will learn about and develop the habits of reconcilers. Through the practice of these habits, we will develop ways of transforming conflict and building peace within ourselves, families, communities, and around the world.
Over the course of ten months our fellows strive to be authentic and faith-rooted leaders.