Spiritual Formation BTS-5390 - Graduate Course Syllabus - Winter 2024

Sep 17, 2026

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Graduate course syllabus for “Spiritual Formation” (BTS-5390, 3 credit hours) at Canadian Mennonite University, covering course meeting times, exclusions, and the off-campus spiritual retreat schedule. Includes mission context, required use of Moodle and additional platforms (Zoom and Office 365), course description focused on attentiveness to God and Christlikeness, learning objectives, and a list of core and additional textbooks/recordings used for the course.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Course Overview

Mission Statement and Course Platforms

Course Description and Objectives

Schedule and Learning Arrangements

Meeting Dates and Cancellations

Off-Campus Retreat

Resources

Textbooks and Reading Materials

Additional Requirements

Spiritual Formation BTS-5390 (3 credit hours) Canadian Mennonite University: Graduate Course Syllabus Winter, 2024 Mondays (January 8-April 1), 2:30-5:15 p.m. in room TBA NOTE: class will not meet on February 19 (Louis Riel Day), during CMU’s Reading Days. Last date for voluntary withdrawal without academic penalty: March ??. NOTE: Class will also be cancelled on 2 additional days so that the class can participate in a one-day retreat off campus on a date to be announced. The retreat date (and the cancelled classes) will be decided in consultation with the students at the start of the semester. Normally, a $25-$35 fee is charged to each student to cover the cost of the retreat, which will be conducted at a location yet to be decided. Professor: Andrew Dyck, PhD, VU (Vrije Universiteit) Amsterdam Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies Contact info: [a.dyck@cmu.ca](a.dyck@cmu.ca) 204-487-3300 ext.627 Office B326 (mailbox on office door, and at main reception desk on north campus) Mission statement of Canadian Mennonite University: CMU is an innovative Christian university, rooted in the Anabaptist faith tradition, moved and transformed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through teaching, research, and service CMU inspires women and men for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. All students are required to use this course’s Moodle website, located under the BTS heading at [https://moodle.cmu.ca](https://moodle.cmu.ca. Instructions)[. Instructions](https://moodle.cmu.ca. Instructions) for logging in are provided when you click on ‘log in.’ Most students will log in to Moodle via the CMU Office 365 link by using their own @[student.cmu.ca](student.cmu.ca) username and password. (You can download the mobile Moodle app at [https://download.moodle.org/mobile/](https://download.moodle.org/mobile/).) Students will use Moodle for receiving handouts and announcements; submitting assignments (and receiving graded assignments); asking questions of the professor; conducting class discussions; and learning grades. All students should also be prepared to use Zoom, and Office 365. Basic instructions for these will be provided by the professor as needed. Students are also encouraged to come to every class session with a laptop or handheld device that has these apps installed. Note: this course will also be delivered with a live-stream option for students who live beyond easy driving distance to CMU. See the appendix “Live-Streamed Courses” for details about using Zoom for live-streaming. Course Description: “This experience-centred course introduces students to practices and perspectives for growing in attentiveness to God’s presence in order to be continually formed into Christlikeness by the Holy Spirit. The course helps cultivate spiritual habits that can sustain students in their future ministries within and beyond local congregations. Both individual and communal spiritual formation will be explored”([as posted at www.cmu.ca](as posted at www.cmu.ca)). During the course, students will be offered guided experiences of classical spiritual practices, augmented by lectures and by personal and biblical-theological reflection. The day spent as a class off campus will be conducted as a spiritual retreat—a ‘Vacation with the Lord.’ 1 Objectives ofthis course: The student will - give greater attentiveness to God’s presence within the student’s own experience in the company of other believers, in order to be formed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. - identify biblical-theological dimensions of spiritual formation practices. - describe features of the student’s own character, temperament and history that are important for spiritual formation. - select and use personal spiritual practices—both individual and communal—from various Christian traditions, integrating those practices into the student’s own life for the sake of the student’s own Christian

FAQs

What are the course credits and delivery schedule for BTS-5390?

The course is 3 credit hours and is scheduled for Mondays from January 8 to April 1, 2:30–5:15 p.m. It does not meet on February 19 (Louis Riel Day) and may be cancelled on two additional days for an off-campus one-day retreat.

How do students access course materials and participate in class?

Students are required to use the course Moodle website under the BTS heading to receive handouts and announcements, submit assignments, ask questions, and engage in discussions and grades. Students should also be prepared to use Zoom and Office 365, and a live-stream option is available for those beyond easy driving distance.

What learning outcomes does the course expect students to achieve?

Students are expected to increase attentiveness to God’s presence, identify biblical-theological dimensions of spiritual formation practices, describe how personal character and history relate to formation, select and integrate individual and communal spiritual practices, create a plan for ongoing formation, and think critically about issues of spirituality.

Sep 17, 2026

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