Spiritual Development Tim Peck, APU Director of Chapel

Amanda Marburger, Grad Student, APU College Counseling and Student Development

Our Foundational AssumptionGod is at work among us – working through us and

sometimes in spite of us!

Assumptions in Our WorkStudents can grow spiritually during their college experience, in and out of class… and we want them to do so!

Our actions as student leaders can foster or hinder students’ spiritual development

Students come to us at different phases of their spiritual journey, from different faith traditions and at different places in their development

Students have different views of God based on their culture, their life experiences, their faith tradition, and their cognitive frame

A careful balance of challenge and support fosters a maturing spiritual growth

Scripture1 John 2:12-14

Toward a Theology of Spiritual Development: Scriptural Themes• Spiritual development is the gracious

work of the Triune God in people

• Spiritual development requires our participation, but our participation is neither a means to earn God’s pleasure nor a sufficient cause to produce spiritual development

Scriptural Themes (cont.)

• Spiritual development takes place in community with other believers

• Spiritual development involves both processes and events

Scriptural Themes (cont.)

• Spiritual development can be prompted by practices and disciplines of the historic Christian church• Acts of service can prompt

spiritual development

Scriptural Themes (cont.)

• Spiritual development is organic and sometimes unpredictable

• Spiritual development typically includes times of suffering, doubting, and questioning, balanced through the timely comfort and wisdom of God, either directly or through other disciples

Spiritual growth contributes most strongly to overall satisfaction with a Christian college education among traditional-aged undergrads who stay to graduate.

Source: Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (2007)

An “unmistakable pattern” among those who grew spiritually was the presence of various types of crises.

Prolonged exposure to diverse ways of thinking

Extensive multicultural exposureGeneral emotional crisis

Holcomb (2004)

Findings from the CCCU Research on Student Spiritual

Development