CLASSES
Two-Year Ministerial Program
First-Year Focus
Comparative Religion
The TNS Interfaith Approach
Applying Spiritual Principles to Daily Life, Ministry and
Inner Personal Development
Course Offerings
- Concepts of Interfaith
- Dimensions of Spiritual Practice
- Inner Development
- Basics of Ritual
- Native American Spirituality
- The Divine Feminine
- African Spirituality
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Taoism
- Judaism
- Christianity
- Islam & Sufism
- Contemplation Across Faith Traditions
Requirements
- Class Attendance (Two Sundays per month on Zoom)
- Attend the Fall & Spring 3-day Intensives (in-person)
- Attend the year-end Retreat & Graduation in June (in-person)
- Three or more Electives
- Completion of monthly reading assignments and written work
- Contribution to at least one group ritual service (temple)
- Participation in ongoing Reflection groups
- Attending Interfaith Temple services and monthly Roundtable
- Site visits to services or ceremonies of various faiths
- Volunteer service in the community
- 3 Book Reports (spring)
- Final Year End Paper
- Final oral examination/dialogue
Second-Year Focus
Practical Aspects of Interfaith Ministry
The TNS Interfaith Approach
Developing Self-Leadership & Service
The primary focus of the Second Year of training is Pastoral Formation and Leadership as well as the practical aspects of Interfaith Ministry, including structured reflection on the essence and spirit of service and the Ministry of Presence. Coursework includes deeper elements of ritual, wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, baby blessings, Sacred Music, worship services, meditations and reflection, Homiletics, spiritual coaching, Clinical Pastoral Education, praying, Sacred Activism, and Interfaith Dialogue.
Areas of Focus
- Personal & Professional Ethics in the Practice of Ministry
- Elements of Ritual (temple service preparation)
- Creating Ceremonies
- Intro to Spiritual Coaching
- Worship Services
- Homilies & Messages
- Guided Meditations
- Interfaith Prayer
- Developing Spiritual Leadership
- Contemplation Across Faith Traditions
- Chaplaincy Foundations and Crisis Intervention
- Interfaith Dialogue
- Sacred Activism
- The Sacred Threads Across Faith Traditions
- Mysticism & The Ministry of Presence
Requirements
- Class Attendance (Two Sundays per month on Zoom)
- Attend the Fall & Spring 3-day Intensives (in-person)
- Attend the year-end Retreat & Graduation in June (in-person)
- Three or more Electives
- Homiletics Contest
- Monthly Reflection Assignments
- Leading the Student-Led Temple Services
- Leading Reflection Groups
- Attending Interfaith Temple services and monthly Roundtable
- Site visits to services or ceremonies of various faiths
- Volunteer service in the community
- Final Year Ministerial Manual
- Acquiring a Ministerial Robe & Stole for Ordination
Upon successful completion of the First Year, there is a ritual where the students are declared ‘Ordinands’ and advance to the second year ending in Ordination. Full ordination is not granted until completion of the Second Year training.
Applications We have rolling enrollment.